Our Responsibility by David Downer

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 18, 1875

Our Responsibility.

By David Downer

“If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin.” John 15:22. The sin of the Jews which aggravated all their former iniquities was the rejection of Christ as the Messiah. His coming had been foretold by the prophets; and they who waited for him, such as Simeon and Anna, no sooner saw him than they rejoiced. But because he did not come arrayed in pomp, and clothed with the outward garnishing of a prince, they shut their eyes against him. Truly he was a root out of dry ground, and despised. Nor were they content until their fiendish malice had been fully glutted by sitting down at the foot of the cross, and beholding the terrible agonies of his death by crucifixion.

The sin of the Jews is being repeated by many of our wicked generation. That which they did once is now being done every day by professed Christians.

And now let us look at the parallel between our case and that of the Jews. The coming of Christ, the work to be done by him, and many important things in the history of his humble life, had been predicted by the prophets. So plainly had the prophets foretold his coming that, had the Jews been perfect in character previous to his first advent, a rejection of him would have unchristianized every one found in unbelief. If, then, the Jews were rejected for rejecting him at his first coming, and for their cruel unbelief, how can we of this generation expect to be saved because we have been accepted of God in the past, if we reject the doctrine of his second coming and kindred truths, as the Jews rejected that of his first coming? Are we not more guilty than they if we do not heed the warning of the trumpet’s certain sound? We have their sad history to warn us of the results of unbelief. But the text says, “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin.” True, his coming filled the picture previously drawn of him by the prophets. He came and declared to them, The time is fulfilled; I am he that was spoken of by the prophets. One of their sins consisted in believing in God and at the same time rejecting Christ. One of the sins of this age is accepting Christ, and opposing the Father’s law. Which will be most condemned in the Judgment? those who accept Christ now, but reject God’s law, or, those who rejected Christ and acknowledged God and his law? When the Jews listened to the doctrines taught by Christ and his followers, and despised them, little did they think they were virtually despising God in despising his ambassadors, but it proved so to be. Oh! if people now could know that in despising God’s poor, care-worn servants, they are grieving him who sent them, they would welcome them with the truth they bring.

We often think of Christ while on the mount, as looking through the fast-falling tears he cried, Oh! how oft would I have gathered thy children, but ye would not. He had a special message, but himself, his message—all, were rejected, until when one would follow him, he replied, I have not where to lay my head. How many times while we are passing through great cities, we look at the costly spires of houses called churches of God, and feel that God has special truths which ought to be declared from the thousands of pulpits. But our hearts are sad; for the great doors of popular churches are shut in our faces. Why? Because we cannot, we dare not preach smooth things. Too terrible are the times in which we live. Christ told his hearers, Ye say, If we had lived in the days of the fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

Many say they would not have rejected Christ; they would have believed in the days of the flood. But stop. Are not some of you who read these lines guilty of already rejecting clearer light than they had? How true the words of the text: If I had not spoken, they had not had sin. But he has spoken. Hear him: “When ye see all these signs, know it [or he] is near,

even at the doors.” How plainly he has spoken.

But where are people looking? To the signs of the times? to God’s law? to their carnal hearts? to a preparation? No. Hear Christ: “As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt. 24:38, 39. What were they doing? Eating and drinking. How long did they continue to do this? Until the flood took them all away. Is this terrible picture being filled out before our very eyes? Yes. Appetite and fashion rule the world. A gallon of oysters will call together a larger assembly than the preaching of God’s pure, blessed truth. May the Lord help us to be terribly in earnest in giving the trumpet the certain sound. Lose a dollar in the ashes, and there is a stir. All are carefully sifting and looking for it. But precious truth has been smouldering under the ashes of fires kindled by the great apostasy; and shall not we dig out and bring to light the truth that the martyrs died to maintain? Can we not give our time and means to support a cause which first cost our Saviour his blood, the apostles their lives, and the martyrs such suffering as pen cannot describe? I weep at my own coldness, my unbelief, and cry, O Christ, hold thou me up, lest I fall and there be one less to do battle for God.

If the time in which we live, the soon coming of our dear Redeemer, an abundant entrance into the golden city, will not stir us all to work, then stop one moment, hear our Saviour’s groans, look at that pale brow all covered with blood, that cold hand mangled by that terrible nail! Oh! what has the poor sufferer done? Why, nothing wrong. It is all for sinners, such as we. But the world does not love him. No, that prayer in the garden would almost melt the rocks, rent at the time of his death, yet who weeps for Christ now? I never wanted to see Jesus as I do to-day. How his heart must swell when he sees his children leave their tribulation for the heavenly gates, which will ever stand ajar for us to enter. The prophet says he shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. Isa. 53:11.

The text says, “But now they have no cloak for their sins.” A cloak covers all garments worn beneath it. A soiled dress might be worn under a cloak, when if there was no cloak a clean garment would be put on. Christ has taken away the cloak, that our real characters may appear uncovered. Adultery, murder, and theft, are all deadly sins. But they can all be cleansed by the precious blood of Christ.

To reject Christ destroys man hopelessly. If the man on the scaffold rejects pardon, does he not murder himself? In rejecting Christ, as the Jews did, there is a combination of sins. There is pride, rebellion, and high treason; for you reject a king. He who sins ignorantly has some excuse; but he that sins against light, sins presumptuously.

The sin of unbelief blackens every other sin. Unbelief is the file with which you sharpen the ax of every other sin. If there ever were a people on earth to which this text applies it is this generation. If there is one portion of the race who will have more to account for than others it is those who are living now. Christ has taken away the cloak. Yes, sinner, it will not cover you longer from the storm which will soon sweep the earth of its pollution and sin.

One says, I have heard the gospel, but professors have set me a poor example. How fond some are of finding fault with others. Oh! stop, there is no cloak for your sin. There has been an example set for you that ought to cause you to blush, and that is the life of Christ.

But I must solemnly point you to the great day before I leave you. Pause, sinner, at the scenes just before you. Shops are deserted; streets are filled; all men stand still; they now see that the great Judgment day has come. Presently a great white cloud appears. On that cloud sits the Son of man. Every eye looks at the awful scene of grandeur. Then is heard the trump of God, and the voice of the archangel that raises the dead. There is a unanimous shout, It is he, it is he! On one hand is heard, Lo this is our Lord, we have waited for him. But mingled with the cry, We have waited for him, will be the wailing of the condemned, Rocks fall on us, and hide us from Him that sitteth on the throne. What do the sinners hear? Depart, ye cursed. Do you linger? Depart. Do you seek a blessing? Ye are cursed. Do you seek to escape? It is everlasting fire. Do you stop and plead? I called, and ye refused, is the answer. My heart sinks within me. I see a wicked world who laugh at my tears and warning. Shall this be so with you, reader? I pray it may not. Let us plead that the fire that has been kindled by the third angel’s message may run along the ground, and cross to other nations, till the entire world shall be ablaze with its warning light, and we finally be gathered with the faithful.

DAVID DOWNER.

Hurricane, Wis.,