To us has been given the message of Christ's second coming. At the ascension of our Lord, angels stood beside the disciples, and with them watched the Saviour as He passed into the heavens. Then they turned to the disciples with the words, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” This message was given to the disciples to give to us, and God designs that it shall sound till the end of time. We are to wait and watch for Christ to come in His own appointed time, without sin unto salvation.ST April 17, 1901, par. 2

Those in the world fail to realize that the judgments of God are about to fall upon the earth. Their minds are filled with thoughts of eating and drinking and getting gain. They have allowed these subjects to take their whole attention, and as a result violence fills the world. Sin is on the increase. Iniquity prevails.ST April 17, 1901, par. 3

How is the message of warning received?—Just as it was in Noah's day. “All things continue as they were from the beginning,” men say.ST April 17, 1901, par. 4

Christ declares, “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.”ST April 17, 1901, par. 5

Man was created to glorify his Maker. But iniquity has so increased that at the present time men and women do not appreciate the goodness of God. They do not believe His Word. Self is the god they worship.ST April 17, 1901, par. 6

Ever since his fall, Satan has been working at cross-purposes with God, seeking to obliterate all trace of the divine likeness in man. He has led human beings to indulge an appetite for liquor and tobacco. He knows that those who give themselves up to indulgence of these appetites can not stand in their God-given manhood. They are slaves. Their reason is beclouded, their intellect dulled.ST April 17, 1901, par. 7

All over the world, pride, vanity, and self-indulgence are crippling men and women, so that they dishonor God as their Creator. The wrath of Jehovah is soon to fall upon the ungodly; but human beings are so controlled by the enemy that they see not what is coming. So deeply engrossed are they in the things of this world that they have no time to study God's Word, no time to think seriously of their spiritual welfare. Their one thought is to gain wealth, to make a display; and tho they make mistakes, they have no time to remedy them, but hurry on, scarcely thinking that soon they must give an account of their life-work.ST April 17, 1901, par. 8

Satan comes to men and women with his specious temptations. Offering them riches and power, he says, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” And thousands upon thousands listen to his words, and worship him by becoming wholly engrossed in a search for wealth or in following the fashions of this degenerate age. Thus the world is being led captive. The beings whom God created in His own image are entirely neglecting to prepare for the Judgment.ST April 17, 1901, par. 9

As the waters of the flood cleansed the earth in the days of Noah, so will the fire of God purify it in the last great day. Then the water from the heavens united with the water in the bowels of the earth; and in the destruction that is coming, fire from heaven will unite with the fire that is stored up in the earth.ST April 17, 1901, par. 10

Are we preparing for what is coming upon the earth? Have we thought seriously of these things? You who are giving yourselves up to pride and vanity, have you thought of the day when you must give an account for the time and money you have wasted?ST April 17, 1901, par. 11

Christ said to His disciples, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of Me.” They tell us that Christ is soon coming, to take to Himself those who have loved Him and have waited for His appearing; and for those who have devoted time to pleasure-seeking and display, to a search for the riches that perish with the using, they bring the message: “I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.”ST April 17, 1901, par. 12

As Noah warned the people of the coming flood, so God desires His people today to give the warning message of Christ's soon coming. There is no time to lose. Christ's coming is near at hand, and instead of spending our lives in inactivity, instead of investing our means in the things of this world, we should use our talents to the glory of God. Let us put out our money to the exchangers, that at His coming Christ may receive His own with usury.ST April 17, 1901, par. 13

Those who serve God will meet with trials and temptations. They will have burdens to bear, and difficulties to encounter. Noah was ridiculed and scorned. His work was made a laughing-stock. But none of these things moved him from his purpose, and God's people must not allow the trials they meet to lead them away from Him. All the difficulties we meet, all the burdens laid upon us, we are to take to the Lord in prayer, asking Him for help. Those who do this will surely gain the victory.ST April 17, 1901, par. 14

Now is our time to prepare to meet Christ. God has given us this time, and if we use it in self-gratification instead of in crucifying self by sacrifice, we shall come up to the Judgment unprepared. In that day many will plead as an excuse, that they did not know that Christ's coming was near. But this excuse will not be accepted. They did not know simply because they did not want to know. God gave them abundant opportunity for knowing, but they closed their eyes that they might not see, and stopped their ears that they might not hear. Their one thought was to enjoy the things of this world. Like the people of Noah's day, they spent their lives in self-gratification.ST April 17, 1901, par. 15

The cases of all are pending in the heavenly sanctuary. Day by day angels of God are watching the development of character, and weighing moral worth. In the Judgment the question will not be, “What profession did you make?” but, “What have you done for Me? What fruit have you borne to My glory?” Now is the time to prepare for the coming King. Cultivate the mind; for it is capable of the highest cultivation. Prepare to be among those who shall be saved with an everlasting salvation when the Master comes to gather out His jewels. “It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”ST April 17, 1901, par. 16

All defects must be remedied. The character must be assimilated to the character of Christ. “Whosoever will come after Me,” the Saviour declared, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Everything that is unlike Christ, all hatred, jealousy, folly, covetousness, must be put away. We must here be like the angels in spirit if we would join them in the kingdom of glory.ST April 17, 1901, par. 17

As John saw the multitude standing around the throne of God, the question was asked, “What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?”—“These are they which came out of great tribulation,” the angel answered, “and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” At an infinite cost a fountain has been prepared for our cleansing. In the blood of the Son of God we may wash our garments of character, and make them white. If now we crucify self, and live for Christ, God will give us a place in the mansions He is preparing for those who love Him.ST April 17, 1901, par. 18

Thank God that we have a time in which to get ready, a time in which to wash and iron our garments of character, that we may appear before Christ without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.ST April 17, 1901, par. 19

In the day of Christ's coming, many will cry, “Too late, too late.” Others will plead for mercy, but mercy will have folded her wings and taken her departure. Christ will have stepped down from the throne. Then will be heard the terrible cry to the rocks and mountains, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?”ST April 17, 1901, par. 20

Are we preparing to meet the Saviour in peace, or are we absorbed in worldly business and pleasure? Shall we not strive to be among the number who will welcome Christ with the words, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord; ‘we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation”?ST April 17, 1901, par. 21

Mrs. E. G. White

April 10, 1901

May 1, 1901