p. 151 | Saying and Doing by JOS. CLARKE.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 25, 1871

Saying and Doing.

By JOS. CLARKE.

The intention cannot atone for the neglect. A man may intend to do right and nobly; yet such may be the temptation, and so weak the principle of right action, that the good resolutions are swept away like the leaves of autumn before the mountain torrent.

The repentant sinner, or returning backslider, truly intends to amend his ways; but too frequently, as often as he repents, he returns again to his sin, or omission of duty, and thus becomes unstable, and double-minded.

As he returns with humility, he wins the love and esteem of his brethren; as he again relapses into pride and vain glory, he loses more than he won by his humility.

At each relapse, he loses the confidence of those he chose as his brethren, and weakens himself. This is not an isolated case; but in one form or other, many are thus undermining their own hope; not by humility, and repentance, but by forgetting their weakness, and presuming upon the strength they possess, and forgetting their own weakness and sin.

Let us who are weak, flee unto God for strength. Let us rely upon him, and while our brethren forgive and forget our past wrongs, let us not be in haste to forgive ourselves; but rather cherish this virtue toward those who have injured us.

None are more exposed to vain glory and pride, and instability, than those who have least cause for self-gratulation: let us remember that it is in humility only that we stand; by this we have arisen; by this let us hold our ground.

JOS. CLARKE.