THE AUTHOR OF PROPHECY
By R. F. C.
The great question before us is, Are we living in the period of the third angel's message? Has the solemn sound of the last merciful warning been heard? If not, then a false movement has been progressing for years, professing to be this message. A false movement must proceed from the author and father of all lies—the great counterfeiter of Heaven's true bills. If the first attempt to fulfill this prophecy should prove a total failure, the work of Satan—who can say that the second attempt will not prove spurious also? If the second fail, would confidence be increased in the third? If the fulfillment of prophecy were thus precarious, who could know when it was fulfilled? Who could trust in the word of prophecy, as "the sure word?" He that would trust in prophetic fulfillment, would soon find that he leaned upon a broken reed. All trust would be for ever at an end. But as it is a fact, that the true bills always appear before the counterfeit; so he that would trust in the fulfillment of prophecy is always safe in receiving the first issue. No matter how many imitations follow, the first issue is genuine, and will serve as a detector. Again, if the third message, following, as it does, the first and second in the order of inspiration, has been put in motion by the father of lies, from what source did the first two spring? Did the Lord attempt to fulfill the three, and after fulfilling two, let Satan get the advantage, and commence the third before the proper time for it had come? Or, did the Lord give the first message, the Enemy the second, and then the Lord give the true second message through the instrumentality of men who believed Satan's spurious work to be the genuine work of the Lord, and consequently thought they were giving the third message, when, in fact, they were giving the genuine second? Or, the Lord being at the helm, shall we have a second third angel's message? In a word, if we have been deceived in the third message, we may give up all at once, and conclude that the whole movement is all a delusion, the Lord having no hand in it. The past work in the third message is either from a good source or an evil one. It is either the work of God or the work of an Enemy. If the latter, how can we account for the fact that it has turned its thousands to the observance of all of God's commandments? A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. But this fruit is certainly good; therefore the tree is good. If it is a good work, God is the author of it; and if God is the author of it, it is what it professes to be, namely, the fulfillment of the third angel's message; for God cannot lie. This being the case, it is the final message before the coming of Jesus; and it will surely prepare a people for that event, by separating them from the worshipers of the beast, and uniting them in the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. They that are found gathering with this people, and co-operating in this work, will be found on the Lord's side. If this work is of men, it will surely come to naught, and there is nothing to be gained by trying to mend it. But if God has set his hand to the work of fulfilling the prophecy of the three messages, it will be done without fail, and without mistake. He knows how to fulfill his own word, exactly in the order in which it is given; and the universe combined cannot thwart his plan; but he will demonstrate to all that his word is truth. With reasonings like these, we may silence every doubt and fear, both in regard to the glorious termination of this work, and, the means used in its accomplishment. The responsibility of this work, east, west, north, and south, rests on no man, or set of men. The work is the Lord's, and we need not tremble for the Ark of God, nor put forth our hand to steady it. Let the oxen stumble, God will take care of it. But each of us will have to give an account for ourselves as individuals, whether we have obeyed the message, and have been workers together with God in the last gathering call, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Whether we have gathered with Jesus, or scattered abroad. Let us gird ourselves anew for this work, keep our eyes fixed on the prize at the end of the race, trust in the guiding hand of our Pilot to bring our vessel into port, and know that "except we abide in the ship we cannot be saved." R. F. C.