Early Writings
by Ellen G. White
The Sins of Babylon
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In most churches today, the sayings and doings
of men are dwelt upon instead of the plain,
cutting truths of God's Word.
Illustration ©
Pacific Press Publ. Assoc. |
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I saw that since the second angel proclaimed the fall of the
churches, they have been growing more and more corrupt. They bear the name of
being Christ's followers; yet it is impossible to distinguish them from the
world. Ministers take their texts from the Word of God, but preach smooth
things. To this the natural heart feels no objection. It is only the spirit and
power of the truth and the salvation of Christ that are hateful to the carnal
heart. There is nothing in the popular ministry that stirs the wrath of Satan,
makes the sinner tremble, or applies to the heart and conscience the fearful
realities of a judgment soon to come. Wicked men are generally pleased with a
form of piety without true godliness, and they will aid and support such a
religion. {EW 273.1}
Said the angel, "Nothing less than the whole armor of
righteousness can enable man to overcome the powers of darkness and retain the
victory over them. Satan has taken full possession of the churches as a body. [274]
The sayings and doings of men are dwelt upon instead of the plain, cutting
truths of the Word of God. The spirit and friendship of the world are at enmity
with God. When the truth in its simplicity and strength, as it is in Jesus, is
brought to bear against the spirit of the world, it at once awakens the spirit
of persecution. Very many who profess to be Christians have not known God. The
natural heart has not been changed, and the carnal mind remains at enmity with
God. They are Satan's faithful servants, notwithstanding they have assumed
another name." {EW
273.2}
I saw that since Jesus left the holy place of the heavenly
sanctuary and entered within the second veil, the churches have been filling up
with every unclean and hateful bird. I saw great iniquity and vileness in the
churches; yet their members profess to be Christians. Their profession, their
prayers, and their exhortations are an abomination in the sight of God. Said
the angel, "God will not smell in their assemblies. Selfishness, fraud,
and deceit are practiced by them without the reprovings of conscience. And over
all these evil traits they throw the cloak of religion." I was shown the
pride of the nominal churches. God is not in their thoughts; their carnal minds
dwell upon themselves; they decorate their poor mortal bodies, and then look
upon themselves with satisfaction and pleasure. Jesus and the angels look upon
them in anger. Said the angel, "Their sins and pride have reached unto
heaven. Their portion is prepared. Justice and judgment have slumbered long,
but will soon awake. Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." The
fearful threatenings of the third angel are to be realized, and all the wicked
are to drink of the wrath of God. An innumerable host of evil angels are
spreading over the whole land and crowding the churches. These agents of Satan
look upon the religious bodies [275] with exultation, for the cloak
of religion covers the greatest crime and iniquity. {EW 274.1}
All heaven beholds with indignation human beings, the
workmanship of God, reduced by their fellow men to the lowest depths of
degradation and placed on a level with the brute creation. Professed followers
of that dear Saviour whose compassion was ever moved at the sight of human woe,
heartily engage in this enormous and grievous sin, and deal in slaves and souls
of men. Human agony is carried from place to place and bought and sold. Angels
have recorded it all; it is written in the book. The tears of the pious bondmen
and bondwomen, of fathers, mothers, and children, brothers and sisters, are all
bottled up in heaven. God will restrain His anger but little longer. His wrath
burns against this nation and especially against the religious bodies that have
sanctioned this terrible traffic and have themselves engaged in it. Such
injustice, such oppression, such sufferings, are looked upon with heartless
indifference by many professed followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. And many
of them can themselves inflict, with hateful satisfaction, all this
indescribable agony; and yet they dare to worship God. It is solemn mockery;
Satan exults over it and reproaches Jesus and His angels with such
inconsistency, saying, with hellish triumph, "Such are Christ's
followers!" {EW
275.1}
These professed Christians read of the sufferings of the
martyrs, and tears course down their cheeks. They wonder that men could ever
become so hardened as to practice such cruelty toward their fellow men. Yet
those who think and speak thus are at the same time holding human beings in
slavery. And this is not all; they sever the ties of nature and cruelly oppress
their fellow men. They can inflict most inhuman torture with the same
relentless cruelty manifested by [276] papists and heathen toward
Christ's followers. Said the angel, "It will be more tolerable for the
heathen and for papists in the day of the execution of God's judgment than for
such men." The cries of the oppressed have reached unto heaven, and angels
stand amazed at the untold, agonizing sufferings which man, formed in the image
of his Maker, causes his fellow man. Said the angel, "The names of the
oppressors are written in blood, crossed with stripes, and flooded with
agonizing, burning tears of suffering. God's anger will not cease until He has
caused this land of light to drink the dregs of the cup of His fury, until He
has rewarded unto Babylon double. Reward her even as she rewarded you, double
unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath filled, fill
to her double." {EW
275.2}
I saw that the slave master [SEE APPENDIX.] will have to
answer for the soul of his slave whom he has kept in ignorance; and the sins of
the slave will be visited upon the master. God cannot take to heaven the slave
who has been kept in ignorance and degradation, knowing nothing of God or the
Bible, fearing nothing but his master's lash, and holding a lower position than
the brutes. But He does the best thing for him that a compassionate God can do.
He permits him to be as if he had not been, while the master must endure the
seven last plagues and then come up in the second resurrection and suffer the
second, most awful death. Then the justice of God will be satisfied. {EW 276.1}
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