Random Thoughts by John Nevins Andrews

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 28, 1870

Random Thoughts.

By John Nevins Andrews

THE MORE EXCELLENT WAY.

This is the way of Christian holiness. It is literally a way, for it is to be traveled step by step. It is not a place of standing still or settling down at our ease. We must advance therein by constant and steady progress. We are to learn new lessons respecting the nature of Christian experience, and the excellence of our Lord's life and character. No sooner are we to learn them than we are to reduce them to practice. We can never cease in this work. It is our business every day to turn over a new leaf. No matter how much of God's blessing we enjoyed on yesterday. We may to-day clearly see some blemishes in our yesterday's experience. We must to-day cry out to God for the removal of these faults. Such must be our constant action. And we may be sure that as we draw nearer and nearer to Christ we shall advance more rapidly in the knowledge of his infinite excellence than it will be possible to advance in our imitation of him. We shall therefore day by day hunger more and more after righteousness.

MERCIFUL PROVIDENCES.

How numerous are those interpositions of Divine Providence by which we are saved from calamities, distresses, and accidents. Surely, when these providences are made visible by our being brought to the very verge of calamity and saved from it by some unexpected change, we have no excuse for forgetting, or overlooking the hand of God. Yet the providence of God is no less actively engaged for us when we are saved from being brought even to the appearance of approaching some sad loss or trouble. It is the providence of God that helps us at every step. We certainly need it every moment, and we should never act in a careless or irreverent manner, as though we needed no special help. Should we thus grieve away the angels of God, we may very soon be brought to understand how defenceless we are without their protection.

VAIN GLORY.

This is one of the evils of the carnal heart. The angels of God have no such evil principle within them. Man did not have it till he became a fallen being. But he has it now deep seated in his nature. It is that which desires the applause of men. It craves the honor that the world gives, rather than that which God bestows. It is a wicked and selfish principle, for it desires to raise self at the expense of others. It is willing to receive praise by having others lightly esteemed. The grace of God takes this wicked feeling entirely away. If it did not, we should never be fit for the society of sinless angels. It does not take from us the desire to do right, nor the fear of dishonoring the cause of God; but it does take from us the desire of all vain glory. It makes us willing to be lightly esteemed even by those whose good opinion is of some consequence. It makes us only anxious to be entirely right, and it leaves all the rest to God.

LOVE NOT THE WORLD.

This is the voice of the Bible. The reason is perfectly obvious. The world that now is, is full of sin and evil. It is certain to deceive and disappoint those who make it the object of their love. It can never satisfy the desires of the human heart. It is sure to fail those who make it their dependence. But there is a world that never shall end. In it is good only, and not evil at all. All who dwell therein shall be infinitely blessed. This world we may love. Nay we are even commanded to love it. We are to set our affections upon it by transferring our treasure thither. To do this is the highest wisdom. J. N. A.