Laggards and Murmurers by Dudley Marvin Canright

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 6, 1866

Laggards and Murmurers.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Go into a School, and you will generally find two classes of pupils. One class is always in school at the appointed hour, have their lessons well learned, promptly obey all the rules of the teacher, are interested in all the interests of the school, love their teacher, &c. The teacher knows them, loves them, and they are all marked in his mind according to their behavior. If it were not for them, his labors would be insupportable.

The other class are generally tardy at school, have their lessons very poorly, if at all, are continually stealing opportunities to violate, or evade the rules of school, take little or no concern in the general interests of the school, are continually finding fault with the teacher, with the rules, with the other pupils, &c. The teacher also knows them; they are all marked in his mind according to their worth; they are the pest of his life, a curse to the school, mere laggards and fault-finders.

In all associations of men you will find more or less of these two classes. The minister will find them in the church. Some are always ready to every good word and work. They are punctual at the prayer-meeting; always bear their part in speaking and praying; have a word of encouragement for all; cheerfully and promptly take an interest in every enterprise that will help the cause of God; give freely of their means when necessary, without murmuring. The minister knows and loves them, yea, God knows each one of them, loves them, and will reward them.

There is also another class who are always lagging behind in every good word and work. The minister or leader has a hard task to get them out to the prayer-meeting, and a harder one still to get them to take hold when they are there. If there is an advance move made, or a reform proposed, they hang back, object, find fault, and are the last ones to do any thing. If there is any thing to be done by way of benevolence, they are very poor and in hard circumstances. The minister knows them also, and his thoughts are, 'Oh, what a task we have got to get that person into the kingdom of God.' Yes, God also knows them, and doubtless they are marked as dead weights, drones, or laggards in his cause. When they are weighed at the last day they will be found wanting.

With regard to the cause of God in general, we always find it the same. Moses, on the one hand, found Aarons and Hurs to hold up his hands when fainting, Calebs and Joshuas to second his plans and encourage the people to go up and possess the land. He also found Korahs, Dathans, and Abirams, who opposed every move that he made, found fault with all his regulations, created distrust and stirred up rebellion among the people. God marked and rewarded both classes.

Has God a cause in the earth to-day, and a people who are carrying forward his work? We think that he has. May we expect to find these two classes among them? It would be a miracle if we did not. Did all the fault-finders die with Korah? If any one thinks so, let him look at the history of the third angel's message. There are many who, from the beginning, have stood by the work. They have been ready to move with every advance step that has been taken. If it looked dark, their faith was firm, their words encouraging. They have had a deep interest in all that concerns the cause East, West, North and South, both spiritually and pecuniarily. They have held up the hands of God's servants and encouraged them. God knows them and will reward them.

The other class also, have done their work. They have professed to believe the present truth, the Sabbath, &c., and yet have opposed it at every step. Has God placed the gifts of the Spirit in the church? They have no faith in them, but are very suspicious that they may do harm. Do the people of God propose to lay aside their idols in dress and filthy habits? They do not believe in being so particular. Is Systematic Benevolence proposed? They do not believe in rules and forms, they will have nothing to do with it. Is organization adopted? They stand aloof, pick flaws, create suspicion, and oppose it. Is the Health Reform proposed? They will have nothing to do with that. They take no stock in the Publishing Association, they murmur because the paper is too small and the price too high, they write neither letters nor articles for its columns, and finally, they cast only darkness and death wherever they go.

Why will men be so blinded? Either this cause is of God, or it is not. If it is not of God, why do they have any thing to do with it? If it is of God, then they are not; for all their influence is against it. Let us have honesty enough to be either on one side or the other.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

Norridgewock, Me.