Who may Abide the Day of His Coming? by George Washington Amadon

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 29, 1857

"Who may Abide the Day of His Coming?"

By George Washington Amadon

MANY hundred years since, the prophet Malachi while dwelling upon the dreadful scenes of the judgment penned this momentous question. With the sure spirit of prophecy he saw the people of the last age abandoned to infidelity and every form of unbelief; and with their senses steeped in the enjoyments of carnal delights, they were nearly impervious to every religious influence.

Most evidently he viewed the testing message now going forth. He saw the proud churches resisting the clear light of present truth till their cup of iniquity was full; he saw the love of many waxing cold; he saw the narrowness of the way and the straitness of the gate; and in full gaze of the investigative judgment—the great day of atonement—he exclaimed, "Who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap."

As the fervent heat of the refiner's fire brings the precious metal to solution and the dross is separated, and like as the fuller's soap, by its detersive qualities, cleanses the soiled and filthy garment, so our great High Priest, by the merit of his own blood "will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purge the sons of Levi, and purify them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."

But the question, "Who may abide the day of His coming," supposes in itself a fearful test, and perilous times. What was to be the condition of the last times? Ans. "As it was in the days of Noah, and before the flood." How was it then? "The earth also was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth." This is the type—a world of corruption, voluptuousness, and crimes of every hue; but mark its antitype. "In the last days perilous times shall come; for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,

incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

Such dear brethren is the prophetic delineation of OUR DAY, and this is the society, and these are the sins to which we are exposed. Our time is a God-hating and a sin-loving time! We are in the very midst of a "crooked and perverse" generation, and we may expect that it will "wax worse and worse" till all the world will go one way—and that down the broad way to destruction.

God grant that in view of these things we may all ask with the Prophet, "Who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?" and from a timely apprehension of coming danger, inseparably unite our dearest interests with God's cause; seek protection of his Omnipotent arm; then we shall abide the coming day, and with all the redeemed, partake of those living waters which "make glad the city of our God." "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

G. W. AMADON.

Battle Creek, Mich., Oct. 1857.