p. 46 | Untitled article by J. W. Wood

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · February 8, 1894

THE LORD FAILED TO RESPOND.

By J. W. Wood

The effort made to secure the closing of the World's Fair on Sunday was the most conspicuous and united effort ever made by Christians in the world's history, to secure divine interference in human affairs. Elijah once made an appeal to Jehovah as between God and Baal, with very decisive results. In this trial he rejected all human adjuncts; he flooded the altar with water, and at the decisive moment he appealed to the Lord God of Abraham, who sent a divine fire which licked up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and the water.

In this latest case of appeal to God all human adjuncts calculated to assist him were liberally added. Congress was besieged for a suitable law, as never before in its history. It was flooded with literature and correspondence. Boycotts were freely threatened against all those who did not vote according to dictation. Two million and a half of dollars, which by circumstances became five millions, were placed before the directors as a bribe for closing.

Twenty-five million, eight hundred and twenty-five thousand and eighty-six people were counted as petitioners for its closing, thus giving impetus to the threatened boycott, while eighty-seven thousand five hundred and seven were all that opposed it. The one represented united Christendom, while the other represented “a few vagabond Jews and infidels.”

The millions of Christians are supposed to have prayed for its closing, and they certainly performed herculean labors for the space of two years in that interest, while nobody prayed against it.

All conventions, conferences, synods, alliances and religious gatherings of every name, enforced the threatened boycott and passed denunciatory resolutions to enforce the closing. At the least appearance of success God was given all the glory, and hallelujahs were sung in his praise. The President of the United States was called upon for armed troops to shoot down offenders. Pestilence and cyclones were invoked, and the most direful consequences were predicted in case of failure to close. “And it came to pass that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.” Baal was as silent as he was in Elijah's day. Had there been the least sign of interference it would have been pushed to the uttermost in the interest of “the venerable day of the sun.” It was not a contest between Sunday and the “Sabbath of the Lord our God,” for the latter did not appear in the controversy. The name and character of God's day, given to it by the Most High, were stolen from it and attached to the false Sabbath, which its enemies would thrust into its place.

From the human standpoint it seemed impossible but that the gates should be closed, but in God's providence the failure was made signal and complete. When the case reached Judge Goggin's court it stood, two judges for a decree which would permit of closing, and one that stood opposed; the triumph was now considered as won: but, behold! the one man triumphed over the two, and the gates could not be shut. Had not Judge Goggin appeared in court that morning, the desired end would have been gained. A fit of apoplexy would have stopped him; an attack of colic, a slip on an orange peel, a sickness in his family, a slight mental influence, or if the charge of drunkenness, which was brought against him, had been true, of which there is no evidence, a little excess of drink would have hindered him from appearing. Had the gates been as signally closed as they were signally kept open, it would have been construed as a clear indorsement of Sunday as God's transferred Sabbath day. On the other hand may not the total failure of the tremendous efforts made for closing be triumphant evidence that God will not give his sanction to a day of human substitution?

Will the National Reform combination learn no lesson from all of this? They invoked the issue and called upon God for vindication. They were beaten at every point by his providence. They are not ignorant men. Their chief spokesman, W. F. Crafts, made this plain at Saratoga. He must see the fatal lapse in the logic which makes void the law of God, by putting the wild solar holiday of all paganism in the place of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Is not the denunciation of Christ in Matthew 15:7 of tremendous force as towards all such men? “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophecy of you saying, this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” In Mark 7:9, he adds, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God that ye may keep your own tradition.”

J. W. Wood.