Almost Saved by Roswell Fenner Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 23, 1872

Almost Saved.

By Roswell Fenner Cottrell

THAT is, lost—utterly and irretrievably lost! and lost under circumstances to most deeply aggravate and intensify the woe! To have heard Christ’s teachings in our streets—to have known the truth—to have professed the faith—to have prophesied in his name, and in his name cast out devils, and in his name done many wonderful works—only adds to the affliction, and deepens the sorrow and anguish into unutterable wailing at the sound of the heart piercing word, “Depart.” To have indulged the hope, and to have seen the crown of life almost within the grasp, must intensify grief and add to the keenness and bitterness of disappointment, which the careless non-professor, who never had enough faith to inspire a hope, will never know.

We are not talking of false professors who lived in the days of Christ; nor of those only who flood our popular, nominal christendom of the present day. Many who read these words, and who have professed faith in the gospel messages which were prepared in prophecy for, and have been proclaimed in, our day, will doubtless swell the number of the almost saved. These will be among the saddest in that disappointed throng. They might have been saved. Their advantages were great, but with all their light they failed to be fully converted to God. They loved the world and its applause; they loved riches; they loved to follow their own depraved appetites, and their proud hearts refused to submit to God. They murmured at the leading of God, they complained of the way, they turned back and fell.

My brother, this need not be your fate or mine. We may be saved. But if we are, we must be fully converted to God. And we must hasten and be in earnest in the work, or it will be too late. Will we do it? and will we attend to it now? R. F. COTTRELL.