OVERCOME by Jos. Clarke

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 1, 1869

OVERCOME.

By Jos. Clarke

THOSE who overcome sin are to have eternal life. Now we must not suppose that all who are merely skirmishing with the enemy, are overcoming him. It is one thing to enter the lists as combatants, and another to come off conquerors.

We are engaged with a fearful foe. He who places his person in the sweep of a lion's paw, does it at his peril. Christ was not using a figure of speech when he said, Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. This is indeed a dangerous battle-ground. Many are falling who were once valiant soldiers; Satan is doing his worst now; and his art and cunning are to be feared. None but those who are protected by angels can stand.

What do we gain by merely gaining a little now, and again losing a little ground at another time? Now we advance; again we retreat. Are we gaining ground? We need something more. We need a complete conversion. With us, let old things pass away, and all things become new. Let us gain not merely one victory, but such an arming, such a preparation as shall insure us every victory.

Paul was converted at once. He went forth a mighty man, because his conversion was thorough. Many of us have been content with a partial work. It has not been fully understood in the nominal churches from which many of us have been rescued; and the spell is not broken, the spell of a fearful delusion.

The nominal churches place a great deal of confidence in what, with them, is termed conversion. Is it conversion? Do the fruits prove it such? But the idea has taken hold of the public mind, and it is not easily eradicated. Once converted, and name enrolled

on the church book, and you are safe. So says the practical religion of the day. This idea has not been fully dispelled from the minds of the church. Thousands sleep from the effect of this opiate. Ideas which we drink in in childhood and youth, are a part of our organism, almost. What shall break this terrible spell, and arouse us from this heavy stupor?

As the convicted multitude on the day of Pentecost cried out to know what they must do to be saved, so may we cry out to God for such a work to be done in our hearts as shall fit us for translation; a complete and thorough work; a refitting of the heavenly armor, such as shall fit us to triumph every time; and sufficiency of help from the armies of Heaven, so that no foe shall turn us from the path. Do we realize our danger? Sheep in the midst of wolves! Do we believe this is the literal truth? Then can we sleep? Awake, O my soul, and arouse from this stupor.

Could we obtain such a work done upon our hearts, a full and complete conversion of soul, a work of the Spirit deep and permanent, then indeed, it would be easy and natural to do right. Filled with heavenly light and wisdom from God, we should not err. Did Philip make any mistake when he shared a part of the seat in the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch, and preached to him Christ? or when he led him down into the water? or when he was found at Azotus? We need not merely a few rays of light, but a constant fountain, a never-waning light in our benighted hearts. Our knowledge of the Bible and of the graces there commended is far ahead of our experience in the things of God. We do not fully believe in the direct influence of the Spirit. O God! dispel this unbelief, this hardness of heart. Break up our stony hearts, with power enter these dark abodes, dispel, yea, expel every foe which there claims the right of possession. We sigh, we long for thee. Our hearts cry out for thee. We are like dead corpses. Awake us, O thou who didst awake the sleeping Lazarus. Let our cry ascend to thee. O Jesus, our high priest and king, present our petition to the Father. Oh! the terrible delusion of peace which we have loved. A false, a carnal peace. O God, thou alone canst deliver us from these hard and obdurate hearts. Thou who didst give to Bartimeus his sight, give us spiritual eyesight, and wisdom from above. Oh! we need a waking, such as thou alone canst give. Awake us, thou who canst awake the dead. Awake us, we are as dead men. We can hardly get life enough to cry to thee, we are so far gone in spiritual death.

Where is the power once delivered to thy saints, O our God? Where is the life of the church in early days? Hast thou departed from us? We see that God is helping some of his people. Help us, O God, who cry to thee. JOS. CLARKE.