r taught that to disregard His warning, and
refuse or neglect to know when His advent is near, will be as fatal for us
as it was for those who lived in the days of Noah not to know when the
flood was coming. And the parable in the same chapter, contrasting the
faithful and the unfaithful servant, and giving the doom of him who said
in his heart, "My Lord delayeth His coming," shows in what light Christ
will regard and reward those whom He finds watching, and teaching His
coming, and those denying it. "Watch therefore," He says; "blessed is that
servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing."(612) "If
therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou
shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee."(613)

Paul speaks of a class to whom the Lord's appearing will come unawares.
"The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they
shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, ...
and they shall not escape." But He adds, to those who have given heed to
the Saviour's warning, "Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day
should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the
children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."(614)

Thus it was shown that Scripture gives no warrant for men to remain in
ignorance concerning the nearness of Christ's coming. But those who
desired only an excuse to reject the truth closed their ears to this
explanation; and the words, "No man knoweth the day nor the hour,"
continued to be echoed by the bold scoffer, and even by the professed
minister of Christ. As the people were roused, and began to inquire the
way of salvation, religious teachers stepped in between them and the
truth, seeking to quiet their fears by falsely interpreting the word of
God. Unfaithful watchmen united in the work of the great deceiver, crying,
Peace, peace, when God had not spoken peace. Like the Pharisees in
Christ's day, many refused to enter the kingdom of heaven themselves, and
those who were entering in, they hindered. The blood of these souls will
be required at their hand.

The most humble and devoted in the churches were usually the first to
receive the message. Those who studied the Bible for themselves could not
but see the unscriptural character of the popular views of prophecy; and
wherever the people were not controlled by the influence of the clergy,
wherever they would search the word of God