Keeping God’s Commandments
By Francis Gould
DEAR BRO. WHITE:—It is with feelings of gratitude to my heavenly Father, though unworthy of his goodness and tender mercy, that I may be accounted worthy to be identified with those who are keeping the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. It has been nearly two years since I refused to keep the Pope's Sunday, and have been keeping the Lord's holy Sabbath, an unchangeable institution, established at the creation of the world, and perpetuated through all probationary time. And I rejoice that I am permitted to live in a day when the light of God's word shines out so clear upon the church. I was one of those disappointed ones who expected to see the King in his beauty in 1844; but after the time passed, I was led to discover by searching diligently the word of God, that God's people had not been sufficiently tried and humbled to enter the kingdom; for it is through much tribulation they enter the kingdom of God. The word expressly declares [Dan. xii, 9-10] that in the time of the end many shall be purified, made white and tried, and the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand; and also in Titus ii, 11-14: "For the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world; looking for the blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." Again, Eph. v, 27: "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." I am thankful that the great High Priest is in the Most Holy Place, blotting out the errors of his people, that he may present them before his Father without spot or wrinkle. Jesus is finishing his work; but there remains a work for us to do; and how can our work be accomplished? When the saints begin to move out and take their places which God has designed for them, and begin to act upon the measure of faith which God has given them, the church will move forward. There are prominent gifts placed in the church for the express purpose of bringing to light and exposing those errors which have been undesignedly committed by God's people. James v, 19, 20. "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death and hide a multitude of sins." Many assert that the gifts were not designed for us in these days, but were given to the Apostles to confirm the covenant; but this is mere assertion. When the Son of God was taken up out of the church, it appears evident that he left all the gifts in the church, and after the mission of the apostles, they were to be perpetuated through to the end of the world. Mark xvi, 15-18, and also Acts ii, 38-39, where Peter addressing the multitude on the day of pentecost exclaims, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promise is unto you, and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call;" consequently, if the children of those whom Peter addressed were to receive the promise, it must have been in an after generation; and if those afar off were to receive it, it must have been far in the future. The messages of the first and second angel were designed to open the eyes of God's people, and to bring them out from under the influence of the beast, from the yoke of bondage, and every false way, and plant their feet upon the broad platform of the gospel where they would be prepared to see and feel the force of truth, as it shines out from God's holy word. The message of the third angel being the last message of mercy to this guilty world, brings us to that point which causes us to act as for our lives, knowing that the great day of God's wrath is right upon us, and the saints will soon be prepared to receive immortality at the resurrection of the just, while the wicked will be cut off, and "be as though they had not been." O that we may be lively stones in the temple of God, when "he shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shouting, crying, Grace, grace, unto it." Zech. iv, 7. FRANCIS GOULD. East Randolph, Vt., Oct. 10th, 1854.