WHERE IS THE TRUTH? by R. F. Cottrell

Publishing Committee · ROCHESTER, N. Y. · Jun 20, 1854

WHERE IS THE TRUTH?

By R. F. Cottrell

In this age of confusion, while many are crying, Lo, here, and, Lo, there, no question can be of greater importance, or of more thrilling interest to the humble soul that desires salvation, than the above. For the benefit of such, I will attempt, very briefly, to answer the question.

In the first place I would say, You will find the truth with those who say, that the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is at hand. Because,

1. The fulfillment of the predicted signs in the sun, moon and stars, justifies us in looking for that event.

2. The termination of the prophetic periods, especially the 2300 days of Daniel, the ending of which in the Fall of 1844 can be clearly demonstrated, bringing us to the cleansing of the Sanctuary—the last act in the work of atonement, as typified in the past dispensation, is another evidence that those who are looking for the Lord have the truth.

3. The proclamation itself, which this generation has heard and is hearing, is a fulfillment of prophecy and a sign of the day of the Lord. “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.” Joel ii, 1. This is one of the many prophecies that show that a warning will be given when that day is approaching, when it is nigh at hand. This prophecy must be fulfilled, and, consequently, whenever the day of the Lord comes, there will be a people sounding the alarm. These will be right, while those who oppose them, or that do not heed the warning, will be wrong.

Another prophecy of this character came from the lips of Jesus Christ.

Matt. xxiv, 45. Who then is a faithful and a wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

The servant that is appointed to give food to the household in due season, must make use of the means available to know the time of day, and not call to supper at mid-day; for that would not be in due season. So the servants of God—the watchmen of Zion, must be prepared to give a true response to the question, Watchmen, what of the night?

The application of the figure used in the text is very obvious. The lord represents our Lord Jesus Christ. The servants entrusted with the care of the household, are the elders of the church, who have a charge to “feed the church of God.” The food with which the church is to be fed, is the truth; and the food in due season is the truth especially applicable to the time in which it is given. Now the person that is found preaching the truth applicable to the time when the Lord cometh, will, certainly, be preaching the coming of the Lord.

This is still more evident from the virtual cry of the evil servant: My Lord delayeth his coming. While saying this in his heart, he smites his “fellow-servant” with whom he had been united in giving meat in due season. If the evil servant says, My Lord delayeth his coming, what will the wise and faithful servant say? He will say, My Lord is coming, and will act just as if he believed it.

But there are many teaching that the Advent is at hand, but they disagree and are divided, teaching theories widely different. These cannot all be right. In fact, not more than one of these can have the truth.—Again the inquiry comes, Where is the truth? I answer,

1. It will be found with those who are satisfied with one fulfillment of each prediction in relation to the second advent. The same Being that gave the prophecies, will see that each prediction is fulfilled. When the proper time for a predicted event arrives, it takes place without failure; and it never occurs a second time. So all that God’s trusting children have to do when an event occurs which perfectly fulfills a prophecy, is to believe and act accordingly; and they will not be deceived. If it were otherwise—if it were possible for a prediction to be fulfilled before the time that God intended that the real fulfillment should take place, who could ever know when prophecy was fulfilled? Who could trust in God? Paul says that ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable; but what profit can come from the prophetic scriptures, if we cannot tell when they are fulfilled? Of what use will it be to take heed to the sure word of prophecy as to a light that shineth in a dark place?

John, the harbinger of Christ, fulfilled his mission once. The prophecy of the “voice of one crying in the wilderness” had one fulfillment, and those who witnessed it and did not believe, were condemned for their unbelief, although “John did no miracle.” Jesus was called out of Egypt once, he rode into Jerusalem once, he was led as a lamb to the slaughter once. He told the truth when he said “The time is fulfilled” (the 69 weeks which were to reach to the Messiah,) therefore he set no other time for its ending. And think you that the same Spirit that was in Jesus would announce the termination of the 2300 days, and then ten years after give a different date for their beginning? Take away the time from the proclamation and you take away the proclamation itself; for time was the burden of the first message, and the 2300 days, its main pillar. The Sanctuary was then but little examined, while the time was most thoroughly discussed, therefore there might be an error in regard to what the Sanctuary is, and still the burden of the message be true. But if the time was wrong the message was false. Only think of a message on definite time, as, “The hour of his judgment is come,” being sent forth by God before the true, the appointed time had arrived! Remember that in the parable of the three invitations to supper, it was supper time when the first invitation was given. Do you think the third messenger contradicted the first, declaring that it was not supper time when he was sent out? and that all things were not then ready?

I admit that there was an error on time of a part of a year, which caused a seeming tarry of the vision, but this did not alter the date of its commencement. It did not change the date, from the time of the Persian decree given to Ezra to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem, to the time that Nehemiah obtained permission to go up and re-enforce him. During this seeming tarry in 1844, the sudden cry passed through the land, “Behold the Bridegroom cometh!” It was midnight of the prophetic day. A fourth part of the day is past at midnight. So a fourth part of the Bible year was past when that cry was raised.

Is it a fact that this cry was heard in power through the land? It is; and faith says it was the fulfillment. But did the Son of man come at the time appointed? Not to earth, but to the Ancient of days. Dan. vii, 13. It was the time appointed for cleansing the Sanctuary—the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man; and Jesus being the High Priest, must be where the Sanctuary is. No text of scripture calls this earth the Sanctuary—a holy place—a dwelling place for God. Ex. xxv, 8. The 2300 days are given that we may know by faith when our High Priest enters the Holiest of all to cleanse the Tabernacle from the sins of Israel, which are to be placed upon the head of the scape-goat, and borne away forever. It seems to me that none would reject the Bible Sanctuary, when the subject is set before the mind, if the Holiest of all did not contain the ark. The ark would form no objection, if it did not contain the tables of the covenant; and these would not be objected to, if they contained but nine commandments. It seems that transgression of the fourth commandment makes a person blind to all the beauties of the heavenly Sanctuary.

But to the point: the midnight cry. Was it from heaven, or was it of men? If from heaven, why pretend to give it a second time? If of men, how does it form a part of prophetic fulfillment? A third invitation must follow two invitations previously given. Is a second invitation given because the first was a mistake? and the third because the second was a mistake? Did God send a messenger with the midnight cry before the time? Then what assurance have we that we shall not be deceived again? Will a repetition of that cry add anything to faith? If so, the more times repeated the better. Do you say, The messenger ran before he was sent? How do you know that he has not run again before he was sent!

The cry, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, has been heard. It was given at the right time, and its effect was mighty. Such an effect cannot be produced by crying it again. The Word of God tells us of no false cry that should precede the genuine; therefore the children of God had a right to trust in it as the true fulfillment. Men may attempt to set it aside, and to give the true midnight cry, but the true bill always exists before the counterfeit. Like the voice of one crying in the wilderness, God has fulfilled it once for all. The truth is with the people that trust in God, believing in one fulfillment of the prophecies.

2. Those who have the truth will be seen following down the track of prophecy, fulfilling one prediction after another, in their order, till the Lord comes. When they have, as instruments in the hand God, given the message, 'Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come,' they proceed to the second message: 'Babylon is fallen.' Here they do not wheel about, and attempt to give the first, that is, the time message again, revised and corrected, with dates altered to suit; but they proceed to the third message which contains the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, as opposed to the mark and worship of the beast; and fearful is the doom of those who disregard this warning message. The wrath of God, not of man, is their portion.

3. The people who have the truth will not be satisfied with the mere theory of the coming of the Lord, but will be very diligent that they may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless. They will be hungering and thirsting after righteousness, striving for holiness of heart, purifying their souls by obeying the truth. And he that doeth righteousness is righteous. They will not be contented with the ordinary round of fashionable duty, but will try to do every thing that the Lord requires. If one of God's commandments is being trodden under foot by men professing godliness, they will go up into the gap, and make up the hedge, that the house of Israel may stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Others may tell you that the battle is coming, while they are living like the rest of the world, and not only neglecting, but resisting some of the plainest requirements of the Bible, breaking what they are pleased to esteem the least commandments of that law which Jesus came not to subvert, but to ratify, and teaching men that they may break it with impunity.

But while nominal believers will venture to meet their Judge, keeping nine commandments of the ten, the people in whose heart the truth is, will keep them all. What God has joined together with his own finger and placed within the ark, in the most sacred place of the true Tabernacle, they will not desire to put asunder. The temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament. The lovers of truth will not desire to rob that temple and ark of one of the precepts deposited there. And besides this, they will do all that Jesus commanded his disciples to do, regardless of what men approve or disapprove. In a word, the truth is with those that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus—those who do not make void the law or the faith.

Now, dear reader, if you can find such a people, you will find with them the present truth; the truth that is able to save men's lives; the truth which, if obeyed, will be thy shield and buckler in the time of trouble which is just before us; and if we are covered by the shield of truth, we shall not be found of Jesus naked, praying to the mountains to cover us, and to the hills to fall on us. No: the truth will prove a better covering than these. In that day it will be said, Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. The Psalmist says, thy law is the truth. All thy commandments are truth. The righteous nation then that keepeth the truth, must keep all the commandments: and, blessed be God, to them the gates will be opened, and they will have right to the tree of life.

To each willing soul I would say, in the words of the Holy Spirit, The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; send thee help out of the Sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion.

Mill Grove, June, 1854.