p. 122 | A PECULIAR PEOPLE by J. N. Ayers

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 17, 1879

A PECULIAR PEOPLE.

By J. N. Ayers

“For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.” Ps. 135 : 4.

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2 : 11–14.

What a peculiar people those Seventh-day Adventists are! They are not like any one else; they keep Saturday for the Sabbath, and say it is the seventh day of the fourth commandment, referring you to Exodus 20 : 10 : “But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God,” etc. Then they are so peculiar about what they eat and wear. They eat no pork and use no lard. They claim that it is wrong to drink tea, coffee, or whisky; that these are all stimulants, and a person that drinks them is more or less intoxicated, according to the amount taken. And they will not allow any one that uses tobacco to join their church. They declare that tobacco is filthy and defiling as well as intoxicating, and that God’s people must be clean. 2 Cor. 7 : 1 : “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.” 1 Cor. 3 : 17 : “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

The women do not believe it is right to wear ornaments on their dress, or ear-rings, finger rings, or any kind of jewelry about their person; but though their dress is plain, they always look clean and neat, and declare it is according to God’s word. 1 Tim. 2 : 9, 10 : “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shame-facedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.” 1 Pet. 3 : 3 : “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel.”

I really do not know what to think of them, they are so peculiar, and then they are so zealous; I believe they are true Christians, they are so kind and accommodating; and if you ask them anything about their faith, they always refer you to the Bible, and it seems as though they know more about the Bible than any other people. I believe they make it a daily study; for you will always find them with a Bible in their pocket; or, if at home, the Bible is always on the table, or where they can put their hand on it at any time.

All this, and much more, we hear, as in traveling from place to place we happen to stop where a family of live Seventh-day Adventists have settled; and it makes us feel that a family of God’s peculiar people live in that community,—a family that read our publications, and let their light shine, and are not afraid of being called peculiar either. May the blessing of God rest on all such Adventists, is the feeling of our heart as we retire to rest.

Oh that we might hear the same in every place we go, but we find it very different in some places. Something like the following greets our ears: Those Adventists that moved in here last year, and that made such a great fuss about the Sabbath and the second coming of Christ, and pretended to be so very religious, are no different from the rest of the professors, as I can see. They are all about alike, and those that make no profession are as good as any of them. They go to all the celebrations, picnics, festivals, and pleasure parties, just as much as the worldlings do, and take part in all the foolish plays and games.

And then the way they dress! They have feathers and flowers on their hats, rings in their ears and on their fingers, and wear dresses ruffled and flounced from top to bottom. I defy any one to tell them from worldlings. The men chew tobacco, and watch for a chance to make a good trade, and even tell things that I know are not really true; and they take the advantage of a neighbor who is in straitened circumstances whenever they can. They hardly ever attend prayer-meeting, and always visit or chore around on Saturday (their Sabbath) just as Sunday-keepers do on Sunday.

I confess I cannot see the difference between them and those who make no profession. If there is any difference, the latter class are the most accommodating, and can be trusted the farthest. To tell the truth, I do not believe they have any religion about them; if they had, they would show it in some way. But they think that because they pretend to keep the seventh day, they are sure of Heaven anyway. I have seen enough of such hypocritical professors; and if I ever try to live a religious life, I shall look for a different people from them; for I believe that God’s people are a separate people, and we can tell them anywhere.

This, and much more, we are sometimes compelled to hear; and we feel like calling for our room and shutting ourselves up alone to keep from hearing any more, and then like leaving as soon as possible in the morning, to hunt a more congenial clime. And all this because there is a family of pretended Seventh-day Adventists in the community that are a reproach to the cause, are spiritually dead, are not reading our publications, and are living like the world around them for fear of being called peculiar, and so have grieved the Spirit of God away from them.

Generally such families claim to be too poor to take any of our publications; but they can take a political paper and a story paper for their children. You ask for the Bible, and there is a great commotion in the house, running from room to room to find the lost book, and when at last it is found, it is covered with dust, showing that it is seldom used. In the evening the children (some nearly grown) drop off to bed one by one, and finally you are shown to your room. In the morning all is confusion until breakfast is ready, and after having hurriedly partaken of the morning meal, the members of the family scatter in various directions to their work. No time to read a chapter in the Bible, no time to engage in a season of prayer, no time to thank the Lord for the many blessings he is bestowing upon them, and ask for a continuation of the same during the day; and so it goes from day to day, from week to week. What is the cause of all this? The answer is, They have become like the world around them, and are serving mammon instead of God. They are afraid of being called peculiar; and we leave them, feeling that it would have been far better for the community in which they live if they had never made a profession.

God’s people ever have been and always will be peculiar, separate from the world. And when a people (although chosen of God) become like the world, God’s Spirit eventually leaves them; and he raises up another people to take their place and carry forward his work on the earth. Take the history of the Israelites, whom he chose as his holy and peculiar people:—

Deut. 14 : 2 : “For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.”

Deut. 7 : 7 : “The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people.” Ex. 33 : 16 : “For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.” In verse 14 he says, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”

We learn from these texts, first, that God chose Israel to be his peculiar people; secondly, that at the time of his choosing them they were few in number; thirdly, that he separated them from all other people on the earth; and fourthly, that the Lord went with them as long as they remained a separate and peculiar people. And we find by their history that they were a peculiar people as long as they obeyed God.

They were separated from the world by their dress. Num. 15 : 38 : “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribbon of blue.”

They were not to unite in marriage with other nations around them. Deut. 7 : 3 : “Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.”

They were also instructed of the Lord in regard to their diet. Deut. 14 : 3–21. By reading Num. 11–14, we learn that some disobeyed the Lord. They complained because they could not live like the world. They lusted after such food as they had been accustomed to eat in Egypt. They continued to murmur until finally the Lord’s protecting care was withdrawn, and they wandered in the wilderness until all but Caleb and Joshua and the children had perished. They never entered the promised land, although they had started from Egypt, and the Lord had been with them, and had wrought many miracles for them.

What is all this written for? 1 Cor. 10 : 6 : “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” Verses 10, 11 : “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” Then let us take heed to what is written, that we may possess the goodly land, knowing that if we are God’s people we shall be few, separate, and peculiar.

We might also refer to the history of God’s people under Luther, Wesley, and other reformers. At the first, God was with them; they were few and peculiar. But as they grew in numbers, they began to be more like the world, till God raised up others to carry forward his work. We believe that we are in the Laodicean state of the church. (Read the message to that church in Rev. 3 : 15–22.) Then should we not arouse, and get out of this lukewarm condition? We are losing our zeal, are becoming more and more like the world, and the Lord is calling upon us to be zealous and repent. If we pay no heed, he will reject us as he did the Jews and others that have once been his peculiar people, and have become lukewarm in his service. The few honest, zealous ones will go through; but oh, how few their number compared with those that make a profession, and have lost their zeal, and will lose eternal life! I sometimes think it will be with us as it was with ancient Israel, all that started years ago will be lost, except a few like Caleb and Joshua, and that the children represent those who come in at the eleventh hour, and do not allow their zeal to cool off.

We must not expect to have the friendship of the world. James says, chap. 4 : 4, “The friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” And John cautions us: “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. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2 : 15, 16. So if we should succeed in gaining the whole world, we should have only these three things,—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; and by reading Solomon’s testimony we find that these are all vanity. But if we would have eternal life, we must deny self, bear the cross, and follow Christ. Matt. 16 : 24. We must keep ourselves unspotted from the world. James 1 : 27. There must be no spots of dishonesty about us. Our lives must not be conformed to this world, but must be transformed by the power of God’s Spirit. Rom. 12 : 2. We must be sanctified through the truth, the word of God; for we are not of this world. John 17 : 16, 17.

Now just one word to those Sabbath-keepers who are moving West. Some, when they come here, act as though they were ashamed of the truth; and if they ever were children of God, they cover up their light so that no one can see it. Christ says, in Matt. 5 : 13–16, “Ye are the light of the world.” Then if you cover up your light, there is darkness around you. “Ye are the salt of the earth;” but what if your salt have lost its savor? “It is thenceforth good for nothing.” Now if you have lost your savor, are covering your light, I fear the Lord will cast you out, and you will be like those described in 2 Pet. 2 : 21–22.

Do not try to live like the world, but live close to the Saviour, that you may bear much fruit. John 15 : 1–6. Do not try to dress like the world, but follow the instructions given in God’s holy word. Dear brother, dear sister, let your light shine wherever you are. Do not try to live out of the church, but unite with the one nearest you at the first opportunity. Identify yourself with the tract society, and work with zeal for the salvation of those around you. Be sure not to let your papers stop, if you are taking them, and if you are not taking them, subscribe at once. Stop using tea, coffee, tobacco, or any other harmful luxury that you may be using, but do not stop reading our periodicals. Stop wearing jewelry and useless ornaments, but do not stop your papers. Stop trying to be like the world, but do not stop being one of God’s peculiar people. Be separate from the world, but united to God and to his people. Be faithful in all things, be Christlike every day, at home or abroad, and do not be afraid of being called peculiar, and the Lord will bless you in your new home.

J. N. AYERS.

Garnett, Kansas.