Selfishness by E. Goodrich

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 2, 1866

Selfishness.

By E. Goodrich

A DISCOURSE BY E. GOODRICH.

DEAR FRIENDS: The subject to which your attention is called this morning, is selfishness—the selfishness of the age. This is rather an unpleasant topic upon which to speak; but it often becomes necessary in our fallen and afflicted state, both to speak of unpleasant things and to urge painful duties. And if at any time my language shall seem rather pointed or severe, each one will please to make his or her own appropriation of that, and that only, which belongs to him or her.

The text chosen for the occasion reads, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, &c." 2 Tim. iii, 1, 2. I shall occupy no time in trying to demonstrate the fact that we are living in the last days, because I deem the effort unnecessary. And even if it was necessary, the length of time before me with the subject named for discussion, would not permit it. You will therefore be at liberty to decide this point as you shall deem proper. It is enough to remark that the apostle prophetically speaks of perilous times to the church (the term perilous signifies full of dangers), and the entire reason that he assigns for this state of things—the existence of these dangers—is the selfishness of these times. Hence we may safely reason that if at any time in the history of the church the cause (selfishness) exists in a corresponding proportion, those dangers referred to by the apostle will exist also.

We may therefore dismiss all other questions, however interesting in themselves, and investigate the subject before us in the following manner:

1. What is selfishness? 2. Its manifestations; and 3. The influence that it exerts upon the church, or, its moral dangers.

But before attempting to define selfishness, or describe any of its hateful manifestations or influences, I have a remark to make. Every unknown truth and quantity and controverted question is determined by some known and acknowledged rule, and as we never use a doubtful one to settle a disputed claim, our first business will be to obtain some standard measure by which to try this quality. And as every well-defined action is either from one point to another, or around some given point, and as religion, as well as every thing else, must have its points and lines and common centre, the first question deserving notice is, What is the first point? The man who wishes to survey a piece of land, commences by clearly defining the place of beginning, thence the course, and thence the distance. This is the way men survey and define their farms and possessions. And one very considerable reason why we do not understand theology better, is because we do not survey theology. We investigate too much without either points or lines; and the result is, we neither satisfy ourselves nor others.

The first point in the moral and religious world is God, the great first cause and the universal center of all things, from whom (or from which point) all relations are reckoned, and all rights and duties are properly determined. A religion that has no God, has no center and is no system. "Sin is the transgression of the law." And how can we revere the name or acknowledge the authority of one whose very existence we doubt or deny? But this point, the existence, the supreme power and authority of God, being admitted, it becomes a rule by which every religious view is regulated and established, and every right or wrong action is made to appear in its own proper color. And admitting that God is, and that it is his right to command and give or withhold, and our duty to submit and obey, it follows that what God has given, is man's right to possess and enjoy, and whatever God has forbidden, man has no right to claim as his own, or to use in opposition to any law or order established by God.

We may state, therefore, in turning our attention to the first division of our subject, that selfishness is rebellion, or opposition, against God and his government. Any effort of the creature to exalt self at the expense, or even neglect of divine order, is an act of selfishness upon the part of the creature. And this is true, whether the action is directed against God, his name, word or authority, or against any right granted to a creature.

As marked instances illustrative of the truth of the foregoing, we may refer, first, to our parents in Eden, who in attempting to exalt themselves by eating of the forbidden fruit, brought misery and death upon themselves and their race; and secondly, to Cain, who possessed of the wicked one, and cherishing feelings of rebellion against God, sought to promote his own happiness by removing from his sight and from the earth his righteous and God-fearing brother.

Both these are solemn warnings against attempting to substitute our ways for God's ways. Such is the law of God, that it does not admit (in any conceivable instance) of substitution. This truth is expressed by the Saviour: "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matt. xv, 9. And again, "But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Matt. xv, 13.

To return and continue our remarks upon selfishness, it is a monster, the father of all iniquities and crimes, the mother of all abominations, and the sum of all villanies; and there is nothing pure or sacred in its sight but the one thing.

Again selfishness is insatiable. Every thing brought within its rapacious grasp is devoured without mercy and without satisfaction. No selfish man ever can be satisfied; for it is not in the nature of things that he should be happy. Here is an argument for Christianity which the infidel may answer if he can.

Again selfishness is intolerable. Neither God, holy angels, righteous men, nor even wicked men can tolerate selfishness, at least in others. And not only is selfishness all these, corrupting and corroding every thing it touches, but it perverts every view which we may wish to gain either of ourselves or others. It misguides our feelings, blinds our minds, and burns out all the moral sensibilities of our natures. This, then is the picture and history of selfishness. And herein lies the deception of the human heart.

This brings us to the second division of the subject, viz., The manifestations of selfishness. And it is proper to notice in the outset, that as a man may be selfish in more ways than one, he may also be selfish for more individuals than one. He may be selfish for his own person, or for his own family or kindred, or he may be selfish for the party or parties with which he has identified himself and interests. And any man who makes a rule for others to walk by, which he will not follow himself, or any one who grants indulgences to himself or party, which he will not tolerate in others, is manifestly a selfish person.

And a man may be selfish in all his thoughts and actions. He may be selfish in his loves, selfish in his fears, selfish in his regard for virtue and honesty, selfish in his acts of benevolence, yea he may be selfish in all his devotions—in matters of religion as well as in buying a new coat or a choice farm. It was to this class that much that our Saviour taught—many wise sayings and many plain and merciful reproofs were addressed. Indeed the entire system of Christianity has for its main object, the rooting out of this hateful malady from the human mind. And so deep and deadly is this poison in man, that nothing less than a change of heart, a new birth, a new creation effected by the cleansing and renovating powers of the Holy Ghost, will ever enable us to see, or enter into, the kingdom of God.

And the beauty and sublimity of the life and teachings of Christ, consist not only in the absence of all selfishness, but in the positive existence and manifestation of perfect love. And every precept and example of our Lord, is but a confirmation of this truth. And a person as he reads and contemplates those glowing truths, can but exclaim, O wondrous Saviour!

O blessed and divine Lord and Master! how my unworthy and sin-stained soul longs to confess thee and to drink at thine inexhaustible fountain of purity and love.

But I must hasten or I shall weary you. Yet it seems hardly possible that the mind can tire in its admiration of those treasures of wisdom and knowledge found in the word of God.

I wish however, before dismissing this part of the subject, to notice a catalogue of specifications or characteristics of the selfish man as given by the apostle Paul in the same chapter and immediately following the text I have chosen. You are all undoubtedly familiar with his language, but I wish to read it: "Covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." 2 Tim. iii, 2-5.

If we should analyze the above particulars in all their parts and properties, either separately or collectively, we should find from the beginning to the end throughout, nothing but the one thing—self, self, self. And whether the apostle in giving us those particular traits of character in the selfish man, wrote under the direct influence of inspiration, or whether he spoke as a reasoner drawing conclusions from certain existing causes, seems not to matter. It is enough to know that wherever selfishness exists, all those results (according to the occasion that calls them forth) will follow. The apostle did not, he could not, neither was there need that he should, delineate all the workings and forms of selfishness. It is enough that he should show how dark and hateful a thing it is.

There is one feature however in the character of the selfish man that deserves notice. It is the fact that however plain and marked his own case may be, he is always ready to render swift and unmerciful judgment against all his unrighteous neighbors. He cannot even look at his own picture reflected in the person of others. The covetous person condemns the proud, and the proud lady abhors the false accuser. The traitor is ready to lay down his life to defend insulted honor. The selfish parent bewails a want of reverence in children; and selfish children complain of a lack of love in parents; while the cold-hearted professor who has substituted the outward form and ceremonies of religion for the life and power of godliness, seems anxious to call down the judgments of Heaven upon all the workers of iniquity.

But it matters not under what guise it exists, or in what manner it is brought to light, it is the same loathsome thing. And whether the selfish man lives in rags or riches, is despised or honored, whether he dies upon the battle field amid the clangor of arms and the groans of the dying, clothed in honor and in blood, or dies upon his own soft couch near his own fireside and surrounded by sympathizing friends, it is all the same; for the way to Heaven is always closed against him.

But enough. The influence that selfishness exerts upon the church, deserves notice. The perils spoken of by the apostle consist in the danger that the Christian will become selfish. It is hardly necessary to state that every person has his influence. Even the child that is unable to lisp its mother's name has a great influence. And as like begets like, each tree producing its kind, and every cause its kindred result, as a matter of course the influence of a selfish man is to make others selfish. And this is true whether the man exercising an influence designs it to be so or otherwise. Sometimes it is for the interest of the selfish man that his neighbor should be as low and vile as himself, while at others he would most gladly have others better than himself. The unprincipled villain whether seducer, covetous person, or tricky tradesman, would always choose to deal with honest people. And sometimes parents with shiftless ungodly and intemperate habits, would be pleased to see their children better than themselves; but this is not their influence. Of this class there are many who go out into the world as reformers, without first correcting their own unrighteous purposes and habits. The consequence is that, notwithstanding the soundness of their theories and the fact that they are successful in making converts, as example is more forcible than precept, those thus reformed imitating and being no better than their teacher, are indeed more the children of perdition than before. This may be regarded as one considerable reason why the world has not been more thoroughly and extensively reformed. It may however be but one act of justice to acknowledge that a man may have good motives, and yet on the account of ignorance, misguided zeal, or circumstances over which he has no control, be the cause of a bad influence.

There are two ways in which selfish persons, whether parents, teachers or associates, exert an influence and produce their own likeness in others. The one is by adopting a course of conduct either of neglect or ill-treatment that plainly says, I do not care for you only as my own interests are the better secured. Those thus influenced are very naturally taught to rely upon themselves both for sympathy and support; and as others do not love them, they need not and will not love others.

The other way is that of praising or flattering so as to make those that are thus treated, believe that they are superior to all others. This gives a strong selfish basis of thought and action. Those who receive these impressions, while they are tenacious of their own rights, do not see that others have any which they are bound to respect. Parents, perhaps more than any other class of persons, from the cares and perplexities which they have on the one hand, and the extreme fondness they feel for their children on the other, are in constant danger of falling into one or the other of the above extremes. And to add a word, if children are dealt with harshly and treated with distrust, and undeserved censure, they will both despise our authority over them, and feel that although they should try ever so hard to be truthful and good, they could never succeed. This kind of influence deadens all the finer and moral sensibilities of their natures. And if children are praised and indulged unduly, that which is justly due to themselves and others is lost sight of, in the admiration of self.

The foregoing, contains nearly all of the principles upon which selfishness acts in producing its own image in others, yet as there are various classes of persons, and different ways of applying the same rule, it may be proper to notice a few additional examples showing how the good are brought under the power of evil. The work is generally a gradual one occupying much time and accomplished under trying and deceptive circumstances. There is no one that readily and at once yields up all the noble and God-like impulses and sentiments of his soul. He is at first tempted by fashion and false allurements, and deceived concerning the present or final result of the action to be engaged in. In this way he is led on step by step, until, according to a law of our natures, habit deadens or sweetens the disgust that we may feel as we first enter the paths of sin. The drunkard, who begins by drinking a social glass with jovial companions and ends with deliriums or in the gutter, although warned of his danger, did not, and could not realize how deceitful and enslaving a thing sin is. He only thought to take a few steps which he might retrace at pleasure.

The covetous man begins his course by being saving, by laying up against a time of need, but forgetting the lessons of our Saviour, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." As time rolls on, and he adds dollar to dollar and acre to acre, his soul becomes lost to every thing else but the worship of unrighteous mammon. And as he lies upon his death couch thinking of eternity and holding the almighty dollar in his hand, he breaks out in his last wailings of despair in the words, "Oh 'twas for thee that I sold my God and Heaven."

Examples of this kind might be taken from every class, the boasting, the proud, the blasphemers, and so on, showing how dangerous the ways of sin are. But it is needless. The principle is the same in all cases, and thus it is with every one whose feet are turned from the paths of righteousness and truth.

The principle upon which one person influences another, is found in the fact that man is a social and sympathetic being, made to enjoy his surroundings. He is therefore affected by the sight of the eye, the hearing of the ear, and by all those sensations of pain or pleasure addressed to his senses. Laughing excites laughter; weeping begets weeping; and the man who deliberately betrays and murders the innocent and defenseless, provokes the just indignation of all men. How could we wish that these things should be otherwise? but blessings perverted always bring curses. The principle by which the mind hardens in sin is a law that is written in all nature. It is the law of growth and is unalterable. It is manifested in the creation of our bodies, in the growth of plants, and trees; and it may be witnessed in the life of the soldier who is at first timorous, but who becomes so accustomed to scenes of horror and blood, that he can even sleep upon the battle field, but little removed from all the noise and confusions of deadly strife.

The true and only remedy for all this, is the earnest and undivided worship of God—is to love God with all our souls, might, mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves.

But the subject is endless and I must forbear. Enough I trust has been said to show that we are in constant danger of becoming selfish and losing the love of God from our hearts. And commending you to "the grace of God that bringeth salvation, and which hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ," and thanking you for your kind attention, I take my leave of you. Amen. E. GOODRICH.

Edinboro, Pa.