UNSOUND CONVERSIONS

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 23, 1876

FromThe Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 47, No. 12.

UNSOUND CONVERSIONS.

One of the most deplorable things in the present history of the church is its tendency to link hands with the world by lowering the high and holy standard of Christianity to meet the groveling desires of the multitude. In this manner the flood-gates of iniquity are opened upon the church, and it becomes freighted with corruption which it does not seem to have the power or disposition to throw off.

The truthfulness of the above is painfully apparent to every candid observer, and has become the object of criticism, by every class of people. While laboring in New England recently, there was a man who, in connection with four or five others, bitterly opposed the teaching of God's commandments, although a regular member of a church. The reason soon became obvious to my mind; for, in conversation with one of his brethren, I learned the following facts: This brother said he had occasion to deal with this man shortly after his connection with the church, and was to receive from him a young cow in exchange for a sleigh. After the exchange was made, he found that his brother in the church had turned over to him an animal much older, and of less value than what he had bargained for. But judge of his surprise on going to the village, to find that the brother had been there before him boasting that he had filed the wrinkles from the cow's horns, to give her a young appearance, and thereby make the deception complete.

This is by no means an isolated case; on the contrary, go where you will, the same complaint reaches your ears—the dishonesty of church members in their dealings with the world, and their selfish, unsanctified life in general. The question naturally comes up (and a pertinent one it is, too), What can be done to remedy this condition of things? We answer: Strike directly at the sin whatever it may be, and deal unsparingly with it; but deal gently and kindly with the individual who has fallen into the sin.

The following from the Central Presbyterian, published in Richmond, Va., is right to the point:—

“The most successful mode of preaching is that which aims at thorough and radical convictions of sin. The law must be applied with power to the conscience, or the preciousness of grace will be very inadequately known. The superficial piety of the present day is in a large degree owing to feeble impressions of the malignity of sin. That complete breaking up of the fallow ground of the heart, that groaning under bondage, that deep sense of weakness and nothingness which characterized the experience of the past generation, are unsuited to the haste and bustle of this stirring age. The transition from absolute indifference to cordial reliance on Christ must be now made in an instant. One gush of sorrow, one leap of joy, and the work must be done. Such converts can know but little of the law, little of Christ, and less of themselves. Men must be soundly instructed by Moses, if they would know the sweetness of the liberty of Christ.” J. O. CORLISS.