General Conference Bulletin, vol. 5

THE ADVENT MESSAGE TO BE GIVEN

G. A. IRWIN

Those who stand as teachers and leaders in our institutions are to be sound in the faith and in the principles of the third angel’s message. God wants His people to know that we have the message as He gave it to us in 1843 and 1844. We knew then what the message meant, and we call upon our people to-day to obey the word, “Bind up the law among My disciples.” In this world there are but two classes,—the obedient and the disobedient. To which class do we belong? God wants to make us a peculiar people, a holy nation. He has separated us from the world, and He calls upon us to stand on vantage ground, where He can bestow on us His Holy Spirit. GCB April 1, 1903, page 32.11

Soon will come the time of which John writes: “I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works.” GCB April 1, 1903, page 32.12

How prone we are to look to human beings for help, to listen to their opinions, to rely upon them for sympathy, succor, and counsel! When in trouble, we should shut ourselves up with God. How many there are who realize no refreshing because they have forsaken the living waters, and have hewn out for themselves broken cisterns, which can hold no water! When men do this, what can we expect but barrenness of soul? GCB April 1, 1903, page 33.1

“Thus saith the Lord: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” Let us rely on God. He never fails a trusting soul. GCB April 1, 1903, page 33.2

From the moment of our conversion till the close of our earthly history, our lives are to be characterized by a spirit of true, intelligent service. Only thus can we be true to our covenant with God. He who is daily converted has crossed the boundary line that separates the children of light from the children of darkness. But he who professes to believe the truth, and acts as a sinner, will be treated by God as a sinner, and, unless he repents, will be punished as a sinner, only with many stripes, because he was given great light. GCB April 1, 1903, page 33.3

The Chair: We are told in the Spirit of prophecy that the gospel is simply the law defined, making it applicable to our lives as Christians, revealing our duties and obligations one to another. ‘And farther we have been told that before the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit that is to enlighten the earth with its glory these principles must be seen in our lives. It is no wonder, therefore, that the law of God has been held up before us so vividly this afternoon. We have been told before it was announced from this platform to-day of the possibilities of the last General Conference. We have been told what God wanted to do at that Conference; we have been told what He was graciously waiting to do; but that we failed to do the part we ought to have done, and so failed of receiving the blessing He desired to bestow upon us. And the saddest thought of it all is that the cause of God is years behind as the result of our failure at that meeting. GCB April 1, 1903, page 33.4

Now, brethren, we have come right up to the very same point again. God, in His mercy, has brought us around to it again. By calamities and judgments during the past two years He has signified to us His displeasure with our course. And here we find ourselves in another General Conference, face to face with the same proposition. Now what shall we do? That is what the Lord asks us. That is the question which confronts us at this hour. Shall we simply listen to the stirring appeal that has been made in our hearing through the servant of the Lord, indited by the Spirit of God, and then dismiss this meeting, and go away to our several cares and responsibilities? GCB April 1, 1903, page 33.5

A spirited social meeting followed Elder Irwin’s remarks: in which many heartfelt confessions were made. GCB April 1, 1903, page 33.6

On motion, the Conference adjourned to 9:30 A. M., March 31. GCB April 1, 1903, page 33.7

G. A. IRWIN, Chairman
H. E. OSBORNE, Secretary.

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” GCB April 1, 1903, page 33.8