Last Sabbath at Oakland.
By James White
SABBATH, April 21, there was a full attendance of the church at our commodious house of worship. The weather was fine, the air pure and bracing, and the smiles of the Lord of the Sabbath seemed to be upon us. The labors and blessings of the Biblical Institute have left a cheering influence. Elder Smith spoke from the words of Paul in Heb. 12:1: “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” The speaker made the following points:— 1. That the text, commencing with “wherefore,” was a conclusion from previous statements. 2. That the apostle had reference to the examples of faith of chapter 11, in Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses and others, as the cloud of witnesses named in the text. 3. That the manner in which chapter 11 commences in taking up the line of worthies as examples of faith, shows that the subject reaches back into chapter 10. Here Elder Smith quoted Heb. 10:35–39, as showing the saving faith introduced and illustrated. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” 4. The subject is the coming of Christ in a “little while.” In his coming believers had great confidence. They had experienced delay of their bright and ardent hopes, which called for patience during the “tarry.” Such language cannot have general application to the church during the entire Christian age. These words most certainly apply to those who look for the second coming of Christ in the last generation. 5. The prophetic periods terminated with the great disappointment of 1844. That disappointment occurred from mistaking the event which marks the end of the 2300 days of Daniel chapter eight. “Then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,” says the angel to the prophet, which is not the coming of Christ, and a world on fire, but the closing work of Christ’s ministry in Heaven before he comes. At the close of the 2300 days, Paul’s “little while” commenced. And the waiting, watching church of Christ, looking for the coming of the Son of man, have no more definite term expressive of time than the words “yet a little while.” 6. This position gives point to the words, “Now the just shall live by faith.” No definite time to give fervor to those who walk by sight, or not at all. Disappointed, yet holding fast, believers joyfully accept the explanation of the disappointment, which the great sanctuary question and the three messages of Rev. 14 gives. To draw back from this advanced position is perdition. To hold it fast, live by faith, is to believe to the saving of the soul. Startling position indeed! Life and death are plainly set before believers in these words of Paul. In the struggle with the world, the flesh, and the devil, will the little while hasten us on to the joys of complete salvation, or to the anguish of perdition. “Now the just shall live by faith.” Let every true believer adopt these hopeful words: “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them which believe to the saving of the soul.” Saving faith for Adventists is to believe (and works show all the faith we have) that Christ will come in a little while. Immediately following these words which close chapter 10, are the examples of faith in chapter 11. The speaker dwelt particularly on the faith and works of Noah in warning the world of the coming flood, and in manifesting his faith in the investment of a fortune in the ark. “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” The masses doubted then, and were lost because they did not believe and act. One man believed, and showed his faith by his works to a scoffing world. The masses now will doubt, and be unready when the Lord shall come. A few will believe, and act to the saving of the soul. The speaker showed:— 7. That the weights (plural) to be laid aside were the various hindrances in running the heavenly race, which we suffer to cling to us, such as love of this world, with its pleasure, pride, wealth and unsanctified desires. But “the sin [singular] which doth so easily beset us,” is the sin of unbelief. “Now the just shall live by faith.” Unbelief must be laid aside. When this is done from the heart, and faith comes in as bread for the soul on which the just must live, the fact will be demonstrated by works. The sermon was well timed and excellent from beginning to end. It was given in the speaker’s usually clear and calm manner, but the subject was shown to embrace such connections of startling truth, applicable to our time, that it made a deep impression upon all reflecting minds.