THAT which to-day is of the most importance to the Christian, to the church, and really to every soul on earth, is not what men do and say, but what Christ, the great Redeemer, is doing and saying.
The Father sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Christ's earth work. Gabriel, the mightiest angel on high, was sent to announce both John's birth and work, and that of Christ. The great outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost was to make known to men that our great Redeemer—man's Friend—had entered upon His work of ministration in the heavenly sanctuary on high. This was the important truth for the church at that hour to know. Knowing it, they could intelligently worship God in spirit and in truth. Ignorant of it, they would miss the object of worship entirely, and worship they knew not what—resulting at once in lowering their worship into accepting for doctrine man-made traditions, containing no salvation. And this mistake the Jewish people literally made.
The close of Christ's service in the first apartment of the heavenly temple, and His entry upon His service in the second, the most holy, was another very important epoch in the history of the church on earth. That they might know concerning this important event, the great judgment message of 1844 was given.
Now, near the close of our Saviour's work in heaven, how appropriate indeed that the church—and through the believers the world—should be warned of its solemn approach. That service in the second apartment over, the voice of mercy will be silenced forever. With the ceasing of Jesus' mediatorial work before His Father's throne, man's opportunity to have his sinful, spotted garments washed in the blood of Christ is forever at an end. When His work of forgiving sin ceases, the solemn announcement is made: "He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still; and he that is filthy, let him be made filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him do righteousness still; and He that is holy, let him be made holy still." Rev. 22:11.
Just prior to this awful hour is due the great promised blessing of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon those everywhere who have accepted and obeyed all the light given them. From all denominations, from all classes, these faithful ones are to come out to unite firmly upon the platform of eternal truth, as found in the faith of Jesus and the keeping of all the commandments of God. "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, My people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues; for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Rev. 18:4, 5.
It was only by fleeing from Jerusalem at the appointed hour that Christians saved their lives when that city was destroyed by the Roman army. So now all must obey the call promptly, and come forth from Babylon (the fallen churches) when the call from heaven is heard.
Conclusion.
May we not safely conclude that the church or people which shall be so greatly honored of Heaven as to receive the promised "latter rain" of the Spirit will be, and necessarily must be, keeping all of God's commandments? Could it be expected that God would deny Himself by pouring His Spirit upon any one who was knowingly committing sin—who was lying, and cheating, and swearing, or breaking the Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment?—Certainly no candid mind would for a moment admit that God, who can not lie, would thus deny Himself. Then it must be admitted that somewhere, now and soon, a people must be found who are keeping all the commandments of God, in fact (see Rev. 14:12), a people who are of one accord, who love God and one another, upon whom this great gift will be bestowed.
The early rain was not manifested in secret. It was at Jerusalem, where dwelt men out of every nation, and they all heard the words of life preached to them in their own tongue. So may we not conclude that the latter rain will be bestowed upon believers, when, with them, those scattered among "all flesh," in every nation and language, shall hear in their own tongue the heavenly call to the great marriage feast of Christ—the last call to supper? It is promised to "all flesh," hence will not be done in secret or in a corner. The world will know about it, all will have opportunity to receive or reject it, but those who receive it will be those not rejecting the heavenly-sent preparatory message of truth contained in the great advent and Sabbath reform messages, and will be made ripe by it for the heavenly garner, and thus become prepared to enter with Christ upon their "eternal great reward" in the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world.
Thus the latter rain will ripen both the wheat and the tares, and the angels will be sent forth with a great sound of a trumpet to reap the harvest of the earth, to gather the tares into bundles to be burned, and the wheat into the garner of God.
Reader, there is no escaping the issue. There is no neutral ground upon which to stand to avoid being counted upon either the one side or the other. Every soul will be marshalled under the banner of Christ, or counted among the legions arrayed against Him. No man can serve the two masters. We shall hold either with the one or the other.
We appeal to you to count well the cost. Can you afford, for a little applause of men, a few fleeting pleasures of earth, to cast aside the great eternal reward in the kingdom of God, where will be pleasures forevermore? Christ gave Himself for you. He endured insult on earth that you might receive honor in heaven. He has made a way of escape possible for you. Why not use it? Why not become a friend of Jesus now, that when the great refreshing shall come from the presence of our God, thy10soul shall receive also of this heavenly anointing, and all thy sins be forever blotted from the heavenly records?
"Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain." "Behold, we call them blessed that endure; ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful." "Be ye also patient; establish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord is at hand." "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
