THAT BOY PREACHER by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 3, 1881

THAT BOY PREACHER.

By Editor

WE took occasion to attend a meeting where Mr. Harrison preached (?) a few evenings since. He is not a boy at all—only very boyish in his manners, sometimes descending a little below that grade. It is one of the marvels of the age how an “evangelist,” or one who gets a reputation as such, can command large audiences night after night without saying anything which can possibly interest a thoughtful person. His discourse—we are not certain what title would best fit it—was made up of little stories, not all instructive nor much impressive. He said he was the impulsive and excitable, which appears to be the secret of his power. As a specimen of his stories he told of a very religious young man who was like to die without giving any answer to his mother's question, whether his joy was complete in the hour of death—whether he felt that Jesus was with him.

The mother was about to sink in the agonies of despair. It was a time of terrible trial to the afflicted household. If the recital resembled the actual occurrence, we should choose not to witness such a scene. But the sign was given, and all was joy. Now we protest against calling such things preaching the gospel. What a dying person may say when all the powers of nature are giving way, may, or may not, furnish evidence of a hopeful state. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” It may be unpopular truth, we know it is with these excitable religionists, but Jesus has declared it, that every man shall be “rewarded according to his works.” And many who appear before him with confident assurance will be turned away with the words, “I never knew you.” It is how a man lives, not how he feels when he is dying, that affords ground of a good hope. Mr. Harrison plainly gave his hearers to understand that if the dying man, no matter how exemplary had been his life, had cried in his death—“My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” it would have been evidence of his certain perdition. And the responses of his associates indicated that they were laboring under the same delusion.

We are more particular to notice this matter because some have made an effort to connect the Seventh-day Adventists with this movement, whereas they have no sympathy with the methods or teachings of these so-called “holiness meetings.” We believe in the doctrine of sanctification, on a Bible basis. “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” John 17:17. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth.” 1 Peter 1:22. Obedience, not feeling or excitement, is the true ground of sanctification. But their teaching is nothing but antinomian perfectionism—a heresy deprecated by the pious of all ages,—and with which there is a direct antagonism in the faith of all Seventh-day Adventists. Unfortunately, so many in the churches have lost sight of the old landmarks that they cannot discern between truth and error—between faith and fanaticism, or trust and presumption.

Andrew Fuller, the well-known Baptist author, speaking of those who depreciate the law as a rule of life, said:—

“Such views of the atonement excite an irreverent familiarity with God, and, in some cases, a daring boldness in approaching him; yet such is the strength of this antinomian delusion that it passes for intimate communion with him.”

Language could not better characterize this modern “holiness” movement than this used by Mr. Fuller. We have watched its tendencies for years, and do not hesitate to speak of it as an “antinomian delusion.” Some are so unfortunately constituted that they feed upon excitement; we pity them, but cannot accept them as exponents of the true faith.

Are we in the last days, or we not? We have firm confidence in the “sure word of prophecy,” which is “a light shining in a dark place.” By it we learn that the coming of the Lord is near, even at the doors. The Scriptures teach that a warning of this great event will be given to the world, while scoffers will cry, “Where is the promise of his coming?” and the presumptuous will sing the song of “Peace and safety.” To all such it will come as a thief in the night, and their ignorance and presumption will be as fatal as they were to those who discredited the warning of Noah.

The book of Revelation gives a chart of the times, and the duties of God's people in these days. Rev. 14:6-14. Here is solid ground—“This is Thy word, and must endure.” Here we rest in confidence. It is God's “present truth” to prepare a people to “stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.” To this we cling, thankful that God has not left his people without a witness, to save them from the delusions of these last days. Spiritualism is the strong delusion, to which all mere excitements tend. May the Lord spare his people, and save them from all the wiles of the enemy.