DEAR BRO. WHITE:—The Lord is assuredly gathering the scattered jewels that have been hidden so long beneath the rubbish of this world. There does seem to be some spirit of inquiry awakened here, and several have lately acknowledged to me, that the seventh day was the Sabbath, and that the churches have no Bible authority for the first day. The leading members of the church here, who are set for the defense of their doctrines, do not attempt to vindicate their Sabbath, but dispose of the subject by saying, "We don't know but we are keeping the true seventh day." As if their ignorance would insure to them the blessing of God, whether they were keeping his commandments or not. If they are so willing to have it, that they are keeping the seventh day, why are they so venomous towards those who are openly professing to keep it? Ah, we see their dilemma! They have exhausted every argument in favor of the first day, and now, as their last resort, are obliged to take the position that the first day is the seventh. But will this avail them? Has it not been the labor of their writers and teachers for ages, to show that the Sabbath was changed from the seventh to the first day of the week, and that they were not keeping it in commemoration of Jehovah's rest at creation, but of the resurrection of Christ? I would cite them to the "Westminster Assembly's Catechism." "From the creation of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath, and the first day ever since to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath." Does not their little Sabbath Manual, that they all probably have in their houses, testify to the same thing? Now if they have ascertained that they have been keeping the seventh day instead of the first as some of them assert, they should as honest men, humble themselves, make a confession, and commence keeping Monday, which is the first day, if Sunday is the seventh. But as no one thinks of doing this, we consider their assertions a mere subterfuge; and is in reality an acknowledgment that our position is the true one. But say they, we do not keep any of the commandments, we break them all daily. Alas! how many of them will ere long prove this assertion to be true. "Babylon is fallen, is fallen! Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins; and that ye receive not of her plagues." The signs of the times proclaim that the days of vengeance are at hand. The angry nations are held in check for a few days, until the servants of God are sealed, then they will be let loose. I would say to all the true people of God who are yet in fallen Babylon, (the churches) "Come out of her, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues; for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." And to them, and all others who have not yielded to the truth, I would say, make haste and delay not to keep the commandments of God, that your peace may be like a river, and that you may be prepared to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord! "For the great day of the Lord is near, it is near and hasteth greatly!" The mighty man shall cry there bitterly! "That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wastiness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness." Reader, this is the word of the Lord. Will you contradict it?
Dare you say that the great day of the Lord is not near, when he declares that it is? O beware! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherd of the earth, but wo to him that striveth with his Maker! God says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work." Who dares contradict or gainsay it? "Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man." "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the city."
R. G. WHITCOMB.
Munsonville, N. H., July 26th, 1852.