Almost Home by MRS. E. M. PEEBLES

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 19, 1915

Almost Home

By MRS. E. M. PEEBLES

MRS. E. M. PEEBLES

“Long upon the mountains, weary, Have the scattered flock been torn; Dark the desert paths, and dreary; Grievous trials have they borne. Now the gathering call is sounding, Solemn in its warning voice; Union, faith, and love, abounding, Bid the little flock rejoice.”

THERE was once a father who with his little child was traveling over a hot, dusty, wearisome road. The child became weary, and begged to be allowed to rest; but night was coming on, and the journey must be completed before daylight was gone. The father, having anticipated such a situation, had reserved a few handfuls of cherries, one of which he now threw on the ground a little way in advance. The child, with an exclamation of pleasure, eagerly darted forward to secure it, when lo, another fell still farther on, and another, and yet another, until at last the long-looked-for haven of rest was reached, and the journey ended. The attention of the child had been diverted, and the journey which otherwise would have been tedious and painful, was completed in comparative pleasure.

It is thus that our Heavenly Father has been dealing with his weary way-worn children in these last times, because he knows our frame, and remembers that we are dust. He has led us carefully, step by step, permitting us to see only a little way in advance, lest we become weary and discouraged.

The date 1844 will always be recognized by every one who is intelligently looking for the coming of Jesus, as the most important date connected with the great world-wide advent movement now in progress. God’s people in all denominations had been led to expect that time would close that year.

They sincerely believed it, and lived and acted accordingly; and a work was accomplished, prophetic in its nature, which could not otherwise have been done. There was a ring of certainty in the message that carried conviction to the hearers. God himself was leading out his people, and fitting them for deeper and greater experiences,—at least greater because of longer duration,—and he mercifully covered all the future except just as far as they were able to go. As in the story of the child, their attention was so firmly fastened upon the goal held before them that they were able to concentrate all their energy, and to do their best work without becoming confused by the contemplation of results and a long-drawn-out struggle with the powers of evil.

But their hopes were not realized; and they, tested and tried, saw the journey lengthening out before them. Many gave it up, but the faithful few began to gather up the rays of light, and started on again, fully expecting very soon to reach the end of the journey. That which had been as a pillar of fire before them, now became a light behind them to shine all along the path. God again wisely and mercifully covered the future, with its long stretch of painful journeying, lest they become discouraged; for had they known, they might have been more dilatory, and said, There is time enough. But with the thought ever uppermost that in a few years at most the Saviour would come, and that there was much to do and little time in which to do it, they toiled and sacrificed, denying themselves of what seem to many the necessities of life.

Flashes of light from the heavenly sanctuary often came to cheer their weary hearts and to brighten the journey. At last the long-expected “latter rain” began to fall, in the preaching of the doctrine of justification by faith, that precious old gem of truth which was the keynote of the Reformation, and was presented now in its new setting in connection with the Sabbath reform, and the third angel’s message of Rev. 14:12, and given in a special sense to prepare a people to meet their Saviour—a church “without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.”

Almost breathlessly we listened to hear again the words: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” “He that hath the Son hath life.” “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” The presence of Jesus in the heart kills the sin; the two cannot dwell together. He is the sure antidote for the poison. Then with a complete gospel to carry the message came, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. . . . and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” “Freely ye have received, freely give.”

And now what do we see? The last message of mercy the world will ever hear is encircling the globe, going to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, and the earth is being enlightened with its glory. We could not take it to the world until we had it in its fullness: “the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus”—the faith that Jesus had, that kept him so closely connected with heaven that he lived a sinless life. Now we can point the lost to a crucified and risen Saviour, to be born again in the heart of every one of the saved. And we are almost home. We are nearing the haven of rest. “The mutterings of the coming storm” are no longer heard in the distance; they have become startlingly near, and will surely awaken all, who are not so drunk with the cares of life or the perplexity of riches that their ears are closed to all else.

A time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation has come upon our world. What does it mean when a grave forty miles long, with men placed three deep within, can contain only a small percentage of those slain in war; when numbers uncounted go down in accidents and earthquakes; when ten thousand children in Mexico, which joins our country on the south, are left homeless and starving; when countless numbers are made widows and orphans in Europe? It means to us that it is time to sever every tie that binds us to earth. It is time to transfer our treasures from earthly banks to the bank of heaven, to exchange our titles to a small portion of this old earth now reeling to destruction, for a title to one of those mansions our Saviour has gone to prepare for those who love him. It is time to “remember Lot’s wife.” How sad will be the awakening if we fail to realize now the times that are upon us, and to listen to the invitation, “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy door about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.”