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M. W. HOWARD

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 30, 1871

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 37, No. 24.

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M. W. HOWARD

By M. W. Howard

Meditations.

“THOUSANDS will fall within sight of the prize.” These words, as I read them, riveted my attention, and raised the fearful inquiry in my heart, Shall I be one of the falling ones? The want of decision of which I am sorrowfully conscious, leads me to fear that I shall faint by the way. But to commit my way unto the Lord, believing he will direct my steps, is my full purpose, and that my trust in Jesus falters not I am sure; for I know that
“Other refuge have I none, Hangs my helpless soul on Thee.”
Yes, my “helpless soul!” That fully expresses it. I desire no other refuge, seek none other. Yet, oh! the sad distrust with which Satan sometimes buffets me. I know it is his province to worry whom he cannot destroy. Can I, or rather will I, successfully resist his power, so that he destroy me not? A writer has said, “We are not required to have faith in our faith, but to have faith in Jesus.” This thought so completely met the need of my heart that I felt to go “many days in the strength of it;” and it contains cheer enough to encourage us on our entire way. But if, like the apostle Paul, who was a representative Christian man, we could come up on that higher ground, we should not merely view Christ, but receive him. When Christ came into Paul’s soul, there came another faith into Paul’s faith. Mark his expression. Gal. 2: 20, he says, not faith in, or on Christ, but, “I live by the faith of the Son of God.” The veritable, personal faith of Christ itself, giving to Paul’s faith power, lifting it up, making it steady-sighted, far-visioned, able to see the invisible and eternal. It was in this Christ-faith that he lived and moved in God; this, that made him the zealous apostle that he was.
And such a love, and such a faith, such a crucifixion, such a redemption may be ours. It was not meant for Paul alone. It has been the faith of thousands since Paul’s day. It is for us, and should be ours, since it is the same form of expression used in Rev. 14: 12: “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

M. W. HOWARD

Malone, N. Y., April, 1871.