With the issue thus clearly brought before him , whoever shall trample upon God ' s law to obey a human enactment receives the mark of the beast ; he accepts the sign of allegiance to the power which he chooses to obey instead of God . The warning from heaven is : " If any man worship the beast and his image , and receive his mark in his forehead , or in his hand , the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God , which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation ." Revelation 14:9 , 10 .
But not one is made to suffer the wrath of God until the truth has been brought home to his mind and conscience , and has been rejected . There are many who have never had an opportunity to hear the special truths for this time . The obligation of the fourth commandment has never been set before them in its true light . He who reads every heart and tries every motive will leave none who desire a knowledge of the truth , to be deceived as to the issues of the controversy . The decree is not to be urged upon the people blindly . Everyone is to have sufficient light to make his decision intelligently .
The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty , for it is the point of truth especially controverted . When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men , then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not . While the observance of the false sabbath in compliance with the law of the state , contrary to the fourth commandment , will be an avowal of allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God , the keeping of the true Sabbath , in obedience to God ' s law , is an evidence of loyalty to the Creator . While one class , by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers , receive the mark of the beast , the other choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority , receive the seal of God .
Heretofore those who presented the truths of the third angel ' s message have often been regarded as mere alarmists . Their predictions that religious intolerance would gain control in the United States , that church and state would unite to persecute those who keep the commandments of God , have been pronounced groundless and absurd . It has been confidently declared that this land could never become other than what it has been--the defender of religious freedom . But as the question of enforcing Sunday observance is widely agitated , the event so long doubted and disbelieved is seen to be approaching , and the third message will produce an effect which it could not have had before .
In every generation God has sent His servants to rebuke sin , both in the world and in the church . But the people desire smooth things spoken to them , and the pure , unvarnished truth is not acceptable . Many reformers , in entering upon their work , determined to exercise great prudence in attacking the sins of the church and the nation . They hoped , by the example of a pure Christian life , to lead the people back to the doctrines of the Bible . But the Spirit of God came upon them as it came upon Elijah , moving him to rebuke the sins of a wicked king and an apostate people ; they
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