Pointed and Personal by J. Clarke

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 5, 1865

Pointed and Personal.

By J. Clarke

"For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to battle?" 1 Cor. xiv, 18.

Many who would be willing that you should propose a subject and discuss it with thorough investigation, would object to illustrations from real life, because say they, such things have often a personal allusion, and are invidious.

Now I protest, that a writer or a public speaker, must illustrate from real life, in order to be natural, and life-like; and an unnatural or fanciful illustration, has no force. It may amuse, but cannot convict nor enforce.

A painter if skillful, will imitate nature. It would be a sorrowful thing to say to an artist, why sir did you make this picture so natural? What, says the painter, do you object to? Why, here is a scar, here is a wrinkle, and here are gray hairs. To be sure says the artist, and did you not want a true picture?

Two friends sat for a photograph, both past or passing the noon of life. A. was pleased with B.'s likeness, it was so true; but did not like his own. B. was well satisfied with A.'s picture, it could not have been more correct, but was chagrined at his own. Now why was this? Simply that time had changed each more than he could realize for himself; but it was easy for each to realize the havoc time had made of his friend's beauty.

So with character. Man flatters himself into self-complacency; but he cannot be so easily deceived about his friend or brother; therefore the necessity of faithful and exact delineations of many forms of evil. You might generalize a life time with some, and

your arguments are as weak as arrows aimed at a Rhinoceros. But suppose a life-like case, and you almost lift them from their seats. Who has not almost shuddered when reading Cicero's oration against Cataline. And surely Cicero was not invidious; it was life, the life of a traitor he painted before a corrupt senate; but it was so life-like, that well-bribed judges dared not sell their country to a traitor, while that picture was held there before them.

Had some conservative said to the Roman orator, "Sir, you are too personal, it is not prudent nor necessary," how would that have still more firmly nerved the mind of the patriot senator, to greater and more pungent reasoning, and more striking illustrations.

But to come to a point, some of our leaders have often been subjected to a cross-fire from self-styled friends, and they only moved from one difficulty into another. Often difficulties have arisen from careless or thoughtless remarks, which were meant for little more than a sort of a jest, but conveyed a secret feeling of envy. And to reason on a point like this, would not avail, but hold up the remark to let them see it, and they shrink abashed.

Thus a western farmer, who is probably worth more than any of our brethren in Battle Creek, says to me some time in May last, as he was passing the house of an eminent preacher, that "he did not know, but he thought perhaps it ought to be rebuked," speaking of its fine appearance.

Now suppose I had been previously poisoned, where might such a remark have led me? Our words are what tell for or against us.

It is time we as a people put down this rebellious kind of remarks, and put out some of these fires which consume our own spirituality. J. CLARKE.