Men Love Darkness by Roswell F. Cottrell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 26, 1872

“Men Love Darkness.”

By Roswell F. Cottrell

WHY should men love darkness rather than light? Why choose to be in ignorance of truth which they might know? Why should Christians be so determined that the day of the Lord shall come, upon all, the saint as well as the sinner, as a thief in the night? The antediluvians, though warned, “knew not until the flood came and took them all away.” Jerusalem was laid in ruins and the Jews driven out among all nations, because they “knew not the time” of their visitation. They might have discerned the signs of the times, if they would, but they chose to be ignorant rather than repent of their sins. They loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

With these examples before them, why should men of these days shut their eyes to the signs of the approach of the great day of the Lord, contending that no one can know anything of its approach? They remember the text that says, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man,” but they have no use for the one that says, “When ye shall see all these things, KNOW THAT IT IS NEAR, even at the doors.” They are not willing to know that it will be disastrous to them to have that day come upon them unexpectedly. “If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and THOU SHALT NOT KNOW what hour I will come upon thee.”

“The Lord of that servant shall come in a day WHEN HE LOOKETH NOT FOR HIM, and in an hour that HE IS NOT AWARE OF; and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.” Signs have been given, that the believer may know when the day is near. Those signs have been fulfilled. Do you know it is near, even at the doors? If you do not, you must either deny the historic facts of the fulfilment of the signs, or you are an unbeliever in regard to the most solemn and positive assurance of Jesus. One who professes to believe his sacred word of promise, and does not, is a hypocrite. Such, of course, will have their portion with those of their class.

Why will men deliberately choose to have that day come upon them as a thief, when we are assured that it will be a day of “sudden destruction” to that class, which “they shall not escape”? 1 Thess. 5. Why not choose rather to be of that class to whom the apostle says, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief”? Why not choose to be “children of the light”? Why choose to “sleep as the others” (see the German), and be surprised and taken as in a snare? Why choose darkness? Jesus says men love it “because their deeds are evil.” This was doubtless true of the people before the flood and of the unbelieving Jews in the day of Christ; but can it be true of professed Christians? Can it be that they are not willing to know that the second advent is at hand, because they are unwilling to forsake popular sins, heed the warning that is being given, and so get a preparation for that day? Is this the reason that they are not willing that Christ should come “in our day”?

The last warning which God has promised in prophecy (Rev. 14: 9-12), to be given just before the coming of the Son of Man to reap the harvest of the earth, strongly carries the impression that this will be the case. A warning so fearful implies great danger. There is great danger that even the worshipers will be worshipers of the beast. But for the danger, even to the elect, no such warning would have been promised. But it is promised, and not only so, it is having its fulfilment. And those who know this fact, know also that most professed Christians are very averse to accepting the “commandments of God” of the message. It is being more and more demonstrated that “men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.” R. F. Cottrell.