p. 84 | What Is the Difference by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 27, 1872

What Is the Difference.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

One of the most common objections against the Advent doctrine, the one most frequently heard, and everywhere used, is this argument: “If we are only prepared to die, what odds does it make whether we believe in the coming of the Lord or not? Supposing that the Lord’s coming is near at hand, if we are prepared for death, we are prepared for that.” This argument seems to perfectly satisfy them, so that they are not at all concerned to inquire any farther respecting the signs of the times; and even if they are convinced that the end is near, they see no especial importance in making any preparation for it. It serves as a sort of cordial, or soothing syrup, to allay all anxiety, or any farther trouble in the case. It is the devil’s easy chair, in which they feel perfectly comfortable and willing to be rocked to sleep.

Now we maintain that this is a false doctrine and will prove the ruin of those who trust in it. For this we are prepared to give sound reason and good Bible evidence. 1. We are nowhere in the Bible, either by prophets, or apostles, or any other inspired writer, ever taught to prepare for death. This is a new theory and entirely unknown to the Holy Scriptures; hence, it must stand on an unsound basis. The Bible does exhort us to prepare to meet our God, to prepare to stand in the Judgment, to prepare for the coming of the Lord, to prepare for the resurrection, to prepare for life; but never to prepare to die.

And there are important reasons why this doctrine is unsound. Let us consider a moment. The day of Judgment, the coming of the Lord, and the end of the world, will certainly take place sometime. No Bible believer will dispute this. In these events, not only all men upon the earth at the time, but all the generations of men, from Adam to the last man, will have an interest. Every individual will have a case of life and death pending there. The coming of these events will close up all human probation, and seal the doom of all men. So grand, so terrible, so important an event, the world has never seen. All other events sink into insignificance compared to it. Now, is it reasonable to suppose that God will give no signs, no warning to the world, when this event is

near? If not, he will do differently from what he has ever done in the past.

Noah’s flood was a similar event. There God faithfully warned the world for a long period of time with regard to it. The overthrow of Sodom is another similar event. God sent his angels and warned Abraham, Lot and his family, and sent Lot out into the city to warn others. When God proposed to destroy Nineveh, he sent Jonah to warn them. He sent John the Baptist to herald the first advent of Christ; and Jesus himself warned them with regard to the overthrow of Jerusalem.

Now will not the Lord be as merciful in the last days as he was at these times, and warn the world at this time as he did then? We think he will; indeed, if we believe the Scriptures we know he will. Christ says directly that there shall be signs given in the last days to mark his coming. Luke 21:25–28. That there will be a proclamation of warning given to the world in connection with the sitting of the Judgment, and the coming of the day of the Lord, is proved by many scriptures. Joel 2:1; Rev. 14:6, 7; 1 Thess. 5:1–5. That God will send upon the world plagues, famine, pestilence, wars, and terrible destruction just previous to, and in connection with, the advent of Christ is abundantly taught. See Isa. 24:1–10; 34:1–8; Jer. 4:19–25; 25:30–33; Zeph. 1:1–16; 2:1–3; Rev. 16.

Now a preparation for death will not save them from these calamities. Hence, the Lord in mercy is giving us an especial warning, that all who heed it may be prepared for these events and so escape them.

To illustrate this point, take the case of Noah. Suppose that the men in this generation had argued the same as our opponents do now. As they heard Noah preaching about the flood coming, they would have reasoned about like this: “Perhaps it is so, and perhaps it is not. We do not know, nor do we care. If we are only prepared for death; let the flood come.” What would have been the consequences of such reasoning? Just exactly what the most of them did do; that is, they made no preparation whatever for the flood; and hence when it came they were all destroyed. Suppose that Noah himself had reasoned that way. Says he, “It is an unpopular doctrine; I am not exactly sure that it will come. It will be a big job to build the ark, and will require a great amount of means, and people will think me foolish in my preparation.” So he says, “If I am only prepared for death, I certainly must be prepared for the flood; so let it come.” If he had reasoned this way, and acted accordingly, he would have prepared no ark; and when the flood came, would have gone down to perdition with all the rest of them. None can deny this.

But farther, those who heard Noah preach, and rejected his preaching, or simply disregarded it, by so doing, despised God’s message, neglected God’s work, and showed their unbelief in what God was doing, thus bringing destruction upon them. When God sends out a proclamation, he does it to be believed; and men cannot lightly regard it, nor pass it by with indifference, without bringing the wrath of God upon them.

Just so it is in these last days. If the day of the Lord is at hand, and if God has given signs to mark its approach, and is giving a proclamation to prepare a people for it, then we cannot despise that work, reject it, nor even neglect it with impunity. When God gives signs, and a warning to the world, it is because he sees that it is needed. Those who refuse that work, of course are not found working with God at that time. In despising God’s work, they despise the Lord, and thus will willingly bring the displeasure of God upon them. Supposing that Lot had reasoned in the same manner, he would never have left Sodom; but pleading that he was prepared for death, he would have stayed there, disbelieving the message of God, and perished with the wicked.

When John the Baptist came as the harbinger of the first advent of the Messiah, telling them to believe on him, who should come after him, they might have argued like this: I do not know who this person is, and as for being baptized in the water, what difference does that make with us whether we are or not, if our hearts are only right? We can live just as good lives, fear God, keep his commandments, love our neighbors just as well without performing that simple ceremony. When this man whom John is preaching comes, then it will be time enough for us to judge of his mission. But what was the result with those who did thus reject or neglect the mission of John? Hear the inspired record of God. Luke 7:29, 30. “And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.” Thus we see that these men by rejecting the warning that God was giving them, rejected the counsel of God against themselves, and brought the wrath of God upon them.

Also those who crucified Christ were left to do that terrible deed, because they would not heed the signs of the times, nor understand the prophecies concerning the first advent. Matt. 16:1–3. “The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather; for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day; for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Acts 13:27. “For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.”

So we understand it will be in the last days when the prophecies are fulfilled. To be accepted of God in any age we must be in harmony with his work at that time. If we reject and despise that, we are not really prepared for death; but when there is an especial preparation necessary to be prepared for some terrible calamity that is coming on the land, then if we neglect a preparation which God warns us to make he will not save us. As we have seen, this has always been so in the past, and we have every reason to believe it will be so in the second advent of Christ.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

Glencoe, Minn., Aug. 4, 1872.