Withholding Reproof
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as the leader of the fanaticism which I was laboring constantly to
arrest.
Different times were set for the Lord to come, and were urged upon
the brethren. But the Lord showed me that they would pass by, for the
time of trouble must take place before the coming of Christ, and that
every time that was set, and passed, would weaken the faith of God’s
people. For this I was charged with being the evil servant that said:
“My Lord delayeth His coming.”
These statements relative to time setting were printed about thirty
years ago, and the books containing them have been circulated ev-
erywhere; yet some ministers claiming to be well acquainted with
me, state that I have set time after time for the Lord to come, and
those times have passed, therefore my visions are false. No doubt
these false statements are received by many as truth; but none who are
acquainted with me or with my labors can in candor make such report.
This is the testimony I have ever borne since the passing of the time in
1844: “Time after time will be set by different ones, and will pass by;
and the influence of this time setting will tend to destroy the faith of
God’s people.” If I had in vision seen definite time, and had borne my
testimony to it, I could not have written and published, in the face of
this testimony, that all times that should be set would pass, for the time
of trouble must come before the coming of Christ. Certainly for the
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last thirty years, that is, since the publication of this statement, I would
not be inclined to set time for Christ to come, and thus place myself
under the same condemnation with those whom I was reproving. And
I had no vision until 1845, which was after the passing of the time of
general expectation in 1844. I was then shown what I have here stated.
And has not this testimony been fulfilled in every particular? The
First-day Adventists have set time after time, and notwithstanding the
repeated failures, they have gathered courage to set new times. God
has not led them in this. Many of them have rejected the true prophetic
time, and ignored the fulfillment of prophecy, because the time passed
in 1844, and did not bring the expected event. They rejected the truth,
and the enemy has had power to bring strong delusions upon them that
they should believe a lie. The great test on time was in 1843 and 1844;
and all who have set time since then have been deceiving themselves
and deceiving others.