CRUMBS by Joseph Clarke

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 3, 1879

CRUMBS

By Joseph Clarke

“From faith to faith.” Rom. 1:17. That is, as each day and hour, and each trial of life, calls for a new development of faith, God’s righteousness, or goodness, is thus revealed to the just (good) man, who lives by his faith, or by the exercise of his faith. In this way there is a continual renewal of faith by constant growth; and as new trials bring renewed acts of faith, new joys accompany them, and thus there is no sameness or monotony, but an ever-increasing variety in the Christian’s experience of the goodness of God, all tending to one great and good result,—a conscience void of offense toward God and man. This produces peace of mind, and brings the Christian where he can adopt the language of Paul in Rom. 8.

“Be not faithless, but believing.” John. 20 : 27. It is no honor to doubt a well-proven fact. The Bible, and the moral responsibilities growing out of its principles, are all too well proven for any but a heathen to doubt. Thomas doubted; doubtless he considered it a mark of mind; but we hear little of Thomas after this cruel summons for evidence. It was unreasonable to ask it. Bunyan’s famous book, “The Holy War,” describes a class of Diabolians who were not to be seen when Emmanuel and his army were in the city; but as soon as his army was withdrawn, then might be seen, skulking about in the lanes and dark corners of the city, these Diabolian doubters; until, finally, they became so bold as to walk in the open streets of the city, and even to converse with the leading men of Mansoul. After the class has learned that 2x2=4, it would be foolish to question this simple fact. So with morals; until we learn and prove, we may question, but not after a fact is well proven.

JOSEPH CLARKE.