p. 208 | Two Great Errors by James White

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · May 6, 1875

Two Great Errors.

By James White

1. It is an error to suppose that change is identical with progress. There is no progress without change, it is true, but yet change is not necessarily progress. Many make a mistake here. They point to the changes which have taken place in their lives, and call them the evidences of their progress. Were retrogression impossible they would be correct in their conclusion. But there is as clear a possibility of changing from bad to worse, as from good to better. Indeed, close observation will show that the changes from bad to worse are far more frequent than from bad to good. Let every one see to it that he makes no changes in a wrong direction; that he does not sink with the world, or suffer himself to be drawn away with the error of the wicked; for the enemy has blinded many so as to make them believe they were progressing when they were sinking lower and lower.

As the consumptive has the highest hope of recovery when death draws near, and as a patient ceases to feel pain when mortification sets in, so in case of spiritual blindness, the deceived one is more self-complacent as his darkness and danger increases. This shows the great danger of mistakes in religion or morals. Sin both blinds and hardens. He who cannot tell the difference between downward change and progress, will soon be unable to discover a difference between pardon and license, or to discern between gospel liberty and licentiousness. He is greatly to be pitied.

2. It is a mistake to think that all noise is music. It is true, there can be no music without some noise, but noise is not necessarily music. Many seem to labor under this mistake, and as they think noise must be music, they take for granted that where there is most noise there is most music. But discord is quite as possible as concord or harmony; and where there is discord, an increase of volume only makes the discord more apparent and disagreeable. Even harmonious sounds become disagreeable when they are too loud to be borne by the sensitive nerve; much more so, harsh and discordant sounds.

Singing is a part of the worship of God, and we should hold ourselves under obligations to sing right, and, as far as possible, to make melody in our hearts and on our tongues. If we could not read we should of necessity have to take our texts of Scripture from some one who could read. Then if we undertook to quote them we should expect to make many mistakes; sometimes, perhaps, serious ones. And then the proper course to pursue would be to learn to read, and thus give Scripture correctly. And as singing is worship we should endeavor to read the tunes we sing, otherwise we must trust to memory, and thus be liable to make discord instead of melody.

Some men have been so opposed to educated ministers that they would try to preach without being able to read their Bibles. And some, in like manner, have been prejudiced against singing by note, not knowing that it is impossible to sing a tune correctly without the notes. As no one is qualified to teach who has not first been taught, even so no one can properly lead who has not been led; and the most teachable spirit becomes the best teacher.

Elijah heard a great and strong wind; and beheld an earthquake, and a fire; but the Lord was not in these. Afterward he heard a still small voice, and the Lord was in this. So it often is in worship.

Let us all endeavor to correct the mistakes of the past, and be circumspect in all things that pertain to the worship of God. J. H. W.