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Old Things Done Away

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 27, 1872

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 40, No. 11.

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Old Things Done Away.

By Susan Elmer

I HAVE heard the above quoted to prove that the Sabbath was done away. For, say they, after Christ came, old things passed away, and all things became new. But they must have forgotten the other part of the text. It reads thus: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Has he broken the law of God? How willingly does he now turn his feet in the way of his commandments. They are no longer grievous; for the law is now written in his heart. He who is in Christ will be wholly transformed. The things he once hated he now loves. It makes the covetous soul liberal, the fault-finding and murmuring patient and forbearing, the proud and haughty spirit is now exchanged for a meek and quiet one. And how can it be otherwise, if he is imbued with the spirit of his Master?
We see this exemplified in the case of Paul. Now, behold him with the fury of a demon, entering the houses of the saints, hating men and women, committing them to prison. He will by no means allow them to speak for Jesus. But listen again, for it does the heart good to hear him. “What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Now he possesses the meek and lowly spirit of that same Jesus that he so lately had persecuted. Oh! yes; and do we not need to cultivate more of the same spirit, that we may die to sin daily, grow up unto Christ our living head in all things, reflect his image more fully, having the blessed assurance that we are his, watching and longing for his appearing? Then we shall indeed be ready to hail his return with delight, and realize the glorious fulfillment of that prophecy spoken by the Lord to the beloved John so many centuries ago: “Behold, I make all things new.” God grant that we may be ready to participate in the new creation.
SUSAN ELMER.
Ashfield, Mass., Aug., 1872.