A GOOD SABBATH | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Tuesday, January 6, 1885

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 62, No. 1

A GOOD SABBATH.

The last Sabbath of 1884 was a good day for the church in Battle Creek. Eld. Littlejohn spoke in the forenoon on the subject of a Sabbath reform predicted for the last days. He referred to twelve distinct prophecies which point out a law movement to be accomplished in the last generation, and then showed that any movement in behalf of the law, in Christendom at the present time must eventuate in a Sabbath reform. Facts were then presented to show how plainly these prophecies are now being fulfilled, and a vivid picture was drawn of the contrast between the faith by which we were obliged to walk out wholly in the commencement of the message over thirty years ago, and the sight by which we are able to walk to-day. The predicted reform is already far advanced, and the last days are indeed here.

In the afternoon Eld. Waggoner spoke on 1 Tim. 4:15. This was Eld. W.'s last Sabbath with us before his departure for California, and although the weather changed after the forenoon service to be exceedingly unfavorable, the congregation was nearly as large as in the morning, filling the main auditorium and a large portion of the gallery.

The discourse fitted well to that of the forenoon. The speaker dwelt upon the necessity of meditating upon the truth and being profited by it. The truth is made so plain upon tables (prophetic and law charts) Hab. 2:2, that a man—not, “may read it while running,” as the text is so commonly erroneously interpreted, but—“may run that readeth it,” that is, may go forth with haste as soon as he reads it, to make it known to others. It is so plain and important that a man really believing it cannot still go on in his ordinary manner, but must run to warn his fellow-men. This is a prophecy respecting the second advent of Christ; for Paul so applies it in Heb. 10:37, 38. Isa. 30:8–11 was referred to as pointing out the same movement; and it was shown how modern professors are endeavoring to “cause the Holy One of Israel to cease” from before them by taking him out of the fourth commandment, and putting the Jew in his place, calling that Sabbath “the old Jewish Sabbath,” which Jehovah says is “the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Fearful liberty to take with the law of the great Jehovah!

Alluding to Heb. 10:25, it was shown how, by startling events in whatever direction we may look, we see the day approaching. The discourse had the true advent ring in it. It seemed to be given in obedience clearly to the prophetic injunction (Joel 2:1), to blow the trumpet and sound an alarm as the day of the Lord is drawing nigh. He who could listen to it unmoved, must be unfeeling indeed. While we rejoice in so clear a truth, let us pray that the Lord will give more of his servants to so feel its power as to be able to impress the hearts of others therewith; and that he may render the hearts of all his people susceptible to the impressions which the truth is calculated to make.

The words of the day were good words: and we felt some as we may imagine the Gentiles felt (Acts. 13:42) when they besought Paul that the same words might be preached to them the next Sabbath day. The Lord give us to hear many more such words as these.