THE MESSAGE OF TO-DAY by M. C. W.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 14, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 39.

THE MESSAGE OF TO-DAY.

By M. C. W.

HAS God a message for the church, for the world, at the present time? Have other ages been thus favored of God, and is the present age left in darkness by him? Granted the great advance in science, in knowledge, in invention, in physic, in philosophy; but just as surely as it is possible for a man to have great knowledge in some one or all these branches, and yet be a blaspheming infidel, so surely is it possible for a generation to be advanced in all these things, and yet be farther from God than one not so wise in the wisdom of the world. Not that knowledge or wisdom is contrary to Christianity; for Christianity, though not the embodiment of the wisdom of this world, is the embodiment of the truest knowledge and the highest wisdom.

But much of the knowledge and wisdom of the present time is spurious, much of the science is that "falsely so called," much of the worship is "will-worship." And if there ever was an age in which special instruction was needed in order that God's people might be able to distinguish the glittering false from the shining true, the pleasing counterfeit from the useful genuine, it is now.

In the time of the flood, God sent Noah to warn the world, and point out the only true way of escape. He sent Jonah to Nineveh. John the Baptist heralded a message given by prophecy seven hundred years before. Isa. 40:3; John 1:23. Christ and his apostles came in fulfillment of prophecy. The Reformers fulfilled prophecy in the work which they wrought for God. They brought the true church part way out of the wilderness of the Dark Ages. The Baptists, the Wesleys, Alexander Campbell, and others brought it still farther. But darkness still remains. There are many dangers. Foes lurk in ambush on every hand. The true way is obscured, the smooth-beginning ways of error and sin are many; and agents of Satan, many of whom are clad in robes of righteousness, are calling in the dulcet tones of sensual ease and peace, Come hither.

Starting out in the time of the Reformation on the only true principle that the word of God must be paramount, that which must decide all questions of faith and practice, which points out the way of life, the church ran well for a season. But when she no longer adhered to these principles, she departed from God. The plain letter of Scripture has been in many cases ignored, because it condemned her practices; and conscience, a perverted conscience, warped by education, takes the place of God's word. We are right, say many, if we do not feel condemned. So might say the hardened criminal. Conscience is the creature of education. Educate it by a worldly standard, and it will decide by that standard, even contrary to God's word. And this very exaltation of conscience causes a neglect of the Bible. If man has an infallible guide within, there is no use for the one without. The conclusion is just, but it is based on wrong promises. Conscience is one of the most fallible of guides. "Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." Titus 1:15.

Another pernicious doctrine which is akin to the above has also obtained, that the letter of the Scripture is of no account providing the spirit of the Scripture is observed. If the worship rendered to God is in spirit correct, all is well. And in consequence of this, many of the most important ordinances and observances of God's word have become so perverted that were one of the apostles raised from the dead to-day, he would not recognize some of the institutions he had once practiced, pure from the hands of the Head of the church, unless he had before seen them in prophetic vision. God requires more than worship in spirit, he requires worship in truth as well (John 4:23, 24), "for the Father seeketh such to worship him." It was departing from the truth that brought division, weakness, confusion, lukewarmness, and worldliness in the church in the beginning; it must be a return to the truth which will bring union, power, zeal, and true holiness.

The Lord has such a message for the "last days," and that we are living in that period is testified by many lines of prophecy. In the second chapter of Daniel the earth's history is represented by a great image composed of gold, silver, brass, iron, and iron and clay,—these parts representing different dynasties as follows: The head of gold, Babylon; the breast and arms of silver, Medo-Persia; the belly and thighs of brass, Grecia; the legs of iron, Rome in its unified state; the iron and clay, Rome in its divided state. The next event is the setting up of the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Four of these divisions have long since passed away; we are far down the fifth, right in the closing years of its existence. Just before us lies the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Will no warning be given of its approach?

In the seventh chapter of Daniel we find the same great dynasties represented by four beasts, the last of which has two phases. The latter phase is a prophecy including the Papacy. Its career is shown as a persecutor of the people of God, a rebel against his laws, and a blasphemer of his holy name. The prophet sees this apostate power till every vestige of power as an earthly ruler is removed. But that this does not terminate its career is shown by the twenty-first and twenty-second verses, which clearly indicate that this power will be a persecutor until the Judge of all the earth shall put judgment in the hands of his people at the second coming of Christ. But beyond all this the prophet sees the saints no longer persecuted by earthly powers, in possession of the kingdom "under the whole heaven." Verse 27. The Papacy has about run its allotted career. A little spell of seeming triumph lies before the harlot church, but her end draweth nigh. Is the last great deception to come upon the race unheralded? It is not reasonable. It is not scriptural.

In the eighth chapter we have a similar prophecy, in which the first kingdom—Babylon—is dropped out, as its glory had passed when the prophecy was uttered. The cleansing of the sanctuary, or the closing work of our great High Priest, is pointed out as occurring at the end of the 2,300 days, or years, reaching far down the Christian dispensation. In the eleventh chapter we have a line of literal prophecy, ending in the destruction of the king of the North, or Turkey, which has long been known as "the sick man of the East." At this time Michael, or Christ, stands up to reign, the great time of trouble comes upon the wicked, the righteous are delivered forevermore. These things, hidden in a great measure from past generations, are to be unsealed in the "time of the end." Then "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Dan. 12:4. Many shall search God's word, "give their sedulous attention to these things," and knowledge of the prophecies shall be increased. In other words, while the wicked will

not understand, "the wise," wise in God, "shall understand." Verse 10.

In the Revelation, we have the prophecies of the seven churches, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, each series covering the Christian dispensation, and terminating in the coming glory of Christ. In the twelfth and thirteenth chapters we have great apostate powers again brought to view as the persecutors of the people of God. All the world will be deceived by them. Multitudes will own their sway, deceived by their wonders, and worship the powers of darkness instead of the God of heaven. Right upon these existing, active, apostate powers and their adherents, fall the plagues of God's wrath. These persecuting powers are rapidly coming on the stage of action.

As in the past, when the church departed from the word of God, she laid hold of the civil arm to enforce her man-made precepts, even so now the Protestant churches of America are following in the path of the mother. Holding many things contrary to the letter and spirit of God's truth, they are seeking to embody these hoary, man-originated traditions in the law of the land, and thus, while ignoring the letter of Scripture, they are striving, in the spirit of the dragon, to enforce the letter of their precepts of men.

The National Reform party, now wedded to the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, which has done noble work in the temperance cause, is seeking to place "all Christian laws, institutions, and usages on an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of the land." By whom are Christian laws, etc., to be interpreted?—Not by individual right of conscience, but by magistrate, council, or synod! In the Old World the Roman Church and Ritualism are rapidly coming to the front, and will in the near future, according to the "sure word of prophecy," triumph. The form, the ceremony, the ritual, are to take the place of the pure, heart-searching, vitalizing, purifying truth. They are more pleasing to a sensuous, ease-loving generation.

But God does not allow all this to take place without warning. In his merciful providence he has multiplied copies of his word without number, and helps for the study of that word. He has made that word its own interpreter to those who will submit to its just and holy claims. And God's great threefold message of truth, designed to proclaim his coming, and judgment, and warn the world against the worship of the beast and his image, will go to earth's millions, if to the very stones has to be given a voice. But God has those who love his will, who will count it all joy to win precious souls by the proclamation of his truth. Such have been bearing the threefold message of Rev. 14:6-14 to the world for forty years. Three decades of years ago the number who had embraced this message could be counted by tens, where now they are by thousands; and believers in its truth number many thousands more. To man belongs not the glory; God hath wrought through human instrumentalities, and to his name be all the praise.

Those who are developed by this message have two distinct characteristics,—while they have patient endurance under trial, they keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. These features embrace all essential truths. Embraced and observed with all the heart, they lead to union,—that union for which our Saviour so earnestly prayed. Already has this message called out a people from all beliefs, from all nations, from all sections, and united them in a holy brotherhood, who are striving to serve God and save their fellow-men.

This, dear reader, we believe is God's message for to-day. It embodies all the truth so precious to the primitive church, with the present truth of this generation. No practical, needful truth of the past is lost or hidden, and some are restored to their former rightful place; and precious truths

for this time, and merciful warnings against to-day's evils and deceptions, are included in this message of restoration and salvation. M. C. W.