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Testimonies for the Church Volume 1
city would be overthrown; but God accepted the humiliation of the
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Ninevites and extended their period of probation. Yet the message that
Jonah brought was sent of God, and Nineveh was tested according
to His will. The world looked upon our hope as a delusion, and our
disappointment as its consequent failure.
The words of the Saviour in the parable of the wicked servant apply
very forcibly to those who ridicule the near coming of the Son of man:
“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth
His coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat
and drink with the drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a
day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware
of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the
hypocrites.”
We found everywhere the scoffers whom Peter said should come
in the last days, walking after their own lusts, and saying: “Where is
the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things
continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” But those
who had looked for the coming of the Lord were not without comfort.
They had obtained valuable knowledge in the searching of the word.
The plan of salvation was plainer to their understanding. Every day
they discovered new beauties in the sacred pages, and a wonderful
harmony running through all, one scripture explaining another, and no
word used in vain.
Our disappointment was not so great as that of the disciples. When
the Son of man rode triumphantly into Jerusalem, they expected Him
to be crowned king. The people flocked from all the region about, and
cried: “Hosanna to the Son of David.” And when the priests and elders
besought Jesus to still the multitude, He declared that if they should
hold their peace even the stones would cry out, for prophecy must
be fulfilled. Yet in a few days these very disciples saw their beloved
Master, whom they believed would reign on David’s throne, stretched
upon the cruel cross above the mocking, taunting Pharisees. Their
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high hopes were disappointed, and the darkness of death closed about
them.
Yet Christ was true to His promises. Sweet was the consolation He
gave His people, rich the reward of the true and faithful.
Mr. Miller and those who were in union with him supposed that
the cleansing of the sanctuary spoken of in
Daniel 8:14
meant the