I Have Not the Will by Epsilon

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 17, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 16.

I Have Not the Will.

By Epsilon

If people were generally frank, we would often hear them speak the plain truth and say, "I have not the will," instead of making lame excuses, or offering arguments for not doing a clearly-defined duty. It is a weakness of poor, fallen man to try to conceal the real cause of neglected duty by framing excuses, and inventing cunning arguments. Our Saviour sets forth this human weakness in the parable beginning at Luke 14:16. One could not attend the feast because he had bought a piece of ground, and must go to see it. Another had bought five yoke of oxen, and must go to prove them. Another had married a wife, and could not come. The Master, on hearing of these excuses, was angry; because he knew that their love of other things was the cause of their disrespect to him. He also knew that frankness would have caused them to speak the plain truth and say, "I have not the will."

The following incident is brought to mind by reading the poem, "Over the hill to the Poorhouse." An aged woman had spent her better days in toiling for her ungrateful children. Her two sons lived in a distant land, in comfortable homes, and neighbors to each other. The news came that their mother would go to the poorhouse, unless otherwise provided for. When one of the sons heard the news, he said, "I would send for my mother and have her live with me, but this climate is too cold for her."

When the news reached the other son, he said, "I would send for my mother and have her live with me, but the climate is too hot for her."

The Lord spoke plainly with his own voice, wrote distinctly with his own finger, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God;" but men have written out many conflicting theories in order to set aside this plain scripture. All the wise (?) men that have ever trodden the earth are not able to remove the stubborn fact that "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Self-willed opposers would save a great deal of time and paper, if they would only be truthful enough to say, "I do not keep holy the seventh day because I have not the will." Epsilon.