Safe at Home by John Nevins Andrews

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 31, 1870

Safe at Home.

By John Nevins Andrews

Such will be the case at last with the people of God. Their toils shall cease, and their journeyings end in their safe arrival in the kingdom of God. So when the men of this world shall reach the lake of fire, the men who have sought the next world shall safely stand within the city of God. Those who make this world their portion shall have it for their portion; and when it shall be devoured by fire they shall still have their part in it.

But those who make the next world their inheritance shall have it when it comes. And it will come at last. “And when the world's distress comes, then the church's rest comes.” When the wicked reach their final retribution, the saints shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. And what inexpressible blessedness shall be the lot of those who thus overcome. Their wanderings shall then be past. Their sorrows are ended forever, and themselves safe in the house of their Father.

This blessedness shall soon be theirs: It hastes greatly. There is no reason to be faint hearted or dismayed. If the toil is painful the rest will be sweet. And every day shortens the intervening time. On all the wings of time it flies. Our time of rest is fixed, and it will come at last. Let us toil on. Our faith, and patience, and courage, must not fail. In due time we shall reap if we faint not. Our home is before us, and we shall certainly reach it at last, if we do only follow on to know the Lord. It is his prerogative to fix our time of rest. But it is ours to do our work well. The well done will come if we only do well. Then we shall cease our wanderings, and dwell forever at home. Till then, let us labor and not faint.

J. N. A.