The Present Truth and Christian Unity by Olive M. Patten

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Jun 24, 1852

The Present Truth and Christian Unity

By Olive M. Patten

From Sister Patten.

I thank and praise our dear Heavenly Father for such a paper as the Review and Herald. The truths it contains are sweet to my taste. They are "meat in due season," and encourage and strengthen me to press forward. When I read the strong arguments drawn from the Sure Word, by which our present position is proved, and then read the cheering testimonies of my brethren and sisters, telling how they love the truth, my heart beats in unison with theirs, and swells with gratitude, and love to God that I am permitted to be one of the remnant who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. I love to be one of the persecuted few, one of the "little flock" to whom it is our Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom. With them I desire to submit to suffering, endure conflicts, war a good warfare, remembering Jesus' words: "In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." How cheering the promise to us, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and set down with my Father in his throne."

I have often looked back to the time when the Advent brethren were all united in proclaiming, "The hour of his judgment," when love prevailed, and the power and spirit of our holy religion was believed in and enjoyed. Then I have looked at the sad change. Discord and contention prevail in the papers which were once perfectly agreed in pouring forth the glorious truths of the coming kingdom. Pride, formality and love of the world, characterize the worshipers who once so meekly bowed, and so freely sacrificed all to meet the coming King. My heart has often ached at the sight, and I have longed to see something that would manifest more fully the correctness of the mighty move in the past, and cheer our pathway with light upon the glorious future. The light we then had was clear and glorious, but now it is seven times greater. We who have been in the dark, feel that we have a new Bible again.

The third angel's message comes in this time of the patience of the saints, filling up the grand prophetic chain in the xiv Chap. of Revelation, from the everlasting gospel, or first proclamation of the Advent, and the cry, Babylon is fallen, to the Son of man on the white cloud with a sharp sickle in his hand.

Now hear the language of the third angel: If any man worship the beast, and his image, and receive his mark &c., the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. Chaps. xiv, 9, 10; xv, 1. The first vial or plague is poured upon those which have the mark of the beast. Now if it were impossible for us to understand the worship of the beast, and his mark, yet we can see in these chapters to which I have alluded, the two grand divisions of mankind, the righteous and the wicked. One class worship the beast, and receive his mark, and drink the wine of the wrath of God—that is, receive the seven last plagues, the other class are found in the patience of the saints, keeping the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus, and are seen, [Chap. xv, 2,] having "gotten the victory over the beast and over his image, and over his mark, standing on the sea of glass having the harps of God." The only safe side, then, is to be found "keeping the commandments."

Some say we cannot keep the commandments, but we know we can, or we should not be told in this book of Revelation, which was given to show us what must shortly come to pass, that, "Here are they that keep the commandments &c." In Chap. xii, 17, we read, "The dragon went to make war with the remnant who keep the commandments of God" &c. Then there are a remnant who keep the commandments, and the dragon will make war with them, for every word of the prophecy must be fulfilled. Mighty conflicts are before us, but we can overcome. Christ said, "If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments." Again, as he was about to finish up the Revelation sent us, [Rev. xxii, 14,] the Alpha and Omega says, "Blessed are they that do his [the Father's]

commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life and enter in through the gates into the city."

In Eze. ix we see that one clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn, was sent to mark them that sigh and cry over the abominations done in the land, and after him the destroying angels, or the seven last plagues go forth to slay utterly all except those who have the mark.

Here is a mark, opposite the mark of the beast, by which the destroying angel is to know who to save alive. Many tell us the keeping of a day is of no consequence. They do not believe the Lord cares what day we keep; but God has sanctified and set apart a particular day, and commanded men to remember it, and keep it holy in commemoration of his rest at the end of Creation. Yet men almost universally trample upon that commandment, and profess to worship God on a day no where taught in his word, but set apart by the beast, or by Papal power. Is it strange, then, that God should send the solemn warning of the third angel, and that the burden of his message should be restoring the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, or that under this message the keeping of a day should be the grand mark of distinction by which we know the worshipers of God, and the worshipers of the beast, or by which we can discern between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. Thanks be to God for the clear light that now shines upon the holy Sabbath of the Lord, and shows us Jesus our High Priest in the Heavenly Sanctuary, blotting out the transgressions of his people.

I must fully believe from these plain scriptures that the solemn warning of the third angel is not sent in vain; that every one will have a chance to decide from Bible evidence which mark they will receive, the mark of the beast, or the mark, or seal of the living God. And ere the loud voice of the third angel, which is yet to be heard, has sent forth its last notes, the saints of God will all be found united in keeping all the commandments of God, and opposing the worship of the beast.

We remember how the people of God prevailed and triumphed anciently, when they had the Ark of God. The commandments were then written upon stone, and placed in the Ark. How much more certain of victory are the people in whose hearts his law is written, by the Spirit of the living God. The true standard is raised, the banner unfurled, and the simple motto, "The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" is destined to meet with more sure and certain success in discomfiting the enemies of God, than the watchword, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon," did, in putting to flight the Midianites. Success is certain, for the Lord's own arm is stretched out to recover the remnant, and "if God be for us who can be against us?"

When I see the finger of scorn pointed, and the reproach heaped upon those who advocate the third angel's message, it reminds me of the words of Sanballat, and his company in Nehemiah's day, saying, "What do these feeble Jews?"—But God was with his people then, and he is now with those who do and teach his commandments, and we can say as Nehemiah said, "Our God shall fight for us."

The mighty efforts now being made to do away this solemn message, and to prove that the law or commandments were all nailed to the cross, especially, that the seventh-day Sabbath is abolished, look some like Goliath of Gath defying the armies of the living God. And were I permitted with the shepherd boy to choose smooth stones from the brook, I would go forth like him in the name of Israel's God, against the giants, with this weapon, "The seventh-day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work." But they say this is all done away. Then I would add our Saviour's words, [Luke xvi, 17,] "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fall." Also, [Matt. v, 19,] "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." By faith in God, and the use of such weapons, the enemies of God, and his law, will be driven to darkness, while those who honestly seek for truth will rally round the true standard, and keep all the commandments.

I feel like striving to inherit eternal life, at the expense of every thing else. O, what is this world with all its charms, or all its hindrances if we can only escape its pollutions, and obtain an inheritance in that City for which Abraham looked, "which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." This world looks very small to me. I feel a thirsting and longing for the glorious immortal kingdom. Here we are groaning under the curse. The saints of God are afflicted with sickness, poverty and the oppression of wicked spirits; but a deliverance that is complete and eternal awaits all the children of God, and that deliverance is at hand. Our journey through this world must be in a cross-bearing, self-denying way; but it is enough for the servant that he be as his Master, if we suffer with him we shall reign with him.

Let us then be fully determined to strive with all our energies, with all our efforts, to walk in the strait and narrow road till we reach the City, and gain admittance through its pearly gates, where we shall be for ever free from this cold-hearted, sin-ruined earth, and eat of the leaves of the tree which are for the healing of the nations. Where we shall see the King in his beauty, and our vile bodies will be changed and fashioned like unto his glorious body.

O, can it be that in a little while, if faithful, we shall be delivered from sickness, pain and death, and share the unutterable glory, the "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," which God hath prepared for them that love him. It is a great thing to live a Christian every day. It must be a great thing to take that course with regard to truth and duty that we shall wish we had when we receive our reward according to the deeds done in the body. If we can only endure to the end and be for ever with, and like our God, in that bright world, where he will wipe away all tears, and where we shall sorrow and sigh no more, then these poor beings will be for ever satisfied, for ever blest. Let us remember that the reward is at the end of the race, and in due season we shall reap if we faint not. In the love of the truth. OLIVE M. PATTEN. Rochester, N. Y., June 20th, 1852.