WRITE by J. G. Wood

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 14, 1876

WRITE

By J. G. Wood

What shall we write? “Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” Rev. 14:13.

From henceforth must signify from a given point of time, and seems to refer the reader to the solemn warning of the third angel contained in the ninth and tenth verses: “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture.” The wrath of God is the seven last plagues; Rev. 15:1; the first of which falls on them that receive the mark of the beast and worship his image. Rev. 16:2.

“Without mixture,” that is, having no mixture of mercy. The door of mercy is then closed forever. Luke 13:25. There will then be a crying to the Lord to “open unto us,” verse 26, and that, too, by professed Christians who claim to have been eating and drinking in the presence of the Lord, or at the Lord’s table, while at the same time working iniquity, or transgressing the law.

It is now too late to cry to the Lord for mercy. The decree has gone forth: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” No mercy here!—it is “the time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.” Dan. 12:1. It is a time when they shall call upon the Lord, but he will not answer them; when, he declares, “they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me; for they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord; they would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.” Prov. 1:25–30. It is the day of wrath, the time during which Job wished to sleep in the grave, and which he wished to be excused from seeing. Job 14:13.

The third angel’s message is the last merciful warning to the world. Those of this generation who live under its proclamation, but die before its close, just prior to the pouring out of the seven last plagues, are blessed, inasmuch as they will sleep through this time of trouble. They rest a little while from their labors, but their works do follow them.

I was particularly struck with the force of these words while preaching the funeral discourse of Bro. and Sr. Carr’s four children, on the 21st of August. This brother and sister, who live in the northern part of Nodaway Co., Mo., buried four children in the short space of two months, last February and March. Lois R., the eldest, a teacher, about twenty-one years of age, had accumulated $400. Prior to her sickness, she laid aside one-tenth of this as sacred to the Lord, for the advancement of present truth. This her parents freely gave to the Missouri Conference, with a pledge for the interest of the remaining $360.

While she lived, she wished to see the cause of God prosper, now she “rests from her labors, and her works do follow her.” This money, if properly used, may send the truth to others. The increase, we believe, will be placed to her account, and she shall be rewarded at the resurrection of the just. “She, being dead, yet speaketh.”

J. G. Wood.