Good News!

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 22, 1875

NEVER was there a happier day in this country, probably, than the 3d of April, 1865. Many of our readers will remember it as long as they live, having had a deep personal interest in it. I remember being in one of the large cities in the northern part of the United States on that day, a witness to the deep joy that pervaded the people.

In the great thoroughfares they had congregated in thousands, moved by a common joy. Bells were ringing; engine whistles sounding; bands of music playing gay harmonies, and flags everywhere flying—in short, all the various signs and sounds by which men show their delight were there. Oftentimes such things are without much reality of feeling, but to-day all were in earnest, for all felt most deeply the meaning of these things. On all sides men were in groups and in pairs, conversing and smiling, strangers before, but now blessed with a common benediction, strangers no longer—congratulating each other as if they had been acquainted for years. And they had been acquainted, each and all, with a common sorrow and source of anxiety, a calamity that was entering almost every house, and taking one or more away—and, in many cases, forever. But now a common deliverance relieved all hearts, and, in the gladness of the hour, all things else were forgotten.

But what was the occasion of all this demonstration? A simple telegraphic announcement had done it all. There had been four years of the severest, saddest, civil war. But that morning the capital of the Southern Confederacy had been entered and taken; and all understood that the war was over, and peace had come. The General in the field who accomplished it sent word to the President, and he, through the Secretary of War, at once flashed the glad tidings over the whole land. Not one of these I saw giving token of so much happiness had made this peace. It was made by another. They only believed the good news, and their joy flowed out accordingly. They were able to justify their joy by believing such news. And they had abundant reason to believe—for three men who were officially bound to tell the truth, and who could not have conspired to frame a falsehood of such grave character under such solemn circumstances, had united in making it true and proclaiming it. So, without one doubt, all were merry together. Nor could any one have succeeded in gaining believers, or in checking the enthusiasm, who would have called in question the matter of the tidings.

And, as I looked upon it all, the memory of another proclamation of peace, and good tidings of good, came richly to my mind. When we were all enemies to God, and in a terrible rebellion against him, He who is our Peace made peace through the blood of his cross, and came and preached peace, the Spirit, the water and the blood, attesting that he that believeth on the Son of God—simply receives this good news as his own—hath everlasting life. God is not proclaiming war, but peace. Now is the day of his own gladness, and he is happy in telling us that all wrath is put away. He can speak to the worst enemy, the vilest sinner, without a thought of wrath. He was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. Yes, the war is over! Who will receive the good news of peace? It cannot be hard for the prepared heart to receive the word of pardon and peace, surely. On this occasion, men ran home to their families, and upon the once telling, the whole household rejoiced. So with the gospel in the case of the jailer at Philippi. Himself believed and his whole house. Oh, how simple does this make the message and its reception appear!

Once while speaking to a man of the simplicity of the gospel, and recounting the good news for his salvation, he said, “You seem to think it is very easy.” “Yes,” I answered, “but there was a very hard part. It all came upon another. Suppose you owed millions, and had not one cent to meet the debt, and demand was made for it only to disclose your utter bankruptcy; and suppose, in this condition of things, I come forward and at the loss of all I have, and with infinite labor, pay the whole. That was the hard part. But it is all done. Now, if I brought you news of this, and showed you the receipt in full for the debt, would it be hard for you to take it and be glad? So Christ has done all the real labor of reconciling, the work of saving, and he asks you to receive it. Nay, God beseeches you to be reconciled; “for he has made Him to be sin, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

So in this case; the work was really all done by others; the war was over, and peace had come. As many as believed it rejoiced with all their hearts. But I did not find any who were told the news that day, examining their faith in it, or meeting the announcement with, “What do you mean by believing?” They did not think of the exercise of their own minds, but of the fact told them. And so, dear friends who may be reading this, do not think that faith is something which you have to render to God from yourself, as though you coined or paid so much faith, to receive in return salvation and peace from him. Faith is the heart occupied with the thing told. He has spoken of Christ having done the work by his cross. Just take that fact from him. He tells of forgiveness of sins through the blood. Take that. He tells you the gift of God is eternal life. Take it, and rejoice with him; for it is he that says, “It is meet that we should make merry and be glad.”—Sound Words.