BACKSLIDING IN SUMMER by D. HILDRETH

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 21, 1860

BACKSLIDING IN SUMMER.

By D. HILDRETH

It is a notable fact that professors of religion generally lose their interest in religion in the summer season. In the winter, numerous meetings are held, and an interest awakened only to die down when warm weather approaches. Their interest rises and falls as regularly as the tides. Now what is the cause of this? It is easily told. In the winter there is not much to do, and there is plenty of time to attend meeting, read, pray, &c., but in summer there is a great deal to do, crops are to be tended and harvested, and there is not much time to go to meeting, except on Sundays, nor to read and pray, only on rainy days. This shows plainer than words can tell it, that religion is made second, and business first. They would work as hard in winter as in summer if they could only find something to do to “make money.” This is a money-loving-age, and a money-loving world, and a money-loving side of the world.

The inhabitants of the new world, from the days of Columbus, have seemed to have an insatiable thirst for gold, and Americans, especially in the cities, act and live as though they were “chasing a dollar.” This being the case with men of the world, professors of religion should be very jealous of their motives; for the money-loving passion is contagious.

But are Sabbath-keepers free from this fault? Are there not many in the ranks who become so absorbed in their worldly business in the summer season, that they lose nearly all of their interest and enjoyment? No doubt many houses of prayer have witnessed the thin congregations during the present harvest, even on the Sabbath. What a comment on this covetous generation. They work so hard through the week that they cannot attend meeting on the Sabbath. Shame on such religion as this! It is worse than none, a disgrace to Jesus and his cause.

Such are very thankful for the Sabbath, of course they are: that is, their worn-out bodies are glad of a day of rest, but shall I say that their covetous dispositions are not? Of course it is right to be faithful stewards over what the Lord has entrusted to our care, but it is not right to exhaust our energies in grasping after the world.

Besides the weekly Sabbath, the Lord appointed several feasts of several days each, for the children of Israel to observe, in which they were not allowed to labor; and more than this, every seventh year the land was not to be tilled. The Lord never designed that man should labor so as to injure his constitution, neither that he should be idle.

Some have an idea that this is a world of labor; but when they get to heaven they will only have to sit down and praise the Lord. Of all places heaven is the last place to look for idleness and inactivity. They are as busy and active there as people on earth can be. There is only this difference: labor there does not fatigue. Lazy folks had better give up the idea of going to heaven. It is no place there for them.

Again, although the inhabitants of the upper world have as much to attend to as those of this lower sphere, they have plenty of time in which to worship the Lord. Those who have so much to do that they cannot attend faithfully to all their duties summer and winter, had better make no calculations about going to heaven. Their company will not be wanted there. The noble, generous inhabitants of that world despise such spirits.

But the time is rapidly passing away. The third message will soon close. Therefore it behooves us to be zealous and earnestly seek for holiness of heart.

O ye lukewarm, take warning! There are not many summers more in which to backslide—there are not many winters more in which to be revived. It is over four years since the Lord spoke especially to you. How much longer shall he wait? Be faithful, yea, be faithful. The future possesses thrilling interest to him who is waiting with lamp in hand. What momentous events are about to take place! And shall we sleep and dream upon the brink of ruin? O Lord, awake thy slumbering people! D. HILDRETH.