Your ShelfYour Projects

LOST

10%

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 25, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 32, No. 10.

Read the full edition

LOST.

By Jesse D. Hull

There has never been a time when there was so much danger of getting lost in the wilderness of error and spiritual darkness, as at the present. There are so many kinds of erroneous doctrines now taught in our land, that whenever we stumble at the plain truths of God's word, and leave that, we become lost in the wilderness of these confused doctrines, with but little hope of ever finding our way out at all.
Warning after warning has been given us of false prophets who are wolves in sheep's clothing.
Satan well understands our disposition, and he is cunning enough to lay his plans in a way that will be the most likely to meet with success. He will counterfeit the truth in many particulars to induce believers to nibble at his bait. After they have embraced such views they generally find out they have embraced something they cannot harmonize with the word of God; so they throw away their Bibles, become infidels, and fall into the dark wilderness of Spiritualism.
Satan as an angel of light is trying with all power to steal the hearts of the people of God, and bewilder their minds to cherish and pet those errors, and defend them as important doctrines of the Bible, that they may become involved in difficulties until there is no help for them, and they are completely overthrown and eternally lost.
About two years ago, it was my privilege to visit a relative in Iowa. About that time the defection in that State was at its hight. This relative who was an own brother, was not only a member, but also an elder of the little band of S. D. Adventists where he lived. His earnest zeal for the cause and church had been the means of his making a solemn vow, and inducing the church to make it with him, that they would not listen to the advocates of this defection. But alas! this vow by him was broken, and when an advocate of the defection came to his place, he was persuaded by his companion to go with her to hear him. Two discourses proved sufficient to overthrow him. He had broken his vow, and taken the first steps of his apostasy. But alas! the fatal die was cast; and he has advanced step by step, until to-day he is a ranting Spiritualist.
May a useful lesson be learned from this, never to tempt the Lord by making vows to be broken, and venturing upon the enemy's ground to investigate his doctrine, and be lost in the wilderness of error, and finally be the special subjects of God's unmingled wrath? He who had faithfully warned the church against the influence of this defection, deliberately walked into it himself, and finally became lost in the gloom of Spiritualism.
Now dear readers, I entreat of you as Bro. Bourdeau did me at the time of this apostasy, Hold on to the truth. The day of triumph for God's people is drawing on. Remember, if you ridicule this truth that is of so much vital importance to you, you will bring the curse of God upon you. Remember, if you leave the camps of Israel, and wander away from the pillar of light which guides the people of God, you are liable to fall in the wilderness and be lost.
God is testing his people to see if they will love and obey his truth; and we should exert all our energies to live it out; for Satan is going to try with all power and signs and lying wonders to deceive if it were possible the very elect. Then I repeat again, Hold fast the truth. Be an overcomer, and gain an overcomer's reward.
JESSE D. HULL.