p. 2 | ANOTHER DAY”-“TO-DAY by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 19, 1895

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 21, No. 37.

“ANOTHER DAY”—“TO-DAY.”

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

“Again, He limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To-day, after so long a time; as it is said, To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Heb. 4:7.

God had promised rest to the children of Israel, and he took them out of Egypt to lead them to it. Then, as now, rest could be found only by learning of the Lord. Matt. 11:28, 29. But they rebelled against him, refusing to learn of him, although they saw his works marvelously wrought out before their eyes. The promise of anything does not profit any one unless it is accepted; but the children of Israel did not believe the Lord, and “so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Heb. 3:19.

But the unbelief of men can not make the faith of God of none effect; therefore there still remains a rest to the people of God. Though men believe not, yet He abideth faithful. The same promise of rest still remains—nay, the rest itself remains—and “we which have believed do enter into rest.” The rest is all prepared, and was ready even in the days of ancient Israel, for “the works were finished from the foundation of the world.” The evidence of this is found in the statement that “God did rest the seventh day from all his works.” Heb. 4:4. When works are all finished, rest must necessarily begin. So the rest began on the seventh day of time, when “God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Gen. 1:31.

What were the works that were finished when God rested the seventh day?—The heavens and the earth had been newly created. A garden had been planted, in which man had been caused to rest, and the dominion of the whole earth had been given him. But through unbelief that rest was lost. Man sinned; and sin brought unrest and weariness into the world, for “the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it can not rest.” Isa. 57:20.

Man lost the rest, but God did not. His rest is eternal, unaffected by any action on the part of man. Moreover, God did not forsake man, nor utterly take from him the rest which he had forfeited. He gave his only Son, who “is made unto us wisdom, and

righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1 Cor. 1:30. “By him were all things created” (Col. 1:16); and the Sabbath, that memorial of creation, and the proof that the rest of God is ready for men when they believe, is left to us, that we may know that he has the power to sanctify us (Eze. 20:12).

The Sabbath, the identical rest into which God entered on the completion of creation, is the rest which was given to man in the new earth. It is God’s rest, and can be gained and kept by man only as he has faith in Christ. He who keeps it through faith in Christ, has the sure pledge of final possession of the earth again made new.

It was to this possession that God was leading the children of Israel. But they could not enter in because of unbelief. Joshua did not give them rest. Heb. 4:8, margin. But God had sworn by himself that the rest should be given, and so “it remaineth that some must enter therein.” Therefore since they to whom it was first preached did not enter in, he still holds out the offer to all who will accept it. If the children of Israel had been real children of faithful Abraham, the rest would have been given in their day, and so the day of salvation would have closed. But they were not faithful, and since God’s promise and oath to Abraham must be fulfilled, and his seed must be as the sand on the seashore, another day of salvation was offered.

What is this other day? Read the first text again: “Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief; again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To-day, after so long a time; as it is said, To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Heb. 4:6, 7. That other day is to-day. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:2.

Notice the statement that God “limiteth a certain day.” In speaking of “another day” God limited the time to “to-day.” Since the ancient people of Israel refused the rest which the Lord offered, God holds out another day in which we may heed the gracious call: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” and that day is to-day. “To-day” is the only day that God has ever promised to man in which he may accept salvation. He has offered no time of repentance after death; he has not offered some time next year, nor next week, nor even to-morrow; but only “to-day.”

There are many who hear the word of truth, the Gospel of salvation, who think that at some future time they will accept it. They do not think that they can do so to-day, because it is not convenient. Some would like to have their own way a little longer. Others have important matters of business that they think must be attended to before they can accept. They think that they must have their plans all perfected in this world, which is soon to pass away, before they can accept the other world, which is to endure forever. They are unconsciously like the child who refuses to run from the tide which is rapidly coming in, because he has not yet completed the little house that he is building in the sand. Like the child, they forget that when the tide comes in, it will sweep away the house of sand, so that it will be the same as though it had not been built.

Vast interests center in to-day. In one day an eternity of rest may be gained or lost. Think of it! God has given us one day in which we may gain an endless day. Eternity against to-day. Why should anybody hesitate as to the choice? “This is the day which the Lord hath made.” It is a glad day, because in it righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost may be obtained. Let us therefore “be glad and rejoice in it.”

“Come, weary soul, and here find rest; Accept redemption, and be blest; The Christ who died, by God is crowned To pardon on redemption ground.” E. J. W.