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A WARNING

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The Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 20, 1879

FromReview Herald, Vol. 54, No. 21.

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A WARNING.

By E. H. Gates

I am often pained to see how lightly religion rests on most of our young Sabbath-keepers. They can laugh and jest with other young people, with scarcely a thought of the Judgment, or of the great responsibility resting on them to set a right example before their young associates. They can deck their bodies with all the fashionable abominations of the age, talk about parties, rides, marriage, beaux, and other foolish things, little thinking that they are telling to the world by their actions that they do not believe a word of what they profess.
If they wish to be like the world, why not give up the name of Christian, and thus cease to be a stumbling-block to their young associates? If they believe the Bible, and that Christ is soon coming, let them give some evidence of it to the world; for no one will ever believe in a profession that does not make a radical change in the professor.
Many of the young seem to think that their probationary time is one grand holiday. Many parents who are asleep, excuse their children by saying that young folks must have their fun—must sow their wild oats. But what says the Scripture? “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks.” Eph. 5:4. The wise man says: “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” Eccl. 11:9.
These passages of Scripture are just as true as any others, and just as important. Then why are they not heeded by young Sabbath-keepers? Christ says that “every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment.”
The young can have a great influence for good if they will carry out the instructions of God’s word; but none need expect a place in God’s kingdom, who have spent butterfly lives here, and have done nothing to bless fallen humanity. E. H. GATES.