FIRST by Joseph Clarke

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 26, 1877

FIRST

By Joseph Clarke

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matt. 6:33.

It is impossible for the carnal mind to take hold aright of the work of God. In every thought, word, act and motive, self and interests connected with self-interest continually crowd to the surface and clamor for the ascendancy and for the preference.

Business or pleasure or both claim the first place; and the Bible and the truths it contains are put off and slighted or entirely set aside. The morning of the day and the morning of life are far too precious in the view of practical men, to be spent in the service of God. Wait, say they, till the work of the day is over; or wait till age shall come with its harvest of wealth and honor; then we will see to this matter.

But the words of Christ do not admit of any other meaning; we must do his work first of all. In this age of general apostasy, these important words of our Saviour are understood and appreciated by few; and few practice them in all things.

First of all, seek those things which tend to the honor of God and the salvation of men; then those things which are secondary, as food and raiment (see the context), shall be added unto you—shall be added, not may be added, unto you.

The above text is from the “Sermon on the Mount,” as it is called, which extends over the whole of the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew, and is all of general application, and is not confined in its sense to any class of teachers, but is applicable to all the followers of Christ. God will not accept of a secondary service. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, is the absolute command of God, in the Old Testament and in the New.

It is the misfortune of the present age, that Christianity is professed by many, and is possessed by but few. The Babylon of the Apocalypse has stood up before the world for more than thirteen centuries, and has set the world an example of formalism, which it has not failed to learn. The kings of the earth and their subjects have imbibed largely of the spirit of the papacy; and although they have thrown aside allegiance to the temporal power of the popes, yet the wine of Babylon (its tendency to formalism) is at this very time doing its stupefying, intoxicating work upon the whole so called Christian world.

So general and widespread has been the influence of the papal church upon the Christian world, for so long a time, that it may be doubted if there is one person in ten thousand at the present time, in all the domains of Christendom, whose character is not affected more or less by influences flowing directly from Roman Catholicism; and the very tendency of everything peculiar to the papal church is to lessen the honor of God and to exalt the honor of man.

The influence of the papal church has ever been to turn these words of Christ in an inverted order, and to say, Seek first the honor of the creature, the interest of the papal see, and the holy mother church: take care of these first; and then, as far as is possible, do the works of God. Such has been the influence of the papal church, for thirteen centuries—yes, for thirteen hundred years, she has sat upon her throne, and with all the authority of an empress, she has emphatically said by her example and by her acts and her words that she was to the church as God; and instead of seeking first the kingdom of God, the honor of God, she has sought the honor of herself, and has made the honor of God wholly a secondary thing, or has put it off altogether.

Reader, is this a matter to be applied to the papal church alone, and its members? Are not we, yes, you and I, stupefied and intoxicated in a greater or less degree, by the wine of Babylon, which we have sipped. True, we approve of Luther and the Reformer, but did they wholly recover themselves from the effects of the papal errors? Let history reply.

The reformation was but a beginning in reform. Christianity, as it came from its founder, and as delivered by the apostles to the church, was a glorious system; but it has been terribly mutilated by its professed friends. Now, what do we behold? Do all seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness? Is not the position of the reformed churches at this time a burlesque upon this command of our Saviour?

Seek first the vanities of earth, seek for wealth, for learning, pleasure, and honor; then seek for the kingdom of God, upon the bed of death, or when age has laid upon you its weight of sorrow and care, weakness and imbecility,—this is the silent voice of the many whose example gives law to society.

Thus Christ’s command is inverted; thus he is disobeyed and dishonored. A formal, lifeless Christianity lies like an incubus upon the nations, and few are aware of its deadening effect upon all. Attempts to rise from this terrible stupor are like the attempt of a man in a fit to rise and assume the life and grace of healthful, buoyant youth, while the pallor of death whitens his ghastly features; or, they are like to the symptoms of the partially drowned man, as he begins to recover from the effect of being too long separated from his natural element, the vital air.

But, thank the Lord, there have ever been, and still are, those who seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and such have ever testified that all other necessary things were added unto them.

The example of all good men proves to us the certainty of this promise. The patriarchs and prophets and the good of ancient times, all found a supply in God. In the time of want, succor was at hand; whether it was a nation, it was supplied by the manna; or a single prophet, the raven brought him a daily supply. Our Saviour, by a word, fed five thousand at once.

But he would lay peculiar stress upon seeking God first of all. This is the great object of life; this is first and infinitely most important of all things,—to love our Creator, and serve him with joy and gratitude of heart; to study his will and his ways, to walk carefully in his statutes, to keep in view the Saviour, who died that we might have pardon in his blood, and to have continually with us his Spirit to sanctify us, and to lead us to God through Jesus Christ his dear Son. JOSEPH CLARKE.