p. 137 | Untitled article by M. E. WILLIAMS.

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · February 11, 1868

AT EASE IN ZION.

By M. E. WILLIAMS.

Taking our ease, resting when we should be hard at work; asleep when we should be thoroughly awake; half or more than half dead, when we should be alive in earnest!

Can this be said of any of us with truth? Is it possible that any of us have so little interest in our own eternal welfare? Have we forgotten the cunning, vigilant foe, who is ever in pursuit of us like a hungry wolf, ready to pounce upon us the moment we are off our guard? Have we forgotten that we were not commanded to sleep but to watch? The Judge is near even at the door. Are we all ready to render up our account? Have we attained to a waiting position? If not we certainly should not be at ease.

Are any of us losing little by little our interest in the truth, reaching out a little more every day after the world, its honors and vanities, possibly not aware of it ourselves, and yet it may be true? Others may see our danger though we may not. Are we fully consecrated to God, and earnestly crying, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do; and then watching to see what he will reply to us? And when he shows us the work he wants done, do we hasten to set about it? If it be some little sacrifice to make, some little cross to bear, do we hasten forward saying, Even for thy sake, dear Saviour; cheerfully will I do it? Or do we feel that the Lord requires grievous things of us that we cannot do?

Will we let a depraved and pampered appetite stand between us and God, eating and drinking things that he has made known to us were contrary to his will?

Or shall a desire to dress, and appear like the world stand between us and God, and cause him to hide the light of his countenance from us? Ah! when we get down low at the very feet of the dear Saviour; when we realize a little the magnitude of the sacrifice he made for us; counting his life not dear unto him for our sakes, we will count nothing too dear to give up for his sake. No sacrifice too great to make, were it life itself. No cross too heavy to bear. Yea, we will count all joy that we can endure for his sake.

At ease in Zion are we, and souls perishing all around us for lack of knowledge? We know that soon the door of mercy will be closed forever, and what are we doing to save sinners? When we see God's wrath poured out upon them, shall we feel that we have done all we could to save them?

Will no neglected opportunity, when we might have spoken a word of warning, come up before us? When we meet the unbeliever, would he judge from our appearance that we were deeply concerned for his soul's welfare? Do they not often go away from us thinking, That person pretends to believe the Lord is coming soon to destroy us; but I cannot think he believes it, for he acts and talks like the rest of us; and I heard one say of a believer, He is worse than he was before he professed to believe such things. We are all preachers in a certain sense; our life and example preach a sermon every day, and what do they teach? Do they teach that with humility we are walking with God; pressing nearer to him every day; that we are striving with all our power to live to his glory, and doing all the good we can? Or do they teach that we are just as eager for riches and honor, just as proud, as full of vanity and levity as the worldling, and thus give the lie to our profession? When we live so that we reflect the image of Jesus, and show by all our acts that we believe what we profess, then talk the truth to others, it will not seem altogether like an idle tale to them.

I do desire to so live in future that I may not be altogether an unprofitable servant, but that I may have that earnestness to get ready myself for the Lord's coming that is necessary, and do what I can for others. M. E. WILLIAMS. Randolph, N. Y.