1889 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

The class to receive the prize is not only called and chosen(accepted), but also faithful. And though the general "call" hasceased, it is evident that the testing of the faithfulness of thecalled ones is not yet finished. The faithful are being marked,sealed, and separated from those who are unfaithful to theircovenant of self-sacrifice; the wise virgins are being separatedfrom the foolish ones, whose folly consists in supposing thatthey can run for and win the world's prizes of honor, wealth,etc., and at the same time run faithfully the race for the greatprize, of glory, honor and immortality,--the very conditions ofwhich render such a course impossible.When all the faithful "wise" virgins have been proved so, andhave entered in to the joys of the Lord, the "door" of opportunityto become of that class will close, and no more will enter. Whenall the "wise" have entered in, the number predestinated will becomplete; and then the Master will rise up and shut the door.(Luke 13:24,25; Matt. 25:10.) Our Lord himself tells us that thenmany will begin to see matters differently--to see whatprivileges and opportunities for sacrifice they once enjoyed andmissed. But when they shall seek and knock, the Master will tellthem, I do not recognize you as my Bride--she is complete and Ihave but one. But thank God, other Scriptures show that thefoolish virgins, though thus rejected from the high calling forwhich their conduct, when on trial, will have proved themunworthy, will nevertheless be granted a lesser favor and will beknown in a humbler capacity in the Lord's household.R1113 : page 3Before the door shuts, therefore, before the full number of thefaithful is finished, let each strive to make his calling andselection sure; and to this end let us permit the Lord, by theseprecious promises and these explanatory and illustrativeparables, to work in us to will and to do his good pleasure.But some will say, I am certain that I am not one of those calledbefore the general "call" ceased in 1881, because I then was notonly wholly ignorant of the deep things of God's promises, butmore, I was wholly a stranger to God, and even an enemy of his,far from any covenant with him to do him service, and far fromany such desires. But recently I came to know God at all,recently I took Christ's yoke upon me to learn of him, and stillmore recently I learned of the privilege of suffering with Christnow, in self-denial in his service, and that such joint-sacrificersare by and by to be made joint-inheritors with him in theglorious work of the Millennium. And now, after seeing theseglories, and after admiring those precious things, and aftersetting myself to run this race for this wonderful prize, must Iconclude that it is not open to me, because enough to fill thenumber had already been called? I would not think to change thedivine arrangement, or to ask that another be added, beyond the