p. 363 | A Recipe for Unbelief

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Nov 16, 1876

A Recipe for Unbelief.

The recipe below was prescribed under the following circumstances. A brother whom the enemy harassed much with doubts, wrote to a friend and told him about his perplexities, and the seasons of gloomy thought through which he had to pass on account of the want of that satisfactory assurance of faith so indispensable to spiritual enjoyment, and added, “Send me a good recipe for unbelief.” His friend sent him the following prescription:—

“Take of cheerfulness, joy in the Holy Ghost, trust in God, confidence, reliance on God, patience, boasting in Christ, humility, of each gospel measure. But you must be careful or you might make a mistake in those excellent remedies. Levity is often mixed with, or mistaken for, cheerfulness; self-reliance with reliance on God; vain boasting with boasting in Christ. But especially must you be careful that nothing of the root of despair or doubt be mixed with humility. See that you get them all unadulterated. Put them into the mortar of self-denial; bray or beat them by fasting and prayer. Add a good portion of heavenly-mindedness. Season the whole well with Scripture promises, the more and the stronger the better. Mingle in a sufficient quantity of good works to give it consistency. Put all into the cup of atonement to give it healing virtue. Stretch forth the hand of faith, coming to the cross, and drink down at one draught the whole mixture. Take a good after dose of hidden manna and wine of the kingdom. Repeat unto yourself the words, ‘My Lord and my God,’ ‘For me the Saviour died, for me!’ Take plenty of exercise in the path of duty. Let your daily washings be in the ‘blood that cleanseth,’ with showers of the ‘baptism of the Holy Ghost.’ Warm up in the sunshine of God’s love . . . Never go out without having on the ‘whole armor of God,’ lest the enemy take advantage of you.”

“I think this will cure any ordinary case of unbelief—and indeed almost any other spiritual disease. Should, however, any symptoms of disease remain, add determination, perseverance, resignation to God’s will, and repeat the dose. Should the disease, or any of its symptoms, return, repeat the dose. Indeed, this prescription should always be on hand, and used daily. If the soul is kept continually under its influence, it helps in all ordinary cases, at least. Where this fails there must be some peculiar cause, which must be inquired into and remedied, and then the remedy applied. Thus the most inveterate case can be cured, especially if you add a few specifics for peculiarities.”

“Do you fully understand it? Do you think it will cure you? Let me hear how it works. You may have a few remedies of your own selection to add.”

Should any one who may read this be troubled with doubts, let him try the above prescription and see what virtue there is in it. It may deserve the name of “Panacea,” but it is not patented nor copyrighted. There is liberty to give it a wide circulation.—Chr. Standard and Home Journal.