The Great Second Advent Movement: Its Rise and Progress

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The General Hardness of Sinners

This course of the scoffing world not only hardened sinners against the advent doctrine, but the testimony of those in the nominal churches was this: “When we call to mind how ‘few and far between’ cases of true conversion are, and the almost unparalleled impertinence and hardness of sinners, we almost involuntarily exclaim, ‘Has God forgotten to be gracious? or is the door of mercy closed?’ ” 12 GSAM 219.3

From another worker we read still further of the situation after the close of the prophetic period: “It was then next to impossible to obtain access to unbelievers, the disappointment in 1844 had so confused the minds of many, and they would not listen to any explanation of the matter.” 13 GSAM 220.1