The time is very near when man will reach the prescribed limits. He has now almost exceeded the bounds of the long-suffering of God, the limits of His grace, the limits of His mercy. The record of their works in the books of heaven is, "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." The Lord will interfere to vindicate His own honor, to repress the swellings of unrighteousness and bold transgression.
What effect will the attempt of men to make void the law of God have upon the righteous? Will they be intimidated because of the universal scorn that is put upon the holy law of God? Will the true believers in the, "Thus saith the Lord," become wavering and ashamed because the whole world seems to despise His righteous law? Will they be carried away by the prevalence of evil ?—No; to those who have consecrated themselves to God to serve Him, the law of God becomes more precious when the contrast is shown between the obedient and the transgressor.
In proportion as the attributes of Satan are developed in the despisers and transgressors of the law of God, to the faithful adherent the holy precept will become more dear and valuable. He will declare, "They have made void 'Thy, law. Therefore I love Thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold." It is the ones who have been faithful stewards of the grace of God whose love of God's commandments grows with the contempt which all around him would put upon them. Wicked men and the church harmonize in this hatred of the law of God, and then the crisis comes.
The world has converted the church. Both are in harmony, and are acting on a shortsighted policy. Protestants will work upon the rulers of the land to make laws to restore the lost ascendancy of the man of sin, who sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Roman Catholic principles will be taken under the care and protection of the state.
This national apostasy will speedily be followed by national ruin. The protest of Bible truth will be no longer tolerated by those who have not made the law of God their rule of life. Then will the voice be heard from the graves of martyrs, represented by the souls that John saw slain for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ which they held; then the prayer will ascend from every true child of God, "It is time for Thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void Thy law." . . .
Then He has let the fact be known that there was a God in Israel who would sustain and vindicate His people. When the defiance of the law of Jehovah shall be almost universal, when His people shall be pressed in affliction by their fellow men, God will interpose. The fervent prayers of His people will be answered; for He loves to have His people seek Him with all their heart, and depend upon Him as their deliverer. He will be sought unto to do these things for His people, and He will arise as the protector and avenger of His people. The promise is, "Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him? . . . I tell you that He will avenge them speedily."
The Protestant governments will reach a strange pass. They will be converted to the world. They will also, in their separation from God, work to make falsehood and apostasy from God the law of the nation. In the place of those who have the light of truth allowing jealousy and evil surmisings to come in and weaken their love and union one with another, their united prayers should ascend to heaven for the Lord to arise, and put an end to the violence and abuse which are practiced in our world. More prayer and less talk is what God desires, and it would make His people a tower of strength.—Ellen G. White in Review and Herald, June 15, 1897.
