LINE UPON LINE by Jos. Clark.

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 4, 1867

LINE UPON LINE.

By Jos. Clark.

How we need to be continually reminded of our duty to God and his cause; and how good it is to read from week to week, the lessons of temperance, holiness, and purity, which adorn the pages of the periodicals, which issue from the S. D. Advent press, at Battle Creek.

We do not realize how soon our life as a people would decay, were it not for the various agencies put forth by the good providence of God, in our behalf, as a people.

Weekly, we have the Review, laden with faithful rebukes, and kind admonitions, and instructions, and words of encouragement; and monthly, the Health Reformer appears, cheerfully advocating temperance, health, and purity; and now semi-monthly the little ones are to have the Instructor, to point them to a better country.

Weekly, too, the Sabbath arrives, regularly as the march of time, bringing with it, the fragrance of Eden, and reminding us of what we were in the first estate, and what we shall be, if faithful, in the final settlement of earth's great misfortune, and affliction.

Occasionally, too, the servants of God visit us, and bring to us good tidings of peace; and the joys of the blissful hope of Paradise arise; and we in faith look forward to the time, when our hope shall be lost in the glorious reality.

Retreating to our more secluded privileges, we find the prayer and social meeting, where all unite in sincere and humble worship, and hearts are melted in sweet and holy communion with God, and his people, and mercy distills its dewy showers upon the lowly worshipers, who forget that the world despise them, as they in faith's powerful glass, see the pearly gates, from the Delectable Mountains, and almost imagine themselves already on the shores of the river of life, and already crowned and blest.

Retreating further still, we find ourselves in our place of retirement, where we go to plead with God, and ask his aid and protection, his courage and strength; or we sit at our fireside, where the family altar has been erected, and many a gracious answer to prayer has demonstrated beyond a doubt, that it was not in vain we had kept the holy fire still burning.

Again, we enjoy the social conversation of brethren, whose hearts have long glowed with divine love; and again our hearts swell with gratitude to God, that we are not alone; or, we open the pages of the divine word, and read what was written by prophets, and kings, and apostles in ancient days for our benefit, and we can hardly contain ourselves for joy, that God is so mindful of his people. As we write, we feel the sweet influence of his Spirit, and deeply we feel that he teaches us, like a faithful teacher, “Line upon Line.”

Jos. Clark.