Pride or Self-Righteousness.
By M. C. S. Truesdail
How criminal in the sight of Heaven is this self-debasing sin! With those addicted to it, all the array of Bible argument combined with historical proof is not sufficient to remove the self-righteous film so securely drawn over their eyes. The prophet Ezekiel (12:2) describes them perfectly, when he says, “Which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not.” Not a few of this class look down upon us, as the Philistine did upon David, when he boast ingly declared what he would do, if David ventured to approach him. While the young stripling reminded him that he came “in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom he had defied,” the result proved an entire defeat of the whole army of boasters; while victory turned on Israel’s side. Would that we had more of that firm reliance upon God which David possessed. Not long since an M. E. elder of this city, having failed to meet the array of arguments on the immortality question, made an effort to expose us to ridicule, by a ludicrous mention of our style of dress. After using expressions much beneath the dignity of a gentleman, he stated that “we were like the Mormons, with the one exception: plurality of wives; but as we were not very numerous, we would not do much hurt in the world.” Though it proved to be food for a portion of his congregation, the more intelligent felt mortified at his futile effort to injure us; while some nonprofessors remarked that we were more like the Methodists fifty years ago than either himself or people; for at that time, you could pick out Methodists by their plain dress, as well as Adventists now by their short dress; and one individual (whose father was a Methodist preacher before his decease, and two of his father’s brothers still occupy that position) stated that he would “never hear him again till he was found reproving his own people for loading themselves with jewelry, disfiguring their heads with false hair, and their persons worse, by trying to keep pace with prevailing fashions of the age.” It would scarcely seem possible that professed Christians of the nineteenth century had ever read the apostle Peter’s advice to the churches. It might be well for this reason to quote it entire: “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves.” May the Lord help his people in this age of pride and self-righteousness, to seek meekness, and seek righteousness, that we may be hid in the day of his anger. Zeph. 2:3.