REMEMBER THE FORMER DAYS.
By J. G. Saunders
J. G. SAUNDERS. (Brockport, Pa.) “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.” Heb. 10: 32, 33. It is well many times to recall the past; for when we see how God worked with His people in past conflicts, it gives us courage and fortitude to meet the future. The coming conflict is the last, and the most severe, that His people will have to meet. So, like Peter, I would stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. I was in the First Angel’s Message from 1842–44, and know a little of how God wrought for His dear people in those days. The Spirit of God says the power attending the Third Angel’s Message will far exceed that which attended the first. Now let us see how God led His dear people in the closing of the Philadelphian state of the Church. At that time we expected to see our Lord coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory, to take His waiting people to His Father’s many-mansioned house. This sublime and awful event we firmly believed would take place on the tenth day of the seventh month of 1844; then our conflicts would be over. The sanctuary (the earth) would be cleansed, and Christ’s kingdom set up, and He would reign forever; for of His kingdom there would be no end. The state of the Church at this time was indeed that of brotherly love, as its name signified. This was true of those who accepted the message, and especially so of those who joined in sounding the midnight cry: “Behold the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him.” Matt. 25: 6. That message went with power far and near, and led to perfect union of action in all who believed it. There were no schisms, no sectarianism, but all were of one heart and one mind, with only one object in view,—to get ready and to help others get ready. Self was lost sight of in our earnest desire to help others. “Get ready” was the watchword, “the Lord is coming; get ready to meet Him!” “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Mal. 4: 5, 6. This was also fulfilled in that Midnight Cry. Let me give you a description of that time. Do you see that man plowing in yonder field?—Yes. Well, do you see a man with something in his hand, coming with rapid step from another farm to see the plowman? They meet, shake hands, and then both are seated on the plow beam. The Bible, which the man carried in his hand, is soon opened, and they begin reading and conversing about a subject of great importance, the soon coming of Christ. After reading a short time, they bow in prayer, after which the man with the Bible gives the other another hearty hand-shake, and away he goes to tell another neighbor the glad news, “The Lord is coming; get ready to meet Him.” The man who was plowing leaves his plow in the furrow, turns his horses out, returns to the house, gets his Bible, and goes to see a son who is unconverted, and such a scene takes place as causes rejoicing in heaven. The father pleads with his son; and, like Jacob, he cannot give up until his son yields to the Spirit of God, and in agony of grief over his sinful life he begs his father to pray for him, that his sins may be forgiven, and he be ready to meet Jesus. They pray, sins are confessed as far as known, and soon the scene changes. The Lord forgives. The son is made a happy, new man, converted and cleansed. The father leaves him, and goes to find another unsaved one. The son goes to his unconverted wife and tells her what the Lord has done for him, and that the Lord is coming on the tenth day of the seventh month. She sees a change in her husband, and she wants the same change wrought in her, so they have another prayer-meeting, and they pray until the Lord hears and graciously pardons, and she is born again. How happy they are! But they do not sit down in idleness; no, indeed! but they begin to work for their loved ones, and the story is told to them, and they are entreated to get ready for the Lord’s coming. In other homes sons were pleading for father and mother, mothers for daughters, brothers for sisters, and sisters for brothers, neighbors for neighbors, and so the good work went on. Grove meetings were held, no church being large enough to hold the crowds. The people came many miles to attend the grove meetings. It would have done your soul good to see them as they came, from ten to twenty in a load, and to hear their song as it echoed from hill to hill, “Behold the Bridegroom cometh,” and the response from another company, “Go ye out to meet Him.” When all had assembled, the meeting began. Earnest prayers, full of love, sympathy, and tenderness, were offered for all. Now was the time for all to get ready; then the preaching,—the evidence of Christ’s coming on the tenth day of the seventh month, 1844. It was all plain and easy to be understood. The burden was, Get ready, get ready. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3: 19–21. Oh, such soul searching, such consecration, as took place among the people at those meetings! such confessions to one another, settling up of all difficulties in families and among neighbors, all getting ready to meet the Lord! Some shouting, others weeping, some pleading, the meetings often lasting many hours, many conversions being the result. And so it went from place to place right up to the very hour—the tenth day of the seventh month. No man said aught of what he possessed was his own, but even the last dime was spent. They showed by their works that they believed what they preached. No one could doubt their sincerity. And truly it was a sweet morsel to all who really believed that they were soon to leave a world of sin and death, sorrow and pain, afflictions and persecutions, for a world of glory, joy, love, and peace, there to enjoy the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This gave the message power as nothing else could. All wanted to see Jesus and hear His voice saying, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matt. 25: 34–40. Oh, the glory of that message! It rings in my ears yet, and touches the tenderest chords of my heart as I sing— “O how I long to see that day
When the redeemed shall come
To Zion, clad in white array—
Their blissful, happy home.” This is a brief sketch of those days in the close of the First Angel’s Message of Rev. 14: 6, 7. Now if the Third Angel’s Message is, at its close under the loud cry, to far exceed the First Angel’s Message in giving the warning and getting a people ready for translation when the Lord shall come,—if this is so, where are we now in the message? How much longer are we to wait for the loud cry? Let us see what Jesus says we may look for just before His coming as signs of His coming. The sun should not give her light, the moon should refuse to shine, and the stars should fall from heaven. Matt. 24: 29–35; Mark 13: 24–30; Rev. 6: 12–17. The sun was darkened on the nineteenth day of May, 1780; and the moon, the following night. And this was immediately “after the tribulation of those days” (papal persecution) when the earth helped the woman by swallowing up the flood of persecution. Then in 1833, on the thirteenth day of November, the stars fell from heaven “as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” Then was to come upon the earth “distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Now to make it more emphatic, Jesus says: “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” How nigh?—“Even at the doors.” Jesus says again, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.” Mark, “This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be fulfilled.” The signs in the sun, moon, and stars began in 1780 and ended in 1833. In 1780 God’s people were to look up and lift up their heads for their redemption was drawing nigh. A great many did witness the falling stars, Nov. 13, 1833. I beheld that celestial scene, and though a child in my seventh year, it stamped its impress upon my mind never to be effaced. So now let me ask the question, Is not Christ’s coming right at the door? This generation is nearly gone, but it will not pass until our Lord shall come. The distress of nations is here truly. The whirlwind will soon take place. Jer. 25: 30–38. Are we as a people ready to give the loud cry of the third angel? If not, why not? If this message is to far exceed the first message, it is time this people were awakened. Many prayers were offered for something to be done at the last General Conference that would arouse us as a people and bring in unity and harmony, and cause a turning to the Lord as never before. And I am indeed thankful for the results of that Conference. As we read the Bulletins, we daily praised the Lord for the answer to our prayers. The loud cry will be heard if the principles there laid down are carried out. And just as soon as we all get rid of self, those principles will be carried out. “He . . . will cut it [His work] short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” Rom. 9: 28. I was also glad to be at the camp-meeting in Erie, Pa., and see the love and harmony there manifested—all seeking for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to qualify them for the work of God. God bless the Pennsylvania Conference and all the Conferences, and prepare them to give the loud cry of the Third Angel’s Message. Oh, I am so glad for the influence the General Conference has given to all our people! Brethren and sisters, let us not be satisfied until we receive the fullness of the promise, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. Let us each examine ourselves, and make room for Christ. Let Him have His own without reserve. Let us hasten the coming of the Lord. We work out our salvation by working for others. Let me give you one fact that illustrates this: A man was passing over the Green Mountains in the winter. It was a terrible day, cold and stormy;700and before he reached the top of the mountain, he gave up in despair, and sank down between two snow-drifts. But he heard the moan of a traveler in advance of him, and as he realized that another was in distress, it gave him new strength; and finding the man worse off than himself, he went to work to save him, dragging him through snow-bank after snow-bank, sometimes up and sometimes down, until he succeeded in reaching a place of safety. In trying to save his fellow traveler he saved himself. Let us work in the same manner. There is enough for us all to do.