Who Will Give the Warning?
By Roswell F. Cottrell
The great day of the Lord is at hand, even at the door. The abecedarian in the study of prophecy knows this to be the truth. The great chain of consecutive prophecy, beginning with Dan. 2, and ending with Rev. 14, is rendered so plain by fulfillment that there is no reasonable chance for disagreement concerning its application. All is fulfilled but the closing work—the finishing of the promised warning of Rev. 14: 6–12, which is now being given, and the coming of the day of wrath when the nations will be dashed in pieces and the everlasting kingdom be given to the saints of the Most High. The warning will be given before the terrible calamity shall come that shall make the earth empty and desolate; but who will give it? All ministers of the gospel should be engaged in warning the church and the world of the impending crisis which ends probation and brings the sinner's terrible and irretrievable doom. Can they not understand these prophecies which marked out the course of empires precisely as they have been fulfilled in history? They can if they will. A school boy can understand them. And there is no reasonable chance for disagreement. But who has heard a minister of the churches called orthodox preach a single discourse upon these prophecies and their fulfillment? Why do they not preach these things and thus warn all of the coming day of God? I can see no reason but this: If they preach these prophecies, they can come to no other conclusion than that the day of God is at hand, and this would expose them to the so-much-dreaded odium of being called Adventists. All that do preach these prophecies, that mark out so clearly the world's history to its close, are Adventists. Those that are not willing to be called Adventists let these prophecies alone. If they should preach these things, which are so plain that a child can understand them, they run the risk of losing popularity, place, and pelf. These are strong motives to keep them from warning all of the coming judgments such as never came upon the inhabitants of the world. There is an awful responsibility resting upon professed ministers of the gospel. Oh! that they might feel it! The blood of souls will be found in the garments of unfaithful ministers, who might, if they would, have seen the sword coming, and blown the trumpet and warned the people. It is no wonder that it is recorded in the prophecies of the great day of God's wrath: “Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in ashes, ye principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape. A voice of the cry of the shepherds,205and a howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard; for the Lord hath spoiled their pasture. And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the Lord. He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion; for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.” Jer. 25:34–38. How it would awaken the world if all that could preach these tremendous truths of prophecy would do so! But a multitude are going to irretrievable ruin for want of ministers to preach the truth. R. F. COTTRELL.