p. 117 | Faith almost Gone by C. A. Ogdan

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 26, 1871

Faith almost Gone.

By C. A. Ogdan

“When the Son of Man cometh shall he find faith on the earth?” Our Lord when he asked this question was sojourning in this world. He had already “come” to this earth, the first time. Hence the coming referred to in this inquiry, is his second coming, when he shall appear in his glory to save those who “look for him.” The question suggests the answer to itself; that just before his second coming there will be but little faith on the earth; that but few persons, compared with the whole of mankind, will be expecting the great event. The last days of time, as we are taught in the Scriptures, are to be times when unbelievers will scoff, saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?” The vast multitude of the world’s inhabitants will be asleep on this subject. We have evidently reached the last days, “the time of the end.” Men scoff in consequence of a want of faith. The multitudes are all engrossed in worldly business, and pleasure seeking; making arrangements not only for their own comfort and profit, but also for generations yet to come; without the remotest thought that the day of God is at hand! The word of God assures us, “When they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them.”

The Universalist cries, “Peace and safety, while he promises life to the sinner, and tells him that there is no danger; that the coming of the Saviour took place long centuries ago.”

The Spiritualist tells the people that there will be no such thing as the literal coming of Jesus Christ the second time, to reward the saints and punish sinners, and that they need not be alarmed.

The world of sinners, bent to secure worldly gains, honors, and pleasures, cry, “Peace,” while moved along by the mighty torrent of worldliness downward. They have not time to study God’s word; have not time to think of the awful future. They lull each other to sleep, and are insensible about coming events and the coming One.

Many are stupefied by moral narcotics, tales of fiction, so that they have no love for divine truth, no sense of their terrible danger. The orthodox churches and ministers are loud in proclaiming this cry of “Peace,” where God has not spoken peace. They encourage men to go on in sin by telling them that the millennium will soon dawn, that there will be no temptation of Satan, but all will be peaceful, holy, and happy, for a thousand years before the return of Christ personally.

All these cries result from unbelief, and they produce unbelief. Unbelief will hinder men from preparing to meet the Lord. As the Lord has not come so soon as some expected, some servants begin to say in their hearts, “My Lord delayeth his coming,” and “eat and drink with the drunken.” Such, if they continue in their present course, will have their part with “hypocrites and unbelievers.” Being overcharged with eating and drinking and cares of this life, stupefies the mind so that that day will come upon some unawares, some that for a time were looking for it. Oh! let us not be like the unbelieving Jews in the wilderness, who fell by unbelief.

C. A. OGDAN.