Earlier text: CONDEMNATION OF JESUSImportance of the Advent Doctrine.
By George I. Butler
THE soon coming of Christ is the central truth of our theory. Without this the rest lose vitality and importance. Just in the same ratio that we put off, and lose sight of, this great truth, shall we be lax and careless in other things, and take the position of nominalists around us; and just in proportion as we value it, and appreciate its nearness, are we enabled to overcome and retain a zeal commensurate with the importance of the great truths held by our people. All can see that if this be so, we should cherish above all things an interest in it. Do we not find it a part of our experience as a people and as individuals. It is impossible in the nature of things but that we should feel a greater interest in the world and its concerns when we think we are going to live the natural length of our lives, and leave children to be cared for and who will need the benefit of our labors, than we should if we had no such expectations and thought that all earthly scenes would close up, and we should face eternal realities after a few more rising suns had passed over us. We value these earthly blessings because we hope to use them hereafter, or that others dear to us may. Nature has made the instinct of self-preservation one of the strongest within us; and let the mind be brought fully to believe that not earthly riches, but heavenly, will soon be called into requisition, and depend upon it they will seek the one, and lose interest in the other. Among the special sins of the last days we find that "covetousness" and selfishness occupy a prominent position. How plain that a belief in the nearness of Christ's coming is just the thing to uproot these sins. As it is with worldliness, so with other sins of a personal nature. It takes but a moment's glance to see that the Advent doctrine is the very marrow of the truths held by us. Our views of the sanctuary subject could easily be shown to be false if the coming of Christ be not near. The messages as taught by us are a terrible deception, if the Advent doctrine be not true. So of the two-horned beast, the mark and the seal, and all our expositions of prophecy. In fact, we are the most deceived people on earth if the coming of the Son of man is not near. The Sabbath and law, some may think, are important exceptions. To be sure, the views we hold in reference to them have always been true. But is it not true that these are made especially important when we consider the Sabbath reform, the burden of the third angel's message, a work of preparation for Christ's coming, as a part of a great reform bringing back religious truth to apostolic teachings? and as the culmination of the work of reform commenced centuries ago from papal apostasy, to bring up God's law to its proper position preparatory to meeting the Lawgiver? This work we believe is brought to view in the message as the last work of God's people; but if the Advent of Christ be not very near, we are all mistaken in this. And is not the fact which is patent to us all, of thousands of Sabbath-keepers, made such by the proclamation of this message, a strong assurance of God's pleasure in the work and his approbation of the means used for its furtherance? Can it be he would especially bless error, and give more true zeal and spiritual energy, and more of success, to those who use error as an auxiliary in sending the truth to the people than to those who use only unadulterated truth? We think not. And yet, such must be the case, unless the special power given through the Advent doctrine, be of him. I believe we all know that, take the Advent doctrine away from its connection with the Sabbath question, we should soon lose our zeal, at least to an important degree, in the propagation of the other. And it was by means of the messages and the sanctuary question, as connected with the advent doctrine, that we as a people became acquainted with the Sabbath question. Thus it is seen in nearly all the peculiar doctrines we hold, that the doctrine of the near coming of Christ is the main support. If that falls, the others go with it. It becomes then very important to investigate the claims of this question, and for every one of us to be established in it. I do not propose in this article to go into a particular examination of the evidences upon which it rests, but simply to take a glance at some of them. Any student of the Scriptures must admit the existence of chains of prophecy, commencing back in the remote past and reaching down to the coming of Christ, the judgment, and the establishment of God's kingdom. Where are we in the history of the world as thus given in advance of the prophets? Can any one have a doubt that, in Dan. 2, the four great kingdoms of the world are symbolized by the four parts of the image, and the kingdoms of Europe by the ten toes? Is it not a fact that the great Roman empire, the fourth in order, was divided up by the barbarians of Northern Europe, from which have come all these modern kingdoms? Have we not, then, been living in the very last division represented as preceding the fifth kingdom so long that we must be near the setting up of the latter? In the seventh chapter we have the same number of kingdoms introduced by the symbolic beasts with so many marks of identity that all must admit that they refer to the same general events as Dan. 2. But we have, in the fourth symbol, a new phase introduced—the little horn speaking great words against God and wearing out his saints. Can there be a doubt in the mind of any one who has investigated this subject that this power is the Catholic church under the lead of the pope, who was made head over the churches in 538, and that the "time, times, and dividing of time" of his duration, twelve hundred and sixty years, commenced at the above named period and ended in 1798, when he was carried into captivity by the French? Then it is said of him, "The judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it unto the end." We take Matt. 24, one of the plainest prophecies in the Bible, and trace it down through the persecutions of the church to the signs, the darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars. All these have met an ample fulfillment in the events to which Adventists apply them. At this very point, after the fulfillment of these signs, he says, "When ye shall see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors." It is not guess work. We have the authority of our Lord himself that we can know in reference to this with the certainty we can know when summer is coming by the trees putting forth their leaves; and we can judge of the degree of nearness; it is as if a man stood by the door ready to enter. "This generation," says Jesus, "shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Could anything be made more positive? How close these words bring us to this great event. The heavens shall soon open and reveal the Son of God. So of all the signs given in the book of God. We read the description, and look around us and see them here. Was the last age to be one of darkness or light? The prophet says in the "time of the end, knowledge shall be increased." It is curious that the conclusions of learned men should be so different from those of the Bible. The very thing which causes the wise of earth to think we are in the infancy of the race, should cause the child of God to feel sure we are at its close. The last age is to be an intellectual age. How reasonable that the Governor of the world should have such a state of things when his message of warning was to go forth, so that all will be left without excuse. The Bible in the hands of all, the intellect active, ways of communications between nations open, and flooded with travelers. The conditions are just such as the prophet said they would be. But how with the religious world? Will they all believe it near at hand? No. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be when the Son of man cometh. Evil servants shall say, My Lord delayeth his coming. Scoffers shall say, Where is the promise of his coming? All things are going on finely as usual. A worldly church should be cherishing the vain hope of converting the world. The pleasing song of peace and safety should be heard in all directions. The work of satanic spirits working miracles should be seen all around. Convulsions in the earth, fearful sights in heaven, commotions in the sea, covetousness in the church and world, and spiritual apathy everywhere. Are not these the conditions laid down in the prophets? And who will dare deny that these are everywhere manifest? Yes, the Lord is coming. The great day is near and hasteth greatly. The last warning message is going to the world. Have we any reason to put off the time into the indefinite future, and lay plans for money-making, farms for our children, a goodly amount of this world's goods for old age, when Christ says himself that he stands at the door. Think of it, dear reader—at the door, ready to enter. Yes, we are in the waiting time and the position is a trying one. "Here is the patience of the saints." Patience is not a pleasant plant to cultivate; but the fruit is precious. How many of us shall gather the fruit is a question of importance. Yes, the glorious Advent doctrine is what we all need. What life it would put into us, with what unction we could preach, how small this poor world would look, if we felt its nearness! How it would lessen our regard for the good opinions of poor humanity! How it would help us to bear some crosses we have to carry, could we feel in our hearts that Jesus was even at the door! Such truly is the case. He says just so. Shall we believe it! Our actions will show. It seems difficult to make people believe it enough to affect their actions. And I am fearful that many in their hearts are putting it off, so that it seems farther away than when they first believed. Fearful state! "Now the just shall live by faith." When? In the time of this patience. Let us believe it; and while we pray, Come Lord Jesus and come quickly, let us believe that his coming is near and hasteth greatly.
GEO. I. BUTLER. Fear God and Work Righteousness
FEAR God and work righteousness. Gravity and Sobriety.
By Joseph Clarke
“THAT the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in the faith, in charity, in patience.” Titus 2:2. We delight in consistency and beauty. We like to see everything in its place. Order is the first law of heaven. And, as in a picture, or in genuine landscape, we love a proper grouping of objects, so in individual character we want to see no vices marring the fair picture. In the buffoon we excuse lightness, for it is his business, and we expect it from him, and shun his company; but in the good man, whether young or old, we look for sobriety. In the old, lightness is inexcusable and disgusting; and in the Christian, be he young or old, a spirit of levity is at direct enmity with the work of God; and the more elevated the person in mind, in piety, or position, the more injurious is this vicious propensity. The writer of this has had a long warfare with this sin, this foe to grace; and it is his encouraging experience that a cheerful state of mind, when properly kept in bounds, and restrained from an outburst of levity and folly, may conduce to advancement in the Christian life, and instead of expending itself in the devil’s seething kettle of levity, it may be like a reservoir of lively thought on useful topics, and thus tend to the happiness of himself and others; while giving way to levity only leaves one despondent, and forsaken, and gloomy, until the spirits have time to recover. “Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.” Titus 2:6. But we should not be discouraged, if we find this a hard sin to get rid of, but persevere in opposing it. Lay it aside. What makes it harder to resist is that so many laugh at the silly jest. But I hope you will not laugh again at the jester; for if you even smile at his folly, you become a partaker in his sin, and help to rivet the habit upon him. As Jesus wept for sinners, so we should weep when we see any one sinning against God, and especially our brethren. Therefore if there is ever a time to look down sin and frown it out of the sinner, it is when a good man jests. Be you ever so much tempted, do not even smile: This will be a severe rebuke, and will do more to convict him, probably, than many words. If you laugh at the jest, you may spare rebuke, for you would but stultify yourself. "Glorify the Lord in the Fires."
AMONG the many illustrations of Scripture which Whitefield often introduced into his sermons, one is truly worthy of record. Preaching from the words, "Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires," Isa. 24:15, he says: "When I was some years ago at Shields, I went into a glass house, and standing very attentively, I saw several masses of burning glass of various forms. The workmen took one piece of glass and put it into one furnace, then he put it into a second, and then into a third. I asked him: 'Why do you put that into so many fires?' He answered me: 'O sir, the first is not hot enough, nor the second, and therefore we put it into the third, and that will make it transparent.' 'Oh!' thought I, 'does this man put this glass into one furnace after another, that it may be rendered perfect?' O my God, put me into one furnace after another, that my soul may be transparent, that I may see God as he is." Foreign Mission.
By James White
ELDER S. N. HASKELL gives information in reference to the work in Italy and in Egypt which is of the deepest interest. The way seems fully open for Dr. Ribton of Naples, Italy, to spread the present truth in those countries. Nothing can more fully confirm our brethren that the present movement relative to the third message is of God than the fact that the way is opening for its proclamation. That which constitutes a sign of the times must be a matter of prophecy. When such prophecies are fulfilled and fulfilling, we have the signs before us which constitute a strong evidence that we have the truth. And there is no sign so calculated to strengthen the waiting people of God as the present progress of the third message. Wars, famines, and pestilences are given as signs of the end; but as these have existed all along they cannot constitute a definite sign. In the history of the past, we have wars and rumors of wars, and then peace; famine, and then plenty; pestilence, and then general health; earthquakes, and then the bowels of the earth seem to be quiet. These are growing more frequent, and as they gradually increase will be strong evidence of the comparative nearness of the end. But the third message is given but once. It is the last message. The preparatory work of the loud cry of the message when the work will be cut short in righteousness has now been in progress more than thirty years. The Lord has led his people out on the subject of organization, systematic benevolence for the support of the ministry and the advancement of his cause, and through the spirit of prophecy has brought his people into such harmony and unity of action that the Lord can finish this great work, with even humble instruments, in a short time. In behalf of the Seventh-day Adventists of America, we say to Elders Andrews, Bourdeau, Ertzenberger, Ribton, and others, Be of good cheer. You have the warmest sympathy of your American brethren. You have their prayers; and let them, from every land, go up in faith and unity to the throne of grace, that success may attend our efforts. And while we pray, let us act the part that God would have us act in the answer of our own prayers. This great work will require not only men of means, but men who will study to show themselves approved of God, workmen that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, men of energy who can risk their lives, men who give all, and can say as Paul has said, "I die daily." And while such men shall take their lives in their hands and go forth to their last reaping, those who have the means to put the truths of the message in print, should cheerfully give of their money to support the cause. We have made an appeal for ten thousand dollars to support our missions in Europe besides the ten thousand already raised to establish the press in Switzerland. A portion of the ten thousand has been pledged and a few hundreds have been paid. We pledged for Mrs. White and self five hundred dollars during the present year. We now raise that pledge to one thousand dollars. We have paid two hundred, and by the very first mail we send one hundred dollars more to Elder Andrews, to be forwarded to Brother Ribton to give him immediate assistance in his present work. The missionary fields are opening everywhere. If those who manage these missions could command one hundred thousand dollars, it could at once be appropriated to the advancement of the cause. May God move upon the hearts of those brethren who have a surplus. Some have been talking of waiting until the "selling time" should come. We would say to such, That time has come. In a little from this those who refuse the mark of the beast cannot buy nor sell. Then the gold and silver of those who withhold it now will in anguish be thrown into the streets; but neither their gold nor their silver will be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's fierce anger. Now is the time to work for God; and no one need to wait for any further light or any further appeal to their liberality only as the wants of the present message are appealing to them at the present time.
J. W. Things in Europe.
By John Nevins Andrews
THE situation of the people of Europe, so far as my observation has extended, is by no means favorable for the reception of the truth. The prevalence of false ideas concerning our duty toward God is something alarming. Those who profess to be Christians seem to be lulled into the most profound slumber. Many, perhaps the great majority, believe that they are certain of eternal life because they have become members of the church. They have no definite idea of conversion; for they came into the church by infant baptism and by confirmation, but, being in the church, they have no doubt but they are Christians, and they are sure that no Christian can ever be lost. If there are any who do not cherish this idea of the impossibility of apostasy, they hold other ideas that are equally well adapted to cause them to sleep. They believe that faith in Christ is the only thing necessary for salvation, and that if any one insists on the necessity of good works, that person does not trust in Christ for salvation. We have only to believe that Christ died for our sins and to trust in him, and we are sure of eternal life. And so obedience is never insisted upon. On the contrary, it is taught that grace saves those that believe and do not obey; while those that obey are not the subjects of grace, but the slaves of the law. Then they have equally false ideas of the day of judgment. Instead of being regarded as the day in which God will reward or punish every one according to his works, it is, in the general estimation, the brightest period in the history of the gospel. The work of evangelizing the world will be mainly accomplished after Christ returns. I think there is very little opposition to the doctrine of the near advent of Christ. In fact, the doctrine that Christ will soon come is prevalent. But Satan has been able to pervert this doctrine to such an extent that it lulls men to sleep in sin, instead of arousing them to repentance. When our brethren in America preach the truth, or when they distribute publications, they find some degree of preparation on the part of the people to receive their teachings. The necessity of obedience on the part of those that believe in Christ is very generally understood. Also in America men understand that there is no time for repentance after the Son of God descends to execute the judgment. Here we labor under great disadvantage on account of the prevalence of such ideas as render men quite incapable of receiving the truth. This profound sleep of death is the result of unfaithfulness and false teaching on the part of the ministers. They never reprove in their discourses, and because people have never received reproof they are wholly unprepared to receive it. They can hardly distinguish between reproof and insult. A Swiss minister, writing against our paper, says that we deny salvation by Christ, because we teach that obedience must be added to faith in Christ. A French minister who has written a pamphlet against our doctrine makes a special point against us because we teach that men must "overcome their sins." He is shocked at the idea, and says that we destroy "the peaceable repose of good Christians" by this most unwelcome declaration. These things are painful to mention, but they do not discourage us. They are serious hindrances, but they are not insurmountable difficulties. There is power in the truth of God to overcome error. The light can shine in the midst of dense darkness. If it is caused to shine in the darkness, it will prevail against the darkness. Our paper does exert an influence which causes it to be feared by our enemies. The religious journals warn their readers against our paper and our publications. To do it they resort to misrepresentation and ridicule. Two things are evident: 1. That they fear the influence of our publications; 2. That they cannot give them a fair and reasonable answer. "The peaceable repose" of these sleeping ministers begins to be rudely disturbed, and they are much troubled for fear that their best members will leave them. The fear is well founded, and will be realized. We have now such helpers at Bâle as render it possible for me to be absent nearly all the time. The past six weeks I have given to the tract and missionary work among the churches. I think that our friends will persevere in this work with zeal and with judgment. Everything has that appearance now. They are very much encouraged, and have made a good commencement. If the work is carried forward as it is begun, it will cause a large number of publications to be scattered over Europe, and it will extend the circulation of our paper. As soon as I have finished this effort among the brethren, which will be in a few days, I hope to join Brother Bourdeau in a new field of labor. There came to our meeting in this place last Sabbath, from an adjacent village, a teacher and his wife and another lady. These persons have been reading our paper for some time, and are convinced that it publishes the truth. The teacher and his wife each understand four or five of the languages of Europe. They do not appear to know anything of Christian experience, but are so fully convinced of the truth that they are talking seriously of obeying. The lady who accompanied them seems to be a real Christian, and she has already begun to keep the Sabbath. So far as I know, in every place where our paper has been read for any length of time, it has not failed to convince its readers that it publishes the truth. In the first volume of our paper there was a discussion on the subject of the Sabbath with M. Corcode, a Baptist minister at Rome. This was read by Brother Bertola at Alexandria, Egypt, and convinced him of the truth of the Sabbath. He gave us the address of a number of persons at Alexandria and Cairo. We have been sending them the paper, and Brother Bertola, who is a commercial traveling agent, has preached to them occasionally. Now there are twelve or thirteen in each of these cities who have decided in favor of the fourth commandment, and who have addressed to Brother Ribton an earnest entreaty that he will come and preach to them concerning the Sabbath, and the near advent of Christ. A considerable number of persons at Alexandria, who have not yet decided in favor of the Sabbath, have decided, from our publications, that the coming of Christ is at hand. It seems that something should be done immediately for these persons. Brother Bourdeau has made a visit at Valence to encourage our friends there. He has also spent some time in a new field, near Lyons, with Brother Gabert. There are a few persons in this place who are keeping the Sabbath. Sister Bourdeau is gradually recovering from her dangerous sickness. Brother B. will immediately commence in a new field in Southern Switzerland, and I hope to join him after a few days. I shall try to do my writing and proof-reading while thus at work with Brother B. Brother Ertzenberger has given much time for some months past to the revision of our German publications, and we have now nearly finished the printing of his entire list of fifteen different tracts. This gives him a good assortment for a new field. He has done much to instruct and establish the churches at Vohwinkel and Solingen, and they will be able to prosper in his absence. He has now removed from them to a new field of labor, but I have no news of his present location. Brother Ings has gone to labor for a time among his relatives in England. We are grateful for the deep interest manifested by our friends in America for our work in Europe. I have sought in this letter to give as just an idea as possible of the condition of things in this part of the world. I can assure our brethren that we are laboring earnestly to bring the truth to the knowledge of our fellowmen. It can be seen that the labor necessary to instruct men in the truth is greater here than in America; but we have confidence that God is faithful to help, and our hope in him is steadfast.
J. N. ANDREWS.
Bienne, Switzerland, June 7, 1878. Sunday Lord's Day, Papal.
By Uriah Smith
1. The whole theological world are assiduously taught that the first day of the week has been called the Lord's day, and unanimously observed as the Sabbath by Christians ever since the days of Christ. This claim is not sustained by either the Bible or history. Rev. 1:10, is the only scripture that is brought forward to prove that the term "Lord's day" had become the familiar title of the first day of the week in the days of the apostles. There are a number of objections to such an application of this scripture:— First. John does not say that it was the first day of the week which he here calls the Lord's day, nor does he make the least statement from which such a conclusion can be inferred. That point has to be wholly assumed. Secondly. As we look back of the times of John's vision on Patmos, into the history of Sunday with Christ and the apostles, we find no intimation that they regarded it as the Lord's day; for Christ never took the day into his lips, and the apostles speak of it only eight times, and uniformly call it the first day of the week. Thirdly. John wrote his gospel two years after his Revelation (see Thoughts on Revelation, p. 28); and in his gospel he twice speaks of the first day of the week, and calls it, not Lord's day, as he would have done if it had come to be the general name for that day when his Revelation was given, but simply "first day of the week." Fourthly. The seventh day of the week is in the most express manner called God's holy day. It is the one day of the seven which he has reserved to himself. And the Son of man, through whom the worlds were made, John 1:3; Heb. 1:2, and who was consequently associated with his Father in the institution of the Sabbath at the beginning, expressly styles himself the Lord of the Sabbath day. Mark 2:28. Therefore we say that the Lord's day of Rev. 1:10, is the seventh day of the week, not the first. No ecclesiastical writer previous to A. D. 194 gives the title of Lord's day to the first day of the week. The so-called epistle of Barnabas is spurious. The letter of Pliny to Trajan speaks of a stated day, but does not specify which day of the week it was. The epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians is itself a forgery; and the passage which is made to speak of Sunday as the Lord's day has been interpolated into that forgery. Justin Martyr, A. D. 140, does not use the term Lord's day, as is so often asserted. Clement of Alexandria, A. D. 194, uses the term ambiguously, perhaps referring to the first day of the week. Victor, bishop of Rome, A. D. 196, attempted to honor the day by an effort to have Easter uniformly celebrated on that day. Tertullian, A. D. 200, furnishes the first evidence of abstinence from labor on that day. In A. D. 321, Constantine made a law in behalf of the "venerable day of the sun," which was the first Sunday law. But this was a pagan edict, Constantine not yet having become even nominally Christian. At his so-called conversion, two years later, in A. D. 323, this law for Sunday as a heathen festival, being unrepealed, was made use of by Sylvester, bishop of Rome, now reckoned in the line of popes, to enforce Sunday observance as a Christian institution. These are the indubitable facts of history, authenticated by a reference to the original authorities in the History of the Sabbath, by J. N. Andrews, to which the reader is particularly referred. 2. An objection. The papacy was not fully established till A. D. 538, more than two hundred years after Constantine's law. How, then, can Sunday be called an institution of popery, and the change be attributed to the little horn, according to the prophecy of Daniel, which is a symbol of the papal power? Let it be remembered that Sunday, as a subject of prophecy, is Sunday as a Christian institution. The question, then, is, What power or influence established this observance in the Christian church? Not Constantine; for his legislation referred to it as a heathen festival; although he furnished a means which was shrewdly manipulated by pope Sylvester in enforcing it among Christians. But it was brought in by the working of that influence which finally resulted in the establishment of the papacy. The papacy existed in embryo long before Constantine's time. The mystery of iniquity worked even in Paul's day, 2 Thess. 2:7, waiting only the removal of the restraining influence of paganism, to reveal, in its full strength, the papacy before the world. The root of this monstrous system of evil runs back far into the centuries before its open development, like the tree which sends its tap-root far down into the earth beyond the sight of the observer. Through that root the Sunday has found its way into the professed church of Christ; and on that tree it appears as one of the most characteristic fruits. As an institution, Sunday is both pagan and papal; as a rival of the Sabbath of the Lord, it is wholly papal. Why Will This Cause Succeed?
By Roswell F. Cottrell
BECAUSE it is the truth of God, founded on his word, which he has magnified above all his name. Heaven and earth shall sooner perish than that one tittle of that word shall fail. Prophecy has promised the very work we now see being done. The remnant of his people—those who are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord—will keep the commandments of205God. The time has come for this last message. This is why the Sabbath question is interesting the people everywhere, and the agitation is continually increasing. The hand of the Lord is in the work. This is that which was written by the prophet: "Here are they that keep the commandments of God." The question has been asked among S. D. Baptists why it is that S. D. Adventists are successful in gaining converts to the Sabbath, notwithstanding the fact that they preach it in connection with other very unpopular doctrines. The answer is, These other unpopular doctrines are also true; and when men begin to reform and bear the cross of unpopular truth, they may just as well make a clean sweep of their errors at once. This, honest souls will do when their errors are made manifest by the light of the word of God. The doctrine of the advent of Christ at hand is unpopular; but signs and prophecies fulfilled attest its truth, And when the prophecies of Daniel and John are set before the people, and the fulfillment traced to the present time, the papacy is seen to be the great antichrist, and the change of the law of God is clearly seen to be the work of antichrist. Then, when this is clearly seen, the warning message of Rev. 14:9-12, has a force in it to bring honest souls, who desire to have the truth, to the keeping of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. The Sabbath has been so long trodden under foot by the Christian world that something is needed to arouse the people upon the subject. God foresaw this and promised a special message for this very time; and he is now graciously fulfilling his promise. It is the predicted change of God's law by the papacy, and its restoration by this last message, that gives power to the truth to move the people to action. Therefore the unpopular truth that the coming of the Lord is at hand, and consequently that the time has come for the last warning to be given to the world, is itself the special means which God has provided to arouse honest souls and lead them to see and embrace the Sabbath of the Lord; and leave that institution of the papacy which stands in opposition to it, and which is uniformly set forth by Catholic writers as the mark or sign of the power of the Roman church to change the institutions of God and bind the consciences of men. While we teach the perpetuity and immutability of the moral law and the true Sabbath of the Lord, we warn the people of an "irrepressible conflict" that awaits us, when the image of the beast shall enforce his own worship on pain of death, a prominent part of which will consist in receiving the mark of the first beast, i. e., the papacy—keeping the institution which this changer of laws has put in the place of the Sabbath. Rev. 13:11-17. For more than a quarter of a century we have been teaching that the United States is the two-horned beast, and consequently that here the image will be formed—that ecclesiastical authority would demand, and get the control of the civil law, so as to be able to enforce the keeping of the pago-papal Sunday upon all as the "Christian Sabbath." Twenty-seven years has this exposition of the prophecy been published; and during this period this view has been believed and taught by the whole body of S. D. Adventists. It was simply faith in the prophecy as the word of God that led us to take this position, and to proclaim it abroad during these past years. But what do we see now? We see demonstrative proof that this position is correct; and consequently that the time has come when the message of warning which we are preaching should be preached, Rev. 14:9-12, showing that this work is of God and not of men. We see the "National Association" pushing forward their scheme and urging their demand for a "religious amendment" of the National Constitution, so that "all Christian institutions, laws, and usages, shall be placed upon an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of our nation." Prominent among these institutions, laws, and usages, is the observance of what is called "our American Christian Sabbath." When this amendment is obtained, the image of the beast will be formed with power to enforce the mark. And, aside from the prophecy which assures us that it will be done, that prospect of success is bright and rapidly increasing in splendor. All observant and reasonable men can now see that the "religious amendment" is likely to prove a success. And the success of this movement is demonstrating the truth of our position on prophecy, and consequently proving the advent movement of the present day to be divine. This constitutes one of the strongest arguments to move the people to action in restoring God's law and Sabbath. No one can fail to see the force of this argument when fairly presented to the mind. Those who do the work God designs they should for the restoration of his Sabbath will use the arguments which he has furnished in his prophetic word.