p. 26 | Watch and Pray by Rufus Baker

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 9, 1872

Watch and Pray.

By Rufus Baker

Our Lord said to Peter, James, and John, as he was about to go to Gethsemane to pray, “Tarry ye here and watch.” But on his return he found them sleeping. He then said to Peter, “Simon, sleepest thou?” and adds, Watch ye and pray lest ye enter into temptation. Mark 14: 38. But as he went away and prayed and returned again he found them guilty of the same offense. And so it was the third time. Yet before this season of prayer Jesus had said to Peter that before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. Still he felt very confident that he would be able to withstand the temptation before him. He said, “If I should die with thee I will not deny thee in any wise.” Yet the sequel proved that our Lord’s words were too true in the case of Peter; for when the trial came he was unable to meet it, because he had failed to heed the admonition of the Saviour to watch and pray. Thus he was left to enter into temptation and deny his Lord.

The duty to watch and pray is no less binding upon us than it was when these words were addressed to Simon Peter and the other apostles. Matt. 24: 32; Mark 13: 33; and Luke 21: 36. The duty of watching and praying is required of those who live in the last days. Our Lord has given the signs which should precede his second advent, among which are the darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars, the distress of nations, and the wickedness which would exist just before his coming. After taking the church down through the period of the papal persecution, and speaking of the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, he says that the generation who see all these things shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled, thus fixing his coming to the generation that witnesses the above signs. He also tells us that when we see all these things come to pass, we may know that it is near, even at the door. Though our Lord has been very definite in giving these signs whereby we may know when his coming is near, yet he has not seen fit to give us the definite time. He says, “Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is.” Mark. 13: 33.

We find in Rev 14: 6-12, a symbol of three messages to be proclaimed just before the coming of the Son of Man, the first of which was given by the Advent people in 1843-4. This message was based upon the prophecy of Daniel, and terminated in the tenth day of the seventh month of 1844. In this message there was definite time. Since then, we have been living in the tarrying or waiting time.

Our Lord has introduced the night watches, to show the position which his people should occupy from this time forward. He says, “Watch ye therefore; for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.” Mark. 13: 33-37. See also Matt. 24: 42. The idea of the night watches was doubtless borrowed from the custom which prevailed in the day of the Saviour of dividing the night into four watches, the first of which commenced when it began to be dark and occupied the first quarter, the second extending from that until midnight, the third from midnight on through that quarter, and the fourth watch reaching to the morning. We have been in this watching time since the disappointment of 1844. The question may properly be asked, “Watchman, what of the night?” God has been pleased to show us through the gift of prophecy that we are in the third watch, and also that the coming for which we are here required to watch is but the finishing of his ministration in the heavenly sanctuary. We have no means of knowing how soon this work will be accomplished, therefore we are required to watch, lest coming suddenly he find us asleep. How dreadful after long looking for our Lord to come up to the time when our destiny will be sealed and be found sleeping at our post! There is a blessing pronounced upon those who are waiting for the return of their Lord. Thus we read, “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to set down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants.” Luke 12: 35-38.

In this quotation, Luke omits the first and fourth watches, which would seem to imply that the coming here referred to would be either in the second or the third watch, and may it not be that the opening of the fourth watch will bring the coming of the Son of Man to this earth? It is a fact that we have passed the two first watches and whether the present shall close probation or not, it is a matter of the greatest importance that we keep awake through the present watch, and so on till probation closes and the saints are finally delivered. Perhaps we are in greater danger of falling asleep now than we were in the two first watches. The Lord’s coming has been delayed much longer than many of us expected when we first embraced these truths. Yet it is a fact that now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Is it not high time for us to waken out of sleep and take hold of this work in earnest.

I would to God that I could say something to arouse the sleeping ones to a true sense of their danger. Are not the signs of the times sufficiently ominous to cause us to see that we are nearing the closing hours of probation? and shall we not take hold of this work in earnest and labor not only for our own salvation, but for that of our fellow-men around us who are perishing for the light which we have? RUFUS BAKER.

Mackford, Green Lake Co., Wis.