p. 98 | VIGILANCE.-ACTIVITY by I. S. Miller

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 30, 1867

VIGILANCE.—ACTIVITY

By I. S. Miller

SAID the apostle Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, “Let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” Why? Because they were all “the children of the light, and the children of the day.” Now, it seems to me that this language of the apostle is equally applicable to us of to-day, who have embraced, and profess to be living out, the truths that are being brought out under the third angel’s message. We claim to be “the children of the light and the children of the day.” Is our claim a just one? Is it true that we have light on present truth above all others of our generation? I think that no one who has been in the message sufficiently long to obtain a correct view of the great central truth relating to the heavenly sanctuary, and have correct ideas of the law, the atonement, prophecies, and, in fact, all the general points that are encircled in the great plan of salvation, can for a moment doubt that the people called Seventh-day Adventists are blessed with a glorious light to which the rest of professed Christendom are entire strangers.

Having settled it that we have the light, a question of solemn importance comes up to my mind. Why is it that persons who have received light on the truths of the Bible, which, when compared with the theological theories of all other religionists, is as the brilliancy of the noon-day sun above the dim light of the moon,—why is it that such backslide and lose their interest in those things that pertain to their eternal well-being? It would be delightful to every lover of the truth if he could look over the field and behold a steady onward movement on the part of every one who has embraced the message. But alas, it is a painful fact that there are those on every hand who show indications of having lost their first love, and, in fact, no one can say that he has not at some time fallen short of the requirements of the gospel.

What is the cause? Where is the remedy? In all ages of the world, in all stages of the church, the history of the backslider has been the same—neglect of duty, inactivity, spiritual lethargy, and if not timely aroused, insensibility, and finally death. Every backslider knows that these are the waymarks that mark his downward path, and he is at times, when partially awakened, astonished to see what a change has come over him, and is at a loss to know why it is that he feels so differently from what he did when the glorious work of regeneration was accomplished in his heart. It is a remarkable feature in the experience of every true lover of God and the Bible, that when spiritually alive and awake there was a burning zeal to

“Tell to others all around What a dear Saviour they had found,”

But where was the starting point in the course of backsliding? I think it will invariably be found at that stage of the experience where the exhortation of the apostle was neglected. Failing to “watch and be sober,” the attention was diverted, the zealous activity was abated, and idleness gave place to the Devil. Now it is a settled fact that when the adversary is entertained as a guest, he is by no means slack to make the most of his opportunity. He is always sure to assail the backsliding child of God at the weakest point. If we naturally have a murmuring, fault-finding disposition, the faults and short-comings of others will be magnified by the arch-deceiver the moment he finds us off our guard. If we are naturally of a skeptical turn of

mind, the wily foe will take advantage of our weakness and quote to us the words of inspiration to “prove all things,” and he will see to it that we prove them by his standard, rather than by the one God has given us. And so we might go on to enumerate the multiplicity of ways in which this spiritual malady manifests itself, but the above is deemed sufficient.

But how about the remedy? In moral, as well as in physical disease, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Again we turn to the word and read; “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Cor. x, 12. “Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.” Prov. xxviii, 14. “Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” 1 Thess. v. 17–22. These are a few of the numerous directions given by the inspired writers which, if followed, will keep us in the straight and narrow way.

But what shall be done for those who have already backslidden, but for whom a hope is still entertained?

I know of but one course to be pursued, and that is to “cry aloud and spare not;” in other words, to exercise the same wisdom we should were we placed under circumstances where our friends were yielding to stupor from cold or any other cause. We should exert ourselves in every way we could think of to arouse them and to keep them aroused until they were sufficiently alive to their danger to put forth some exertion themselves. And it would not answer to desist because they did not realize what we were trying to do for them, nor even if they repelled our efforts. We should say with the love of commiseration, “They know not what they do,” and should continue our exertions until our end was attained. Shall we not exercise the same wisdom and the same love for those with whom we have started on the journey for the New Jerusalem? Let no one say within his heart, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

“Let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober.”

I. S. MILLER.

R. I.