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Stumbling-Blocks

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 5, 1874

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 43, No. 21.

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Stumbling-blocks.

A GREAT many people, in these days, complain most bitterly of stumbling-blocks. You ask them why they do not get religion, they tell you they see so many who profess religion, and do not live it. Jesus says, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.” “Oh! yes, but they are stumbling-blocks.” Well, if you know they are stumbling-blocks then you need not stumble over them. You would call a man a fool that would go along a path in broad daylight, with his eyes open, and tumble over a stone that he saw and knew lay in his path; but he is not as foolish as the man who tumbles over what he knows will throw him down to eternal darkness and despair.
There are but two ways for people to go. All are going one way or the other. One is the broad way; it leads to death; the other is the narrow one, and it leads to life.
The broad way is full of stumbling-blocks. Satan has got them scattered all along the way, and he has so blinded the eyes of those who go in that way, that they cannot see the real stumbling-blocks. Satan might rightly be termed highway commissioner of the broad way. He has pit-holes all along the way, by which to plunge souls into perdition, and plenty of pathmasters to lay stumbling-blocks right in front of the holes, and lead poor, blind souls right up to the places, and they tumble over, and down they go! Those that perish in this way are inexcusable, because that now and then a ray of light breaks in upon them, and shows them the danger they are in.
But they close their eyes against the light, and plunge into the darkness. Satan advances his subjects as fast as possible; he makes them all pathmasters as soon as they are properly drilled. Every one who holds out inducements to souls to gain pleasures from the world, or from any source aside from that which God has pointed out in his word, is the devil’s pathmaster. The preacher who preaches an easier way to get to Heaven than the royal road of the cross is the devil’s pathmaster. The man who teaches that it is impossible to come up to the standard of Bible experience is the devil’s pathmaster. The man who teaches that freemasonry is superior to the Christian religion is the devil’s pathmaster. The man who teaches that there is no harm in social amusements, such as picnics, sociables, oyster suppers, etc., is the devil’s pathmaster. Every one who is not clearly saved in God is helping on the terrible work of damning souls. Their influence, time, talents and means, all combine in this terrible work of getting souls to hell. Dear, unsaved man, you may be unconscious of the fact, but it is a terrible truth, that you who complain so much about stumbling-blocks are exerting an influence that is damning the souls of others. Oh, what a fearful responsibility rests upon every human being!
Dear reader, are you lending a hand in this terrible work? If so, stop and think before you go another step. Lay down the weapons of your rebellious warfare. Cease to fight against the King of Heaven. Turn your back upon the broad way, and set your face as a flint toward Mount Zion. You will find that the way to Mount Zion is a narrow way, and only a few to go with you, but there are no stumbling-blocks in the way; it is perfectly clear and clean. It is a highway cast up for the redeemed of the Lord to walk in. No lion’s whelp hath ever trod it, no vulture’s eye hath ever seen it. None that keep this way ever stumble and fall. The light from the eternal world shines all along the way, and dispels every shadow of darkness. God has anointed the eyes of those who walk in this way with eye-salve, and the scales have fallen off, and they see every man clearly. God infuses new life into those who go this way; even the most aged can mount up on wings as eagles, run and not get weary, walk and not faint. None that walk in this way carry any burdens. No need of any hard tack here, for they get fresh supplies of bread as often as they need it fresh from the bakery of Heaven. No matter if they pass through a desert, manna falls from heaven, and water bursts from the rocks.—Free Methodist.