Is thy Heart Right? by S. Thurston

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 24, 1872

Is thy Heart Right?

By S. Thurston

What answer can we give to this question? Are we fully given up to the will of God? And can we say of a truth that we are the Lord's, and that he is ours? Can we say in all things, Not my will, but thine be done? Are there not some sins that we are not willing to part with? If so, these are roots in the heart, which send up noxious weeds. We may cut off these weeds as often as they get grown so tall that we cannot help seeing them, but where is the victory that we have gained. We may feel very sorry that we have done wrong, and mourn, and resolve to do so no more; but soon, perhaps, we are again guilty of the same sin, and then our courage fails, and we feel to say, How can we forsake our sins so long as the roots remain in our hearts?

How often in our childhood days have we been sent to pull weeds in the garden, and instead of digging down and getting the roots, would pull the tops off, thinking it was just as well; but what was our surprise in a few days to find that the weeds were alive, and growing as fast as ever. But since we have come to years of understanding, we know that if we would kill weeds we must take the roots out.

Just so it is with the people of God who have departed from their first love. They need to go back and do their first works over, renew their consecration, and then in agonizing prayer ask help from on high to take not only the branches, but the roots, also, out of our hearts. Then we can say, Christ hath made us free. When the blood of Christ is applied to our hearts, then the fountain will be pure. Then let us watch unto the coming of the Lord, and have our hearts so filled with the love of Christ that there will be no room for Satan to again sow bad seeds in our hearts. Then we can say, Through Christ we have got the victory.

S. THURSTON.