The apostle says: "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, government, diversities of tongues." 104 If God has placed these gifts in his church, then they belong there, and will be manifested where the necessary conditions are present and where the Lord sees that it can be done for the glory of his name and the salvation of precious souls.

The Scriptures also state plainly that these gifts should continue till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." 105 "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. This shows plainly that the gift of prophecy and other spiritual gifts will not be done away until the perfect state comes. They shall continue until the kingdom of grace is exchanged for the kingdom of glory.

"106

The Scriptures also teach that spiritual gifts should be revived in the church in the last days. The apostle

"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." 107

rain.

The early rain of the Spirit consisted in the fullness of spiritual gifts; the latter rain will evidently be the same. There will be a fullness of the Gentiles before the Lord comes just as much as there was a fullness of the Jews in the first church. 108 John says: "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. The prophecy of

109

Joel, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy," was clearly fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. But the last days have not ended yet, and there is evidently more to follow; consequently the apostle speaks of the times of refreshing," which shall come from the presence of the Lord before the second coming of Christ.' "110

Among the Seventh-day Adventists there have been many cases of healing by prayer, but the most prominent gift among them is the gift of prophecy as manifested through Mrs. E. G. White. She has written so many

books, and they have been so extensively circulated, that her name is known far and wide. As might be expected, this part of the work is often ridiculed and evil is spoken of it. Her labor as a public speaker and writer has done so much to mold the work of Seventh-day Adventists that it is but proper to mention it briefly in this connection. This we will do by quoting a few paragraphs from Elder J. N. Loughborough, who has been personally acquainted with Mrs. White and her work almost from the beginning.

66

111

"We are in a time when the tokens are abundant on every side that the day of the Lord is near at hand. We are in the period of time when a people were to arise who would keep all the commandments, and who would also have the testimony of Jesus,' the spirit of prophecy.' 112 What do we find? That during the last forty-six years such a people have arisen, bearing just such a message, among whom the Spirit of prophecy has been manifested. Testing the gift, as manifested through Mrs. E. G. White, by the Bible rules, we have seen that it stands the test in every particular. There has not been found, from first to last, in all the writings of Mrs. White, a single line that gives the slightest license to sin, or that tolerates in the least degree any departure from the word of God. These writings have never placed themselves above the Bible, but they do constantly exhort to the most careful study 111 Rev. 12: 17.

110 Acts 2: 16, 17; 3: 19, 20.

112 Rev. 19: 10.

of the word of God, pointing to it as the highest standard by which our cases will be examined in the final judgment. In her writings Christ is exalted before us as the only pattern for us to follow. He is in the most vivid manner declared to be our only hope of victory here, our only refuge from the wrath to come, the only name and means through which we can be saved.

"In regard to Mrs. White and the nature of her work, the following is given, it being penned in 1877 by one who had known her, and who had studied her work for many years; and after about thirty-nine years 113 of careful observation, I give my unqualified indorsement to every sentiment therein expressed:

"As to the Christian character of Sister White, I beg leave to say that I think I know something about it. I have been acquainted with her for eighteen years,― more than half the history of our people. I have been in their family time and again, sometimes weeks at a time. They have been in our house and family many times. I have traveled with them almost everywhere; have been with them in private and in public, in meeting and out of meeting, and have had the very best of chances to know something of the life, character, and spirit of Brother and Sister White. As a minister, I have had to deal with all kinds of persons, and all kinds of character, till I think I can judge something of what a person is, at least after years of intimate acquaintance. I know Sister White to be an unassuming, modest, kind-hearted, noble woman. These traits in her character are not simply put on and cultivated, but they spring gracefully and easily from her natural disposition. She is not self-conceited, self-righteous, and self-important, as fanatics always are.'

"I have heard Sister White speak hundreds of times, have read all her testimonies through and through, most of them many times, and I have never been able to find one immoral sentence in the whole of them, or anything that is not strictly pure and Christian; nothing that leads away from the Bible and from Christ; but there I find the most earnest appeals to obey God, to love Jesus, to love the Scriptures, and to search them constantly.'

"The most bitter opponents of the visions of Sister White admit that she is a Christian. How they can make this admission is more than I know. They try to fix it up by saying that she is deceived. They are not able to put their finger upon a single stain in all her life, nor an immoral sentence in all her writings. They

113 This was written in 1892.

have to admit that much of her writings is excellent, and that whosoever would live out all she says would be a good Christian, sure of heaven. This is passing strange, if she is a tool of the devil, inspired by Satan, or if her writings are immoral or the vagaries of her own mind.'

a

"As we look at the message by which the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus are being proclaimed to the world, message with which is connected this manifestation of the gift of prophecy, with its councils, instructions, and reproof,- we see it has made a sure and steady advance from its very beginning to the present time. Heeding the Lord's counsels through that gift, moving forward in the Lord's strength, the message has encircled the earth, and is fast making its way to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.' "114

114 "Rise and Progress," pp. 388–392.

CHAPTER II.

PROPHECY OF PAPAL ROME.

IN the prophecy about the great red

N the prophecy about the great red dragon, pagan Rome

is the first persecuting power mentioned. Then the prophet speaks of other persecuting powers clear to the end of the world. In the following chapter the prophet goes back to describe the two last-named powers more definitely. They are presented by two symbols, the first and the second beasts. The first has seven heads and ten horns, the second only one head and two horns.

These powers are the enemies of the people of God. Christ and his angels oppose them. The people of God must also take a firm stand against them. The victory is sure to them if the weapons of their warfare are spiritual, and not carnal. They can overcome Satan and all his host by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." The word of their testimony is the word of God; therefore it is of the greatest importance to become acquainted with the word of God, and to believe and obey

it.

1

Then we can wield it with advantage as the twoedged sword of the Spirit against every foe.

The first beast is described by the prophet as follows:

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his, feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."2

1 Rev. 12: II.

2 Rev. 13: I, 2.

i