UNITY AND HARMONY CHARACTERIZE THE WORK OF GOD by Roswell F. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Tuesday, November 18, 1884

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 61, No. 46

UNITY AND HARMONY CHARACTERIZE THE WORK OF GOD

By Roswell F. Cottrell

THERE is harmony in all the work of God. What he has promised, he is sure to perform; and the work which he begins is sure to move onward to its completion. He chooses human instruments through which to carry forward his work, and always sustains the instruments of his choice as long as he sees best to use them. And if a change becomes necessary, it is made in a way to preserve the unity and harmony of the work. His work is never reversed or revolutionized in its course. No faction can arise and succeed in giving a new shape or direction to the work. Rebellions may arise in the camp, but they will always fail to establish a new lead. The rebellion will fail, and the work will move on. Being the work of the Lord, and not of men, he will preserve its unity and harmony to the end.

The work of God in leading Israel from Egypt to Canaan furnishes a good illustration of this subject. God had promised Abraham to do this more than four hundred years before; therefore it was a special work to fulfill the promise. But the Lord chose human instruments through which to accomplish the work. He chose Moses and Aaron as leaders of the people, not because they were infallible; for their fallibility was manifested, and the facts are on record for our learning. Rebellious factions did arise; but God did not suffer them to overthrow his established order and change the course of events. Even Aaron himself was implicated in one of them; but by God’s mercy he was restored to favor, in answer to his prayer and by a frank confession of his sin. But the most noted rebellion, that of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, was of such a nature and magnitude that God interposed in speedy judgment, and put it down by a special and astonishing miracle: “The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. And a fire was kindled in their company, the flame burned up the wicked.” The work remained on its original basis. It was not subverted at all. God still stood by his chosen instruments till he saw best for them to lay down their work. And when Aaron was to die, a successor was provided. The garments of the high priest were put upon his son Eleazer. So also when Moses was about to die, he prayed God to “set a man over the congregation.” Accordingly the Lord chose Joshua to take the place; and Moses laid his hands upon him and gave him a charge; and thus the work moved on in unity and harmony. There was no break in it from the time they left Egypt till the tribes of Israel were settled in the promised land.

Now let us make an application of these known principles to the work of God in our own time. About eighteen hundred years ago God promised by his servant John certain special warnings or messages of truth, to be proclaimed in the world as the closing work of the gospel of salvation, and for the preparation of the living saints for translation at the coming of the Son of man. Rev. 14: 6-14.

These messages have been announced in the given order; and the third and last has been on its way for nearly forty years. When I received it thirty-three years ago, I “received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God.” There is no other consistent way of receiving it; for if it is not the word and work of God, it is a base counterfeit, and should be rejected. It has every appearance, however, of a work of God; and the evidences of the truth of our position are accumulating continually as time passes on. Being a work of God, nothing can defeat it, or turn it from its destined course, as designed in the prophecy, nor revolutionize it, and thus destroy its unity. It will go steadfastly onward without a break, until its work is accomplished.

At several points in the brief history of this work, fanatical and factious ones, who claimed a part with us in the work, have attempted to correct the work and improve the plan of operation, by substituting other instrumentalities for those already in the work. They were evidently moved by the same motives which actuated Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; that is, to assume the leadership, and correct what they claimed to be errors and abuses. But each instance of rebellion has proved a failure. The cause has not suffered, but has been relieved, by their departure. The words of Gamaliel have proved true in each case: “If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought.” These factions have come to nought; while the message from Heaven has moved on without interruption, its divine origin becoming more and more apparent from the fact that it cannot be overthrown.

As it has been in the past, so it may be in the future. Other factions and fanaticisms may arise, designed by Satan to impede the work, and bring our cause and name into disrepute. I write this for the benefit of honest souls who may not be aware of Satan’s devices. If the work in which we are engaged be the work of the Lord, of which I have no doubt, no attempt against it can prosper. Any faction which steps out and takes a lead against the united wisdom of the body, is not of God; and to join such a faction is to fall into the ranks of the enemy, and to be found fighting against God.

In conclusion, I would express my gratitude to God for the unity of the work in which we are engaged. The work is one in all the world—throughout the United States, the countries of the old world, and the islands of the sea. I do thank God for this seal of the genuineness of the work. The evident design of the third angel’s message is to bring the remnant of God’s people into that state of unity for which Jesus prayed. And he has given to his chosen servants that measure of wisdom and discernment in organizing the work and providing for its increase in all the world, which has secured this result in all nations where the truth has gone or may go. Jesus will return to a united church—such as he left on earth when he ascended to heaven. None have claimed infallibility. None have assumed the leadership of God’s heritage. The Lord has done the work in fulfillment of his word of promise; and he will finish it gloriously. Unity and harmony will still be more and more its characteristics, till it ends in the preparation of God’s people in the finishing touch of immortality, and translation to those mansions which Jesus has gone to prepare. The highest aspiration of the writer is to have some part in the work, be it ever so humble, to the end of the work, or to the end of life. This request being granted, the eternal future is safe.

R. F. COTTRELL.