Darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people, and how ardently we should desire the presence of the divine Instructor to lead us in the way of truth and righteousness. God has already spoken to man at sundry times and in divers places and in various ways, yet the world's ignorance is increasing. We must speak with more pronounced utterances concerning the truth, that we may bring to man a knowledge of God. The distinction between Christians and worldlings must be more marked. The Bible must become a book of more prominence among us, and the attentive, diligent searcher by painstaking effort must search for the hidden treasure. The maxims of men, the dogmas of error, though advanced by those who profess to be interpreters of the Word of God, must be discarded, for they are calculated to cover up the truth. . . .
The Jews turned from the Lord Jesus, whom the prophets foretold as the coming Messiah, and they have not been able to see to the end of that which was abolished. In making void the law of God, in turning from the truth with aversion, the Christian world have turned from Christ, and have made manifest the fact that they were not accustomed to looking upon truth of heavenly origin. The darkness has become like a funeral pall, and it covers the whole earth. This is not the time to become weak and sickly in faith. This is no time to permit the world to convert the church of God. Let those who have light now arise and shine. . . .
Those who are waiting for the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ cannot mingle with those who are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, who are seeking amusement in games and pleasure parties. As faithful watchmen they must proclaim the warning, "The morning cometh, and also the night" (Isa. 21:12). That I May Know Him 343
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (New King James Version)