The Millennial Glory of our Times.
By R. F. Cottrell
The language of our title, or its equivalent was heard from the pulpit yesterday. While the secular papers teem with the news of crime, and speak of its unparalleled increase, especially in the high places of trust, in tones of alarm, the pulpit sounds forth the notes of “peace and safety,” of progress and improvement and millennial glory at hand, or already begun. While men of the world are alarmed at the defalcations, robberies, and crimes of the deepest dye, committed by those hitherto accounted respectable, frauds by men elected to make laws, and bribery and corruption in the higher courts, where money can buy off justice; many of the professed ministers of Jesus Christ are telling their hearers to sleep with the cry of peace, safety, progress, and millennial glory. They say in substance, they are “rich and increased in goods and have need of nothing,” when in fact they are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” We are living in the time of the last stage of the church, the Laodicean. As S. D. Adventists, we acknowledge that the terrible rebuke to the Laodiceans applies to us, because, holding the testing truth for our times, we fail in corresponding zeal in the work of saving souls. But the mass of the church of God are not yet S. D. Adventists, and the message has a general application to the church of this age. If we are asleep and deceived as to our true condition, we need not wonder if those who have not the light which we enjoy should be asleep, and in their sleep have pleasant dreams of peace and the “good time coming.” Let us arouse ourselves to the work which God has given us to do, and “sound an alarm” in the “holy mountain” that shall break the slumbers and disturb the deceptive dreams of a worldly church which is lulling souls down to ruin with the cry of peace and safety, while sudden destruction is about to come upon them.