Your ShelfYour Projects

Largeness of Heart

10%

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 7, 1874

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 44, No. 4.

Read the full edition

Largeness of Heart.

By Jos. Clarke

“AND the Lord gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart.” 1 Kings 4:29.
Our hearts become contracted by selfishness, and by constantly looking to our own interests, and by the constant pressure of sharpers from without, who make it a business to absorb whatever they can, and appropriate to themselves what comes in their way, either by one way or another.
Men get to feel as if almost every other man was on the lookout to cheat them and get hold of the little they have earned, and this, with the inward principle of selfishness, soon begets a sort of enmity which he learns to conceal, and thus hypocrisy is fairly commenced.
Men of education and principle, and men of mind, do, to a greater or less degree, see the case and restrain themselves from that disgusting phase of selfishness which is often developed in more contracted minds; but nearly all have drank in so much of the spirit of the world that we need to pray, O Lord, enlarge my heart.
Our hearts are too small. We find it hard to sympathize with those beyond our little sphere. If our affairs are going on smoothly, we cannot feel for others who are not of our neighborhood. If our homes are safe and prosperous, we cannot weep for those whose dwellings are carried away by the overflowing floods, or destroyed by the devouring element. If our fields yield their increase, we have little sympathy with the victims of famine and want. If we are well, we care little for the sick and afflicted.
There are noble minds whose hearts God has touched, who only value property for the good it can do, and talent for the good influence it may exert. Such live in an atmosphere of bliss, and their memory is blessed.
“Circumstances alter cases,” and the S. D. Adventist who truly believes what he professes, and loves God with all his heart, and loves his neighbor too, will be very liberal according to his ability—much more so than any former church; for he believes that time is soon to close and the world must all be warned of the coming event—disaster to the unbeliever, but deliverance to the saint.
In a few years, earth will be a dreary waste; no one will inhabit its vast extent. Of what use will the goods of earth be to us then? our abode will be Heaven or hades, and we, in either case, will need no more the things of this world.
Jos. CLARKE.