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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 2, 1901

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 78, No. 27.

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TRUTH

By A. R. Ogden

A. R. OGDEN.
(Ellsworth, Kan.)
“WHAT is truth?” The same question that Pilate asked still comes rolling down to us. Of all questions, this should ever be of first interest, and paramount importance.
The Saviour answers this question in John 17: 17: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Then we may know whether or not we have the truth of any matter. That which is in harmony with the Word is truth; and that which is out of harmony with the Word is untruth, and should be cast aside.
Why is it better to believe and live in accordance with truth than with error? “Hereby know we the Spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” Truth, like its Author, is eternal; it cannot be destroyed. You might as well think of banishing God from His throne as to think of destroying one of His truths. “The truth of the Lord endureth forever.” Ps. 117: 2. And one has beautifully said, “Truth crushed to earth shall rise again: the eternal years of God are hers.” Truth may be trampled under foot of man, lost sight of for ages, unappreciated by the human mind, yet it is truth all the time; and sometime, by some one, in God’s own wisdom and providence, that truth will be brought to light. And oh, how beautiful and sweet will it be to him who finds it!
But in order to be appreciated, the truth must be received into the heart and life. The very ground upon which you and I are walking may contain the most precious metals. We may be trampling upon a gem of rare beauty and value. But some day, perchance, I see a glistening object. I pick it up, I examine it closely, and to my surprise it is a valuable pearl. What would I do? Would I begin reasoning, “Well, my foreparents lived here upon this land; they didn’t see this pearl, and as they did not, I will not”? Would I reason so foolishly? Would I say: “Well, if this is really valuable, why didn’t they find it? And because they didn’t, I, too, will leave it in the earth”?—Oh, no; I would not reason thus, but would eagerly grasp the new-found treasure.
The Sabbath, although lost sight of by the people for a long time, buried beneath the rubbish and traditions of men, is in these last days being found. Have you found it? If so, have you called in your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you?
The Sabbath truth is only one illustration of the fact that “truth crushed to earth shall rise again: the eternal years of God are hers.” The Lord has said, “The seventh day is the Sabbath,” and so it will ever be. All the theories of man will come to naught. But God’s truth will ever stand.
Those who stand on truth will stand eternally; but those who build on error, the “sand,”—man’s ideas and opinions,—will certainly go down; for error must and will be destroyed. Let us “build on the Rock.” It is firm, and will stand.