Nothing New

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 30, 1902

THE Preacher voiced the truth: “There is no new thing under the sun.” The principles of the gospel of salvation are older than sin. The appearance of sin in the universe of God developed no new element in his character, and necessitated no new plan in the administration of his government. “I am the Lord, I change not.” “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to-day, yea and forever.” There is nothing new in sin since the first sin. In these modern times we are simply learning what sin really is. Much of the so-called new light, which is hailed with so much satisfaction as being the creation of the “new-thought” movement, is simply the error of past ages clothed in newly polished phrases to deceive the unwary and to satisfy the itching ears of the modern Athenians, who spend their time “in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing,” which is, after all, only new in appearance. The character of God has found its highest revelation in the cross of Christ, and the character of Satan has found its highest

revelation in his supreme attempt to cast his hellish shadow over that same cross. “With all deceivableness of unrighteousness,” he seeks to substitute himself, the incarnation of darkness, for “the true Light,” by appropriating the forms and phrases of Love incarnate, or by investing “the King eternal” with the attributes of his own character until he becomes in reality the god of those who accept the conclusions of their own speculative philosophy as more reliable than the plain statements of God’s Word. This new philosophy is as old as the fall of man. Do not be deceived by it. The simple faith of our fathers is infinitely better than this modern rational faith,—a religious name for infidelity.