THE OUTLOOK | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 16, 1879

THE OUTLOOK.

Under this heading, the Illustrated Christian Weekly presents the following gloomy picture of the state of religion in this country at the present time:—

“In one view of the case the outlook is discouraging. The year that is past was not marked, as its predecessors, by any considerable ingathering. As a rule, the reports of our several denominations on the state of religion, have not revealed any aggressive movement of marked success, while benevolence has fallen off, and many of our great mission societies and agencies are struggling with curtailment and debt.

“On the other hand, wickedness abounds. It is a time of depressed moral standards, of abounding public iniquity, of widespread doubt and worldliness. There is a well-nigh universal lack of confidence in and even distrust of our fellows. The revelations of defalcations and breaches of sacred trusts show a deplorable state of public honesty. Even in our churches there seems to be a chafing in the harness of creeds and confessions, a disposition to ignore or to question the ancient verities, and a strong inclination to waste the precious time and strength of the church, which is needed for the evangelization of the world, in debating questions which can only disturb the peace and harmony of believers.”

But it claims that there is one view which is not so discouraging, and sets to work to array before us the redeeming features of the prospect. And what are they? Simply these: that “God has power” to bless the church; that “serious moral defection and great wickedness” such as we now see need not hinder it; that “Omnipotence finds no barrier in anything which it makes the objects of its power.”

Yes; but does not God suspend his interpositions in behalf of men upon conditions? and are the churches complying, and will they comply, with these conditions? Then what is there to hope for? It seems to us that the Christian Weekly presents but a sorry showing in its efforts to balance the discouraging side with the hopeful. On the one hand, we have spiritual death and wickedness, accomplished realities, appalling facts. On the other we have nothing that is, but something that may be, if—

The truth is, the ignorance of Christendom God has long winked at; but now he commands all men, church and world alike, to repent of their sin of Sabbath-breaking; of ignoring his institution, in deference to one which the hands of men have endeavored to erect in the temple of his truth. He has waited from generation to generation for men to read the simplest declarations of his word aright. But they still interpret that word in the light of the Dark Ages. (Pardon the contradiction.) Now he calls upon them to take their feet off from his ancient and holy Sabbath, to restore the seal to his law, to lift up the fallen claims of his immutable commandments, and to let the demands of that law, laid upon the naked conscience, convict a man of sin before he claims to be converted. He calls upon all in thunder tones, by the fulfillments of his word and by the messengers he is sending to the world, thus to prepare for the soon-coming of his Son from Heaven. This is God’s message to the world to-day; and we are firmly persuaded that outside of this message no permanent religious reform can be effected.