AFTER a quarter of a century of earnest toil we gird on the armor anew to engage with fellow laborers in the work of establishing the press, and building up the cause upon the Pacific coast. The present is a time of thrilling interest. The providence of God has been opening the way, and providing the facilities and means ready to our hands, for the rapid spread of light and truth. We now enjoy many advantages which we did not have twenty-five years since.
Then we had no publications. Now we have about one hundred different publications, in which the reasons for our faith and hope are brought out with clearness and strength.
Then there were but very few friends and supporters of the cause, and these were generally poor. And those who entered upon the work of teaching unpopular Bible truth were peniless men. The progress of the cause was therefore very slow, from so humble a beginning, and against obstacles which at times seemed impossible to surmount. Now friends and supporters are comparatively numerous; and with the system of benevolence adopted by our people, and the spirit of sacrifice which should lead them to present their freewill offerings before the Lord, the cause in all its branches, and with all its enterprises to facilitate the work, and give light to the world, can be fully sustained without casting burdens upon any.
The people then seemed indifferent to the voice of warning, and we were able to reach only a very few. The positions of our opponents seemed to satisfy the masses, and hold them from investigation. Now, old opinions and modern heresies are being shaken by the power of simple truth, and our opponents are losing their hold upon the people. And there is an ear to hear, and a spirit of investigation, and an anxiety on the part of many to know what the truth of God is, that we never expected to witness.
Certain opponents, who hold some precious truths in common with us, have treated us in their prints and in their pulpit efforts in the most overhearing manner. God seems to be taking these in hand, and is chastising them by sending a spirit of division and scattering among them. The God of truth and of justice is evidently giving us the field, and by his gracious providences is inviting our people out from their seclusions, and narrow modes and spheres of action to occupy it. And by his holy Spirit he is preparing the minds and the hearts of the people to hear and read the reasons of our hope and faith, and is giving converting power to his word. In God we battle for truth against error, and in him we shall have the victory.
The present is a time of comparative peace among the Christian nations of this globe, and a most favorable period for extending our missions, and pushing forward the work. We have only to refer back to the difficulties under which we labored during the American civil war to form an opinion of the obstacles that will retard the progress of the cause in the stormy future, when in fulfillment of the word, the spirit of unrest and anger shall seize the nations.
When recreating in the Rocky Mountains in the summer of 1873, we were led out to speak of the future in the Review and Herald under the caption of "Broader Plans" in paragraphs which follow. And from present omens it appears that we did not express our views and feelings in too strong terms:
"When we consider the extent and magnitude of the work to be accomplished, as marked out in prophecy, the brief period in which it must be done, and how little comparatively, is being done, we are forced to the conclusion that God requires of us broader plans and more vigorous efforts. It seems that the providence of God is far in advance of us."
"The fields are all white. There should he those to preach the truth, and circulate our works in the great thoroughfares of travel, in our principal cities, such as Boston, New York, Chicago and San Francisco. These large cities, and smaller ones also, must be entered, and tons of our publications in the different languages circulated. When one of our large cities shall be entered with a tent, a daily paper must be started in connection, as an advertising medium of the meetings in the tent, of our publications, and to give the substance of each day's lectures for the instruction of the reading masses. We have altogether too long made child's play of the message which God has committed to us to give to the people. Let us from this time have our efforts correspond with the magnitude and importance of the work."
"There are scores of men in the ranks of Seventh-day Adventists, who have become literally rich since they embraced the message. And when our ministers take hold of the work in a manner to inspire hope in our people, that something is to be done, and the General Conference Committee, in a judicious manner lay plans broad enough, our wealthy brethren and our brethren in more moderate circumstances, will back up the work with their means."
"God is ready to do great things for his cause on the Pacific coast. He has shown his willingness to work for his cause and people in California, especially in this year past, in sending them help when they needed it most in the sad crisis of last fall, and in greatly blessing the labors of his servants the present season. The General Conference Committee is disposed to extend the work up the coast, to Oregon and Washington Territory, and may send missionaries to that field soon."
"We would here state to those who may regard these suggestions as fanciful, that nothing of any amount has ever been accomplished in our cause without laying plans, and persevering efforts to execute them. Those of our people who have neither faith nor interest in the prosperity of the cause, but have been willing to shut themselves up to their own interests in this life, have never been ready to second our plans and efforts to extend and push forward the work. It is no use to appeal to such in reference to laying broader plans."
"But in hope that our words will be felt, we do appeal to our General Conference Committee, to the State Conference Committees, and to the officers of our Tract and Missionary Societies. The General Conference Committee, seeing the pressing wants of the cause should lay their plans wisely and well, sufficiently extensive to meet present and future demands."
Leadership.
TEXT: One is your Master even Christ, and all ye are brethren. MATT. 23:8.
JESUS addressed these words to the twelve, in the hearing of the multitude. And while they were a rebuke to the scribes and Pharisees, they were also designed to impress the disciples with this great truth, that should he felt in all coming time, that Christ is the only head of the church.
The prophetic eye of the Son of God could look forward to the close of the Christian age, and take in at a glance the errors and dangers of the church. And we may look back over her sad history and see that strict adherence to the principle set forth in the text has been important to the purity of the church, while departure from it has marked the progress of different forms of corrupted Christianity. The most prominent among these is the Roman church, which has set one man over the church whose claims to infallibility are sustained by that corrupt body.
In the discussion of the subject of leadership, we propose to bring out evidence from the words of Christ, and from the teaching and practices of the early Apostles, that Christ is the only authorized leader of his people. At the very commencement, in laying the foundation of the Christian church, as Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee he saw “two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matt. 4:18, 19.
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom; and he saith unto him, Follow me.” Chap. 9:9. “And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom; and he said unto him, Follow me.” Luke 5:27. “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Matt. 19:27, 28.
Was Moses the visible leader of the Jewish church? Christ is the leader of the Christian church. Moses speaks of Christ in these words, “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.” Deut. 18:15. And Peter in preaching Christ to the people on the occasion of healing the lame man at the gate of the temple, endorses the words of Moses thus: “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.” Acts. 3:22.
The transfiguration was designed, not only to illustrate the future kingdom of glory after the resurrection and change to immortality, but to impress the church with the glory of Christ as her head and leader. No part of that grand scene could be more impressive than the bright cloud that overshadowed them, and the “voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him.” Matt. 17:5.
And at no time during his public ministry does Christ intimate that any one of his disciples should be designated as their leader. He does say, however, that “he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matt. 23:11. And on the occasion of submitting the great commission to his first ministers, to be perpetuated in the Christian ministry to the close of the age, Christ gives the pledge that ever has been and ever will be the supporting staff of every true minister, “Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world.” Matt. 28:20.
Christ’s ministers have ever had a world-wide message. “Go ye therefore and teach all nations.” And wherever their foot prints may be seen upon the mountains, or in the valleys, there Christ has been by the ministration of his holy angels, and the teachings of the Holy Ghost. “I am with you” is the soul-inspiring promise to every true minister. Christ proposes to lead his servants, and it is their privilege to approach the throne of grace, and receive from their sovereign Leader fresh rations, and orders direct from headquarters.
And there is no intimation that the Apostles of Christ designated one of their number above another as their leader. Paul would have the Corinthians follow him only as he followed Christ. He says, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you.” 1 Cor. 11:1,2. Paul, so far from claiming to be the head of the church at Corinth, and securing their obedience, sympathy, and benevolence on this ground, would shake them off from seeking to be directed by him. He exalts Christ as their leader in the first sentence of the very next verse. “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ.” Thank Heaven, the Christian church has no use for the pope.
The Apostle compares two faithful leaders in his epistle to the Hebrews. One was a servant in the Jewish church; the other is a Son over the Christian church. Who are these two leaders? Are they Moses and Peter? or Moses and Paul? or Moses and Luther? or Moses and Wesley? or Moses and Miller? We need not say that they are Moses and Christ. As a servant in the Jewish church, Moses was their visible leader. As a Son over his own church, Christ is an invisible leader. Moses lead the Hebrews in the wilderness, not by his own wisdom, however superior, but by direct communications from Christ, who was the angel that was with Moses in the church in the wilderness. Acts. 7:37, 38. And Christ leads the Christian church through the ministration of angels, attended by the Holy Spirit, in harmony with the written word.
Christ’s ministers are shepherds of the flock, and leaders of the people in a subordinate sense. Peter exhorts the under shepherds in these words, “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
The Apostle not only shows this relation which ministers sustain to the flock in the foregoing, but he also plainly states in the following, the relation which they sustain to one another. Mutual submission is demanded of all in the spirit of humility, in all their labors and councils, while age and experience are regarded as worthy of especial respect by the younger. Peter continues: “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”
Paul enjoins obedience and submission in his epistle to the Hebrews. But he does not require this in particular for himself, or for any other one who may be regarded as the chosen leader of the church. He pleads in behalf of all faithful ministers in these words: “Remember them which have the rule over you; who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end [object or subject] of their conversation, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever.” Chap. 13:7. Again he says in verse 17 of the same chapter. “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you.”
The apostle exalts Christ as the great head of the church, and the only one to whom she should look for leadership, in Hebrews, 12:1, 2. He would have the church benefited by the experiences of the heroes of faith, mentioned in the eleventh chapter, called in the first verse of the twelfth a cloud of witnesses. But he faithfully guards the church against looking back to them with a spirit of idolatry, or accepting any man as their leader, or pattern of the Christian life, in these three words: “Look unto Jesus.” Paul says: “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
All true ministers are Christ’s ambassadors. “Now then we are ambassadors [embassadors] for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” 2 Cor. 5:20. In their ministry they are to represent the doctrine of Christ, and the interests of his cause in this world. They surrender their own judgment and will to Him who has sent them. No man can be Christ’s ambassador until he has made a complete surrender of his right to private judgment to Christ. Neither can any man properly5represent Christ who surrenders his judgment to his fellow man.
The foregoing expresses our solemn convictions relative to the leadership of Christ, and the relation which his ministers sustain to their great Leader, to one another, and to the church. But too many have left the great question of leadership here, with the truth expressed only in part. They have passed over the teachings of Christ and his apostles, relative to discipline, and the proper means of securing unity in the ministry and in the church, and do not let them have their proper qualifying bearing upon the subject. This has opened a wide door for men to enter the ministry who had not submitted their judgment and will to Christ as their leader, while at the same time they take the broadest ground, and exercise the greatest freedom relative to the right of private judgment. Creed power has been called to the rescue in vain. It has been truly said that “The American people are a nation of lords.” In a land of boasted freedom of thought and of conscience, like ours, church force cannot produce unity; but has caused divisions, and has given rise to religious sects and parties almost innumerable. And there are not a few professing Christians, some of them very good persons, who reject church organization on account of the use that has been made of creed and church power. Some of these, however, in their mistaken zeal, in the advocacy of religious freedom, are disposed to trample on the rights of others, and use their boasted “liberty for a cloak of maliciousness.”
(To be Continued.)
Retrospective.
By Editor
Twenty-five years since we commenced publishing unpopular Bible truth in New England. A small office was donated by the few friends of the cause, and located at Rochester, N. Y., in 1851, which was moved to Battle Creek, Mich., in 1855. Our first little sheet, entitled the Present Truth, was issued in old Middletown, Conn., 1849. The first volume of the Review and Herald was published at Paris, Me. For several years it was sent out gratis, and supported by donations from its few friends.
We commenced this work with neither means, patronage, nor publications. Its beginning was necessarily very humble and small; but God has raised up fellow-laborers and friends, and by his grace it has grown to respectable proportions, and great efficiency. We need not state that there have been difficulties to encounter, obstacles to overcome, and the most wearing toil and care upon the pioneers of the cause in bringing into existence our numerous and valuable publications, creating an extensive patronage, and finally in establishing a legally incorporated publishing association, which has a capital of not less than $85,000, besides what publishers call the "good will." This is the property of our people, to be conducted by officers of their annual choice. And, as we leave its advantages and unparalleled prosperity for others to enjoy and manage, we are able to report that it has cost our people, including their donations to it from the very first, in shares of stock they have taken, which are virtually donations, and a few legacies, less than $40,000. God has greatly blessed the labors and sacrifices of those who have devoted the best of their lives to this important work. And now they look back with devout gratitude for that grace that has sustained them in all their toils and sacrifice, in the battle of truth against error. "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; if it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they had swallowed us up quick."
The Reasons Why.
By Editor
It is expected on the appearance of a new religious paper, that some good reasons will be given why it should be published. The Signs of the Times does not make its appearance because the cause it designs to serve has not a good paper. We regard the Review and Herald, published at Battle Creek, Mich., as the best religious periodical in our country, and every way adapted to serve the cause to which it is devoted. Neither are we prompted in the publication of this sheet by sectional or party feelings, or by personal ambition. But from a settled conviction that the cause of unpopular Bible truth west of the plains demands it, we engage in the enterprise of establishing an office of publication upon the Pacific coast. We solemnly believe that the time has come, and offer the following reasons:
1. Judging from the nature of our message and mission, and the prosperity that has attended the cause, we shall soon be a strong people upon the Pacific coast, with sufficient patronage to fully sustain an office of publication. And in view of the shortness of time, and the great and rapid work to be done, we decide that it is high time to commence the work. It will be far the safer course to have an early and small beginning, that the growth may be more gradual and permanent.
2. It will greatly facilitate the cause in the Pacific coast States and Territories to have a general depot of all our publications at the office of the Signs of the Times, where they can be readily obtained by mail, or otherwise, instead of the delays attendant upon ordering them from the general office at Battle Creek.
3. The cause in this extensive and new field has greatly suffered for want of a local medium through which to give appointments of conferences, the annual camp-meeting, and quarterly and special meetings. It requires from three to eight weeks for our missionaries and leading men upon this coast to communicate with our people through the Battle Creek press. Therefore, most appointments for the past five years have been made by letter writing, which is at least fifty years behind the present age.
4. Our fields of operation as a people, are becoming so numerous and wide that there is hardly room in our Battle Creek paper to give appointments that prominence and space they require. Instead of the next annual camp-meeting of the California State Conference being noticed, necessarily, in a few lines of fine print, in the few copies of the Review and Herald which cross the plains, prominence and space can be given to it in thousands of copies of the Signs of the Times circulating through the State, which will greatly increase the attendance. By the grace of God there is earnest talent in the ministry on the Pacific, and a good degree of devotion to the cause with our people generally. And the magnitude of the work, and the importance of the hour, demands that all should labor to the best advantage possible.
Christian Recreation.
By Ellen G. White
By Mrs. E. G. White.
Christian should be the most cheerful and happy people that live. They may have the consciousness that God is their father and their everlasting friend. But many professed Christians do not correctly represent the Christian religion. They appear gloomy, as if under a cloud. They often speak of the great sacrifices they have made to become Christians. They appeal to those who have not accepted Christ, representing by their own example and conversation that they must give up everything which would make life pleasant and joyful. They throw a pall of darkness over the blessed Christian hope. And the impression is given that God's requirements are a burden, even to the willing soul, and that everything that would give pleasure, or that would delight the taste, must be sacrificed. We do not hesitate to say that this class have not the genuine article.
God is love. Whoso dwelleth in God, dwelleth in love. All who have indeed become acquainted by experimental knowledge, with the love and tender compassion of our Heavenly Father will impart light and joy wherever they may be. Their presence and influence will be to their associates as the fragrance of sweet flowers, because they are linked to God and Heaven, and the purity and exalted loveliness of Heaven are communicated through them to all that are brought within their influence. This constitutes them the light of the world, the salt of the earth. They are indeed savors of life unto life, but not of death unto death.
It is the privilege and duty of Christians to seek to refresh their spirits and invigorate their bodies by innocent recreation, with the purpose of using their physical and mental powers to the glory of God. Our recreation should not be scenes of senseless mirth. We can conduct them in such a manner as will benefit and elevate those with whom we associate, and better qualify us and them to more successfully attend to the duties devolving upon us as Christians. We cannot be excusable in the sight of God if we engage in amusements which have a tendency to unfit us for the faithful performance of the ordinary duties of life, and thus lessen our relish for the contemplation of God and heavenly things. The religion of Christ is cheering and elevating in its influence. It is above everything like foolish jesting and joking, vain and frivolous chit-chat. In all our seasons of recreation we may gather from the Divine Source of strength fresh courage and power, that we may the more successfully elevate our lives to purity, true goodness, and holiness.
Even the great God is a lover of the beautiful. He has given us unmistakable evidence of this in the work of his hands. He planted for our first parents a beautiful garden in Eden. Stately trees were caused to grow out of the ground, of every description for usefulness and ornament. Beautiful flowers were formed, of rare loveliness, of every tint and hue perfuming the air. The merry songsters of varied plumage, caroled forth their joyous songs to the praise of their Creator. It was the design of God that man should find happiness in the employment of tending the things he had created, and that his wants should be met with the fruits of the trees of the garden.
God, who made the Eden home of our first parents so surpassingly lovely, has also given the noble trees, the beautiful flowers, and everything lovely in nature for our happiness. He has given us these tokens of his love, that we may have correct views of his character. He has implanted in the hearts of his children the love of the beautiful. But by many this love has been perverted. The benefits and beauties which God has bestowed upon us have been worshipped; while the glorious Giver has been forgotten. This is stupid ingratitude. We should acknowledge the love of God to us in all his creative works, and our heart should respond to these evidences of his love by giving him the heart's best and holiest affections.
God has surrounded us with nature's beautiful scenery to attract and interest the mind. It is his design that we should associate the glories of nature with his character. If we faithfully study the book of nature, we shall find it a fruitful source for contemplating the infinite love and power of God.
Many extol artistic skill which will produce lovely paintings upon canvas. All the powers of the being are by many devoted to art, yet how far short these come of the natural. Art can never attain to the perfection seen in nature. Many professed Christians will go into ecstasy over the painting of an evening sunset. They worship the skill of the artist; but they pass by with indifference the actual glorious sunset which it is their privilege to look upon every cloudless evening. Where does the artist obtain his design? From nature. The great Master Artist has painted upon heaven's shifting, changing canvas the glories of the setting sun. He has tinted and gilded the heavens with gold, silver and crimson, as though the portals of high heaven were thrown open, that we might view its gleamings and our imagination take hold of the glory within. Many turn carelessly from this heavenly wrought picture. They fail to trace the infinite love and power of God in the surpassing beauties seen in the heavens, but are almost entranced as they view and worship the imperfect paintings, in imitation of the Master Artist.
The Redeemer of the world generally chose the open air in which to give his lessons of instruction, rather than to be inclosed in walls. He could make his teachings more impressive when surrounded with the beauties of nature. He chose the groves and the sea-side where he could have a commanding view of landscape and varied scenery, that he might illustrate important truths of the kingdom of God, by the works of God in nature. He made use of the birds caroling forth their songs without a care, and the lilies of the valley in their beauty, outrivaling Solomon in all his glory, the lily, emblem of purity, reposing on the bosom of the lake, the lofty trees, the cultivated lauds, the waving grain, the barren soil, the tree that bore no fruit, the everlasting hills, the babbling stream, the setting sun, tinting and gilding the heavens to impress his hearers with divine truth.
He connected the work of God's fingers in the heavens and upon the earth, with the words of life he wished to impress upon their minds, that as they should look upon the wonderful works of God in nature his lessons would be fresh in their memories. He could extol the wisdom of God in his creative works, and could bind up his sacred lessons by directing their minds through nature up to nature's God. The landscape, the trees, the birds, the flowers of the valley, the hills, the lake, and the beautiful heavens, were associated in their minds with sacred truths, which would make them hallowed in memory, as they should look upon them after Christ's ascension to Heaven.
As we are attracted to the beautiful in nature, and associate the things which God has created for the happiness of man with his character, we will regard God as a tender, loving Father, rather than merely a stern judge. As the character of God thus bears the aspect of love, benevolence, beauty and attraction, the mind is drawn to him. The heart is quickened, and throbs with new and deeper love, mingled with awe and reverence, as we contemplate God in nature.
The Present Truth.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
TEXT: Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them and be established in the present truth. 2 Pet. 1:12.
The Apostle here speaks of "the present truth." There are some truths which have an especial application at one time, which do not apply at another. These truths, when applicable, are so important that a man's salvation depends upon receiving them. Such truths as that there is a living God, that man is a sinner, that he must be saved through faith, repentance, &c., are always equally true and important. But not so of other truths.
For instance: God gave Noah a special message to the ante-deluvians. The Lord was in that message. While Noah was preaching it, that was present truth to the ante-deluvians. It was the important truth for that age. Those who rejected it were lost. Those who rejected, or even neglected Noah's message could not have the favor of God. None will dispute this. But now suppose that for a hundred years after the flood was over, Noah had kept on preaching precisely what he had for a hundred years before the flood, would that have been true then? Certainly not. It would have been entirely out of place, and had no relevancy whatever. Indeed, it would have been a falsehood. So we see that in this case what was important present truth at one time, was not at all applicable at any other time.
This has frequently been the case in the history of the church. We might sight many examples, but will give only one more. It is the case of John the Baptist. God especially raised him up to go before and herald in the coming of the Messiah. He had an especial message from Heaven to that generation. Could men neglect, or reject his message and still have the blessing of God? We know that they would not, for Jesus himself said that the Pharisees rejected the counsel of God against their own souls, in not being baptized by John, while the publicans and harlots justified God by believing John. Luke 7:29.
While John was preaching his message, it was the present truth for that time. Now suppose the same message precisely had been preached a hundred years after Christ's time, would it have been true? Certainly not. Or, if it had been preached a hundred years before that time, it would have been false; for the Messiah was not at hand. The same remarks are applicable to the time of Moses, the time of Lot, the time of Jonah, and to many other similar periods.
Every generation has its special duties and dangers, and God gives each age especial light and warning, adapted to that time. This light and warning must be heeded in order to secure the favor of God. This is what we understand by present truth. It is that special truth which is adapted to our time and no other.
These remarks are designed to show the necessity of heeding the proclamation of the second advent which is now being given. Many persons reason like this: "Granting that the coming of the Lord is at hand, what difference does it make whether we believe it or not, provided we are prepared for death? If we only believe in Christ, is not that sufficient?" To many this seems to be sound logic. But we are prepared to show that it is not.
What is the faith which God accepts? Is it simply a historical faith in God's work in the past? Many seem to entertain no higher ideas of faith than this. But this is a fatal mistake. A glance at God's dealings with the people in the past will settle this.
In the time of Noah, his message was generally rejected by that generation, and he was set down as a false teacher. But passing down a few generations to Moses' time, all men had come to believe and acknowledged that Noah's work was of God. Now the Lord raises up Moses to do his especial work for that age, different from that of Noah's. But many doubted Moses' mission, and rejected his work. Korah, Dathan, and Abiran, and two hundred and fifty persons, with many of the people, rebelled against Moses. See Numbers 16. Had these men been asked if they believed that Noah's work was of God, they would all unhesitatingly have said, Yes. But when they came to God's work in their own day, they did not believe that, and for this unbelief they were destroyed.
Passing on a few ages to Elijah's time, and all Israel had come to acknowledge Moses and his work as from Heaven. They were all very zealous in asserting their faith in him. Now God sends Elijah, another messenger, to them with a message of warning, especially adapted to their time. Him they held in doubt, and finally reject. They had great faith in God's work in the past, but none at all in his work in their own time.
So it was in the cases of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and nearly all the rest of God's servants. Nearly every one of them were martyred by the people to whom they brought their messages. But after they were dead, and that generation had passed away, everybody came to see and acknowledge that these men were the messengers of God. Then the children of those who had put them to death, would go and gather their bones, build them tombs, garnish their sepulchres, weep over their memories, and hold them in great esteem.
Listen to what Christ said with regard to this: "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, If we have been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets." Matt. 23:29, 30.
Probably our Lord was passing by, and saw them adorning the tombs of the old martyrs, planting evergreens, and shedding tears over the memory of their suffering. It seems, from his language, that if they were talking among themselves, stating that if they had lived in the days of these prophets, they would not have persecuted them as did their fathers; but would have obeyed their warnings. Doubtless, they thought so; but now notice the remarkable fact that these very men turn right around from the sepulchres of the martyrs, and kill the Son of God himself! They had great faith in all of God's servants, and their work in their own time. They could not talk too strongly concerning them. But when it came to the special work of God, in their own time, to the present truth which was applicable, and important for them to have faith in, they had no faith in it.
Will the reader carefully consider this question? Could their faith in God's work in the past save them, while they rejected what he was doing in their own time? Certainly it could not. Faith, then, is not simply a belief in what God has done; but it is confidence in what God is doing in our own time. Let us look at the reason of this.
After the battle for truth has been fought, the victory won, and the case decided, then it is a very easy matter to stand up for the victorious party, because it involves no risks, and requires no sacrifices. For instance, in the days of Elijah, if any man was known to favor him, he was hunted like a wild beast, and put to death. See 1 Kings 18:1-13. But in the time of Christ, the tide had turned. Everybody acknowledged Elijah as a man of God. Then a man could confess faith in Elijah and not imperil his life, or his worldly prospects. Indeed, it required no sacrifice whatever on his part, to make this confession. But let him confess that he believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah who was to come, and he would immediately be cast out of the synagogue.
Dear reader, please carefully consider the principle here involved, viz: That it seldom requires sacrifices to confess God's work which has already been accomplished in other ages, while it invariably requires the greatest sacrifice to confess and support the work of God at the time it is being done. Where will you find an exception to this?
The faith, then, which God accepts, is not simply a belief of what God has done in other ages: but it is more especially and emphatically faith in what God is doing in our own time.
We earnestly entreat the reader to carefully inquire what the signs of the times are; and what God's especial work is in our time. We solemnly believe that the last message of warning is now being heralded to the world, and that the scenes of the judgment are right upon us. If these things are so, it is of the greatest importance that you give heed to them. May the Lord help you to discern the signs of the times, and obey the present truth.