Forces in Training by C. M. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 23, 1911

Forces in Training

By C. M. S.

(Concluded)

ONE of the most dangerous and deceptive forces with which humanity has to contend to-day is that which is generally termed Spiritualism, but more properly Spiritism; for it is the very antithesis of “spiritual” in the true sense of that term. We need not give its history or its doctrines; they are well enough known. But the result of its operation is the same as that of the other evil forces mentioned. It denies the Bible and the God of the Bible. It denies sin and therefore exonerates the sinner. It denies the necessity of the work of Christ, and denies him in denying that. It seeks to demonstrate the immortality of the soul by making devils talk to us in the language of our dead loved ones. Pretending to speak for those who have passed through the door of the tomb and who have no knowledge of the affairs of men, it shocks our sense of propriety and reverence, and even, ofttimes, of decency itself, by the foolish, whimsical, nonsensical, inane vaporings of the “spirits” whom it calls out of its darkened séance chambers.

Has God fortified us against this?—Yea, verily. In that Book, discarded by the Higher Critic, misconstrued by the Christian Scientist, scoffed at and denied by the Spiritist, we have our shield, our buckler, our helmet, our armor, our sword, and our consolation of hope and assurance of victory.

But there is another force we must not forget, a force that held the world under lock and key for twelve hundred sixty years, and still clanks in our face the chains with which it threatens to bind the world again when it shall come once more into possession of that power of which it was shorn in the eighteenth century. It has put force in the place of love, built a barrier between man and his Redeemer, fashioned a place of torment for good and bad alike, that it may wring money from the relatives of both for praying them out of this hell of its own creation. Not satisfied with that, it has put a human in the place of Christ in this world, and seated a triumvirate—Joseph, Mary, and Christ—on the throne of heaven itself. It has truly fulfilled the prophecy concerning a power which would put itself in the place of God, and set itself forth as God. To make the fulfilment more accurate, it has established a sabbath of its own in opposition to the Sabbath of Jehovah, and anathematized the observers of his sacred day. It grants passports to heaven through Mary instead of Christ, and puts the keys of heaven itself in the hands of a human being—Peter. Jesus, Son of God and Son of man, who poured out his life on Calvary to save man, is given a very inferior place in its scheme of salvation. The sins of men are forgiven by men, often before they are committed; and a wafer shaped by human hands, and baked in a priest’s kitchen, is adored as God himself.

That power, lording it over men as Christ would not do, claims the allegiance of the whole world, and is shaping the powers of earth to do its bidding in bringing that about. It is another of those forces training for the fray of the last conflict, and one of those forces which we shall meet face to face.

Within the last few years a movement has been instituted within that organization, designed to weld into one solid political mass all the members of all the various Roman Catholic societies in this country and in England, in order that Catholics may demand what they call their rights, and compel compliance with their demands. It is designed to be a force that will compel Congressmen to give the Catholic Church the legislation it desires. It has come to be of sufficient power already to mold some of the acts of our government. We shall see and hear much more of this force in the near future. The weapons we are to use in the warfare against that masterful organization are not carnal but spiritual. The power furnished for their operation is not ours but God’s, and we are his.

Apostate Protestantism swells the ranks of those forces opposed to the last work of God in the earth. Protestantism, nurtured in the cradle of the faith, and fed upon the milk of the Word, has grown and flourished many years, until now, prosperous and strong in numbers, it has forgotten the quarry whence it was hewn. It is leaning again toward Rome. “Protestantism is now reaching hands across the gulf to clasp hands with the Papacy, and a confederacy is being formed to trample out of sight the Sabbath of the fourth commandment; and the man of sin, who, at the instigation of Satan, instituted the spurious sabbath, this child of the Papacy, will be exalted to take the place of God. All heaven is represented to me as watching the unfolding of events. . . . Something great and decisive is to take place, and that right early. If any delay, the character of God and his throne will be compromised.”—Special Testimonies (“The Crisis Imminent”).

The effort to secure religion by law is a part of this confederacy of apostate Protestantism with Roman Catholicism. For twenty-one years Congress has been earnestly besieged for the passage of such laws; but the angels have held the winds; for we were not ready for the crisis. How much longer they will be held, we can not tell; but tremendous pressure is being brought to bear upon our nation’s lawmakers to induce or compel them to do the bidding of these forces. Says the servant of the Lord:—

“I am bidden to say to you that you know not how soon the crisis may come. It is stealing gradually upon us, as a thief.” “Satan sees that he has but a short time in which to work, and he has set his satanic agencies at work to stir the elements of the world, in order that men may be deceived, deluded, and kept occupied and entranced until the day of probation shall be ended, and the door be forever shut.”

We see his forces working also in labor unionism, in trusts and combines that grow opulent on the sweat of men, women, and children.

We see it in Theosophy and New Thought and myriads of schemes for self-salvation and self-aggrandizement. We see it in a pampered pulpit, that makes a gospel of “the mistakes of Moses,” and forgets to exalt or magnify the law God gave through him. Turn where you will, there is some force at work for evil; and wherever that force exists, that power from beneath has its hand on the throttle, and is controlling the machinery.

And against all these forces is arrayed a little company, an insignificant minority in themselves, as compared with the numbers of their adversaries, but with all the power of an omnipotent God behind them and angels of God beside them. We may be in that company if we will.

The forces of God are training now for that very conflict. Shall we prove true to our training and to the truth of God, which he has committed to our trust? Will we stand when the clouds lower and the forces clash, when the last struggle is on? Through the power of God we can do so. There is power in God to enable us to stand. Therefore, we say, in the words of the apostle, “Quit you like men, be strong.” Standing on his side, we know that no weapon formed against us can prosper. He is able to make even the wrath of men to praise him.

Now, we have seen the forces in training. We have seen them arrayed for and against the truth and purpose of God. What will be the grand resultant, the final direction taken by these antagonistic forces working upon the purpose of the Almighty?—The “resultant” is victory. “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that come off victorious from the beast, and from his image, and from the number of his name, standing by the sea of glass, having harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages. Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts have been made manifest.” “The ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” “And God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more. . . . And he saith, Write: for these words are faithful and true.”

C. M. S.