TERMS by Jos. Clarke

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 14, 1869

TERMS.

By Jos. Clarke

It is a good worldly maxim, “Do your work well;” why not in spiritual things as well?

David says, “In my distress I cried unto the Lord.” How natural, in our trouble, to cry to God! and still more natural, to forget him, when trouble is over!

Prosperity is said to be the ruin of fools. Prov. i. 32. If this is so, as it is generally admitted, who could wish for complete success in worldly things, as it ruins most of men! There is great wisdom in the prayer of Agur, “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” Prov. xxx. 8.

If man would say, I will serve God, and do his work first, then my lawful labors when I can, instead of, I will do my work first, then God’s, when I can, they would stand very differently with him, than at present.

He who takes one hand hold of Heaven, the other hold of Satan, will soon be left in the company of Satan; for God will not walk with Satan; be sure of that.

When you visit the tailor’s shop to procure a coat, you like to get one that will fit. Do you proceed upon a like principle when you go to the house of God?

We may not despise another because he lacks some virtue we possess, lest he despise us for a like cause.

In conferring favors, we imitate God; in withholding and grudging, we imitate Satan.

Preparing for translation, indeed; who is doing this? Is it the worldly man? Is it the passionate man? Is it the heedless and careless man? Is it the selfish man? Is it the vainglorious, the sensual, man? How preposterous to suppose one’s self going to Mount Zion, when drifting all the time the other way.

JOS. CLARKE.