Higher Ground by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 13, 1903

Higher Ground

By Uriah Smith

Editorial

Higher Ground

The time is short. The end is near. We must make rapid progress in the work of preparation for the coming of the Lord. Much time has already been lost, and we have not developed that strength of Christian character of which we might be the possessors to-day. But we must now look the question squarely in the face, and act as becomes those who know that we are living in the closing days of probation. We should not forget that a belief in the coming of the Lord in our day means also that we shall outlive the time of probation, and that we shall spend a certain length of time, whether longer or shorter, on this earth, before we shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, without any mediation for sin. Inasmuch as the full provision of the gospel has already been made, and there will be no greater power in the future than there is now for salvation from sin, it follows plainly that this experience of being kept by the power of God so that sin shall not have dominion over us can begin at any time when we are willing to accept the provision in its fullness. The same faith which will lift us from the earth to meet the Lord will lift us above the power of sin. This does not mean that we shall not be tempted, but it does mean that we shall in every case of temptation be “more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Translation faith is keeping faith. It is said of Enoch that “before his translation he had been well-pleasing unto God.” This will be true of all who are translated in the last day. But this experience does not come suddenly, or without our taking time to become acquainted with God and his plans for us. Much progress means much prayer. To step fast in the way of life means to study fully the Word of life. We are in the time of refreshing, but not all are prepared for it.

“I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing,’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action.” Now is the time for a quick work.

“Lord, lift me up, and let me stand By faith on heaven’s table-land, A higher plane than I have found: Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Jesus Calls Us

Amid all the confusion of voices and calls, there is one sweet voice and one gracious call which may be heard by those who will listen for them. That voice is the voice of Jesus. That call is the invitation, “Come unto me, . . . and I will give you rest.”

“Let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice.”

What condescending love is expressed in our Saviour’s pleading with his last church: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

“I was asleep, but my heart waked: It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh. . . . The companions hearken for thy voice: Cause me to hear it.”

In saying, “Come unto me,” the voice of Jesus also says, “Follow thou me.” He leads the way, and is our companion in the way. He invites us to place our hand in his, and to walk trustingly with him. Let us be still long enough to hear his voice.

“Jesus calls us o’er the tumult Of our life’s wild, restless sea; Day by day his sweet voice soundeth, Saying, ‘Christian, follow me!’”

O blessed Master! O comforting voice! Happy are they who heed the invitation.

Plan Accordingly

These are the last days. Plan accordingly. The day of probation will soon close. Plan accordingly. The safest and best place where we may invest our means is in the bank of heaven. Plan accordingly. The time is near when all property will vanish in smoke. Plan accordingly. The righteousness of God will endure forever. Plan accordingly. Faith in God’s Word will enable us to see all things in the light of eternity. Plan accordingly.

“Jehovah, make me to know mine end, And the measure of my days, what it is; Let me know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as handbreadths; And my lifetime is as nothing before thee: Surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity. Surely every man walketh in a vain show; Surely they are disquieted in vain: He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.”

Former Things

In last week’s paper the writer undertook to connect his own personal experience with a sign hung out in the heavens portending the coming of the Lord, bringing us down to the time of which it is said, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” If this connection can be established, as we think it can, there can be no tidings of greater joy than these words to be borne to the readers of the Review, for they bring us within the generation when all those who love his appearing shall see their hopes fulfilled; and the joy of remembering the former things as we call to remembrance the former days, is to find ourselves firmly planted on a foundation of solid truth, which, in the language of Christ, shall never fail.

Like all developments of truth in the world, and the progress of a new phase of the Lord’s work among men, this message heralding his coming, to go to all the world, to prepare them for his coming, went through its day of feebleness and small beginnings; but not only did it suffer a day of small things, but it encountered the bitterest kind of opposition that the fertile minds of opposers could invent. Not being at liberty to resort to physical violence to suppress the work, the opposers had recourse to scoffing and ridicule to turn people away from it.

In 1843 Elder J. V. Himes started in New York City a paper called The Midnight Cry. His opponents changed

its prospectus, and called it The Midnight Yell, and Junk Bottle of Destruction. Cartoonists were not idle with their slurs. One represented the saved ascending to meet the Lord in the air, and devils trying to drag them back. One picture showed the devil holding by the coat-tails, Elder J. V. Himes, then known as the leading Millerite, and saying, “Rev. Joshua V., you must go with me.” These are the characters described in Jude, verses 13-15. Such scoffing will follow Adventists all their journey through.

Oct. 21, 1844, the writer, in company with his mother and an older brother, attended an Adventist meeting in the dooryard of a Brother Tolman, in Fitchburg, Mass. In the evening, a rabble came up from the village, and began to pelt the tent where the meeting was held, with apples from the orchard. Waxing bolder, as the meeting became more earnest, they gathered around the door, and began to direct their missiles against the lanterns hanging on the center-poles in the house-shaped tent. These were soon hit and demolished, and the glass scattered over the floor of the tent, and all were left in total darkness. The rabble grew bolder, and seizing hold of the framework of the tent, and cutting the guy-ropes, soon leveled it to the ground. Meanwhile the crowd had seized a large hog, brought him to the tent, lifted up the curtain, and pushed him in, and there we were,—women, children, and the hog,—in darkness under the cover of the tent—not a very pleasant companion, and not a very agreeable situation.

Brother Tolman immediately opened his house to those gathered there; and the women and children were piloted out of the darkness, into the house. But the liquor began to work on the baser sort, and they then attacked the house. Pretty soon something harder than apples were used, and sticks and chunks of wood demolished the lights and the sash of the windows, and we had to seek some other quarters. The writer and his brother took shelter in the barn. Soon the mob, as I will now call them, came through the barn, apparently searching for some one who had tried to restrain them in the yard, and threatening to do him violence.

The next day was Oct. 22, 1844, the famous “tenth day of the seventh month,” on which we were expecting the Lord to appear. The mob finally left us to ourselves. Quite a number went forward in baptism. But more stirring things took place in the sanctuary in heaven than were taking place anywhere on this earth. For then the antitype of the tenth day of the seventh month occurred, and our great High Priest entered the most holy place of the temple in heaven, and began the work of cleansing the sanctuary. That work is going on still, and will cease only when the Lord appears to bless his people.

The brethren scattered out from the meeting at Fitchburg, and were soon all at home, bewildered by their great disappointment. And false reports followed them. For instance, it was said that the writer took cold by exposure at that meeting, and lost a leg in consequence. We received no harm from that meeting. No report could be more false than that. We have no charge of that kind to make against Adventism.

U. S.