Watch by Emily L. Canright

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 11, 1866

Watch.

By Emily L. Canright

ABRAHAM set an example worthy of the imitation of every Christian. It was night, and God called him forth to count the stars, telling him that so should his seed be. And Abraham believed God, and he counted it unto him for righteousness. And God said unto him, “I am the Lord which brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.” And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? And God said unto him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another; but the birds divided he not.” “And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.”

A little further on we read, “When the sun went down and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp passed between these pieces;” and we know that the sacrifice was accepted.

It is a plain story briefly told; but like all stories from the same source, it contains a great and good moral. Christian, do you see the application? God has told us, that, if we obey him in all his requirements, we shall be greatly rewarded; and in order to seal to us that reward, he calls upon us for a full and perfect sacrifice. Every one who earnestly desires an inheritance with the children of God, willingly complies thus far, and lays all upon the altar. But it must be faithfully guarded; for there are fowls—Satan, the allurements of the world, and the evil propensities of our own carnal hearts—that are hovering near, ready to pounce upon and destroy it. Ah! here too many fail of obtaining the prize. Growing weary of the arduous task of watching, they fold their hands quietly, and rest while the ravenous vultures are constantly engaged in picking at, and carrying off, particles of the sacrifice. Piece after piece is taken. Less and less grows the accumulated mass, until by and by when God is ready to receive it, the sacrifice is gone. The day is far spent, the sun is fast setting in the west, and the night shadows will soon gather around us. What we do must be done quickly; for we have only a little time to work. Let us each guard well our own individual sacrifice, keeping all these fowls away, and waiting patiently for God to receive it. Watching until the Bridegroom cometh, that we may then receive our everlasting inheritance.

EMILY L. CANRIGHT.

Coldwater, Mich.