Untitled article by Isaac Sanborn

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · September 17, 1867

PRESENT DUTY.

By Isaac Sanborn

“Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.” Mal. iii, 16, 17. What is the fear brought to view here, and how shall we know that we possess that fear? David says, “Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity [that is, transgression or disobedience] in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Ps. lxvi, 16–18. According to this definition, those who have this godly fear will cry unto God in prayer, and if they are not living in known transgressions, or indulging in some lust to the gratification of their appetite, the Lord will hear them; and Jesus said, Whatsoever ye ask, it shall be done unto you, if ye abide in me and my words abide in you. Jno. xv, 7. We inquire further, What is it to have the words of Jesus abiding in us? He says, Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. Verse 14. Again he says, If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. Jno. xiv, 23. What a blessed union, this! but in order to secure this union, I understand that we must remember that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; and if we, defile the temple, God will destroy us. 1 Cor. iii, 16, 17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Cor. vi, 17, 18, and vii, 1.

Here we see that everything that takes the form of an idol, defiles the body. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry. We all know the tenth commandment says, Thou shalt not covet. By this we can see why the Lord destroyed the Israelites that lusted after evil things, such as the flesh pots of Egypt, the onions and the garlics, which the Lord has forbidden us to do, saying we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 1 Cor. x, 6. That is, we who, like them, have started to the promised land, must not lust after the evil things of these days, tobacco, tea, coffee, pork, jewelry, long trails, &c.; for those that love the world, love and seek after these things, and John says, Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him.

Now if we are the children of God, then do we fear the Lord, and call him our Father? But if he is our Father, “where,” says he, “is the fear wherewith you fear me?” Is it not in that we walk in perfect obedience to the requirements found in his word, and in the teachings of his Spirit? When we do this, then like David we will often cry out, Oh! how love I thy law. It is my meditation all the day. Then, and no, till then, can we have our wills perfectly swallowed up in the will of God, so that we can say like Jesus, Not my will but thine be done.

Perhaps the first real struggle we had with our wills was to decide to keep God's Sabbath, and through his grace we brought our wills into subjection. Then for a time we felt as though our wills were all swallowed up in his; but by and by the Lord showed us that we must put away that filthy habit of using tobacco, or that habit of using tea or coffee, or all of these together. Here we had another trial with our will that we previously thought was subdued.

Well, through grace we got the victory over these. Then many of us thought no doubt that we were about ready for the loud cry of the third angel's message, and the coming of Jesus. Just then the subject of Health Reform came up to prepare us for the latter rain. And who ever heard of, or ever saw, such an uprising of wills since the days of ancient Israel in the wilderness? But thanks be to the Lord for the grace that he has given many by which they have again overcome their wills, and are free in the Lord. Praise his holy name for ever and ever for his loving kindness and tender mercies thus shown to his people.

But are there some who read these lines, whose wills are yet unsubdued, and they therefore in a lukewarm condition? Dear souls, Jesus loves you; and therefore has rebuked you for your wrong habits. Behold, says Jesus, I stand at the door and knock. If any man will open the door. Yes, dear brother or sister, he has stood there at the door of your heart knocking, and this moment while you read these lines, he is asking you, it may be the last time, to let him in and he will sup with you and you with him. How can you treat him so cruelly? Look at his bleeding hands and feet! See the blood streaming from his side, and the tears like a fountain from his eyes; And while the just and holy law of God says, Slay that sinner, that dear, bleeding, weeping Saviour says, Spare a little longer! My brother or sister, I beseech you to obey him now, and be saved from your sins to rejoice in a Saviour's love, and be saved in Heaven at last.

ISAAC SANBORN.

Johnstown Center, Wis.