The Special Aid of the Spirit.
By Roswell F. Cottrell
THE special assistance of the Spirit is always necessary in the fulfillment of a special mission. The work of grace in the salvation of a portion of our lost race, is progressive in its development; and at several epochs special messages have become necessary to be proclaimed. Noah, Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist, had each of them a special mission and a special proclamation to make; and the work of Moses and that of John came in fulfillment of prophecies or promises before made by the Most High. God has promised to Abraham, (Gen. 15) to bring his people out of Egypt, at the end of their four hundred years’ servitude there, and Moses was called to the special mission of leading them out. It was necessary for him to be specially directed of the Spirit of God in the performance of his work, and the circumstances of the case made it necessary for miracles to be wrought in attestation of his mission. John the Baptist too had a special mission as the harbinger of the Christ; but revelations now were clearer to the people, who had long had the teachings of the prophets, so that no miracles were needed to attest his mission, when the time had so evidently arrived that “the people were in expectation,” and therefore “John did no miracle.” God works miracles when they are needed, and not to gratify idle curiosity, nor to answer the cavils of the skeptical. But John could not fulfill his mission without the especial aid of the Spirit of inspiration. Hence though he neither did miracles, nor wrote any book of prophecies, the Saviour testifies of him as a prophet not excelled by any that had been born. He could not do his work without special assistance from the Spirit of God—without the spirit of prophecy. As we approach the close of the present dispensation, we have in prophecy the promise of special proclamations to be made as the closing messages of the gospel. These have been announced in the exact order given in our own day. Rev. 14: 6–12. Our position and work are so plainly pointed out and so minutely described that miracles are not necessary to convince a person that desires to know the truth. But we take the ground that it is absolutely necessary that the Spirit of God should direct his chosen servants in their fulfillment; especially the closing message, the most important one of all, the last message of mercy to mankind. If we had no special promise of this, reason and analogy would teach us that the spirit of prophecy would attend this message, as well as the message of John the Baptist. Besides this, the Spirit has made it a matter of express revelation. The remnant of the church are to be persecuted in the closing scenes of time, and the ground of persecution against them is that they “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ,” Rev. 12: 17, which testimony is expressly defined to be “the spirit of prophecy,” which by a comparison of Rev. 19: 10, with chap. 22: 9, is clearly seen to be the Spirit which inspired the ancient prophets. And yet, against reason and revelation, many refuse to believe and obey this message for no other reason than that it is attended by that divine aid which reason says is necessary and revelation has promised! They could receive the message but for the gift of prophecy which accompanies it. In other words, if they could rob the message of its divine credentials—the seal which proves it to be from Heaven and not of men—they could have confidence in it! Is it not true that they wish to drag it down and make it merely human, that they may not be obliged to heed it? They do not want it to come in the name and by the authority of Heaven. They would choose to have it in a way that they may be free to reject it. There have been repeated attempts to proclaim this message independent of the gift of prophecy which God has sent with it; but the result has been confusion and apostasy. And so it will be. What is the body, the form, without the animating principle, the life? The rejection of that which God has ordained for the unity of the church, will perpetuate confusion. Nothing can make the church one, but the word and Spirit of God combined. Those who have learned the lesson which God has been teaching us by experience, and feel perfectly willing for the Lord to work in his own appointed way, and can heartily say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth, have a trust and a hope that is like an anchor to the soul both sure and steadfast. And it is certain that such are the most spiritual and zealous workers in the cause; while those who doubt are half-hearted at most, and unreliable. The fearful and unbelieving are in danger. Who cannot see that if there is anything in this work, it is a message from Heaven; and if it is a message from Heaven, that God’s providence guards it and his Spirit accompanies it; and that to admit that a spurious gift of prophecy is permitted to go with it from the beginning, perpetuated and sustained, as it must be, by divine providence, is infidelity? The mind that is incapable of perceiving the force of this argument might as well make no pretension to faith in the word and providence of God. Come up, friends, to the work. Follow the light which God has graciously given us for our good. The second article of our faith—the testimony of Jesus—must be sustained, as well as the first—the commandments of God. They both stand or fall together. Who will be on the Lord’s side? R. F. COTTRELL.