True Words by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 10, 1874

True Words.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

“LET me say, in the first place, that, when you come to the very marrow of the matter, the kingdom of God is increased, not by the number of churches, not by the number of communicants, not by the number of schools which there are, nor by the number of tracts and newspapers which are circulated. As the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; as it is sweetness, gentleness, meekness, humility and devoutness; so the real increase in any community of the cause of God is to be measured by the increase of these interior dispositions. All the bustle and enterprise and activity does not advance the cause of God among men one step if there has been no augmentation of the devout character of the interior dispositions of men. If the church is only another organization for social purposes; if you are busy in spreading its doctrines and ordinances and outward elements, leaving men just as proud, just as malign, just as cold, just as selfish, just as combative, just as quarrelsome, just as uncharitable in their judgments, and just as hard and inexorable as ever,—you may build an extra Sunday-school in each ward every year, you may multiply Christian associations, but you will make no progress whatsoever, for, after all, it is the increase of these interior dispositions, it is the increase of the sweet fruits of the gospel in men, that marks the spread of Christ’s kingdom.”

How truthful are these words! Let us be careful that our preaching makes men not only sound in doctrine, which is very important, but also sound in heart and practice. D. M. C.