Two Wonders by Roswell F. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 25, 1871

Two Wonders.

By Roswell F. Cottrell

Some things are too wonderful for me. There are two facts on which my mind now rests which I regard as marvelous.

In the first place, I marvel greatly that those who know the true Sabbath of the Lord—Seventh-day Baptists—are so “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken”—so slow to believe that God, in fulfillment of his promise, has sent a special message for the restoration of his down-trodden truth, preparatory to the translation of his people at the second advent of Jesus Christ. Since the message has come in its order, as the third of a regular series, as predicted, it is truly marvelous that they ignore present truth, and claim that they have always been preaching the third angel’s message! at the same time not admitting that the first of the series has been announced. I wonder that they do not yet see and acknowledge present truth. But I still trust and believe without a doubt, that all that do heartily love the law of God will soon see that God has set his hand to restore that law, by the proclamation of the last merciful warning, so plainly foretold in his word. The cross that they have to bear in acknowledging the third message, is to confess that the first and the second were from Heaven. The question is similar to the one put to the Jews by our Saviour: “The baptism of John; was it from Heaven or of men?”

Fulfilling signs, especially the prophecy of the two-horned beast, as fulfilling in the United States, as developed by the present message, will soon convince them that the advent messages are from Heaven. Those whose hearts are right with God will soon see it. I wait with confidence.

But there is another wonder, still greater, I was about to say, but I hesitate; and that is that professed Adventists, those who hold that there is a present truth, and that that truth is the proclamation of the advent at hand, by which a “prophetic people” is to be prepared for that thrilling event, can still close their eyes against the third and last message, as laid down in prophecy, the most thrilling and evidently the most important of all, and hope to go without death right into the kingdom of God, without noticing at all this tremendous warning; that while the message describes the last prophetic people as those who “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus,” they should imagine that a people who hold that those commandments have been abolished and superseded by that faith, are, indeed, the people.” But those of them who are honest, though dangerously misled, will soon see their great and dangerous mistake, and turn their feet into God’s testimonies, and thus answer the inspired description of the people who truly have the present truth.

Speed the time, O God! when thy people shall see eye to eye, and thus be prepared to be gathered home to Zion. Open the eyes that are covered by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Let that prophetic people be speedily and fully developed, the remnant of the seed of the woman, “which keep the commandments of God and” have the testimony of Jesus Christ”—the people to be delivered from the wrath of men, and translated to Mount Zion.

Oh! give me a part in the present work, and let me see the deliverance of those that are “found written in the book”!

R. F. COTTRELL.