A Safe Calculation by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · May 1, 1879

A Safe Calculation.

By Editor

A YOUNG man with a small family once embraced the Sabbath, and at the same time made his first effort to live a Christian life. He had been accustomed to associate with those who spent their evenings at saloons, and of course joined with them in spending their earnings in such places.

When he professed the Christian faith and quit working on the seventh day, his companions endeavored to turn him away by telling him he would "lose two days," as he could not work on the first day, and would not work on the seventh, and therefore he "could not live"—his family would be brought to suffering.

His reply was well worth considering by all who have to choose between worldly interest and duty. "If you can live," said he, "working six days, and spending half or two-thirds of your wages for cigars and liquor, besides often losing time about the saloons, I can surely live, working five days, keeping all my wages for the support of my family."

As "Poor Richard" said, we are taxed more by our habits than by the government. Employers are largely responsible for the unfaithfulness of their employees. A laborer may have his weekly sprees, and not only lose a day in drunkenness, but unfit himself for work for the day following, and the employer will say less about it than he would say if an honest, steady hand took some time to worship God. People have come to act as if conscientious conviction, even if sustained by the plainest declarations of the Scriptures, were unworthy of any favorable consideration. How little are the rights and authority of God respected in this age. How nearly true, even in this day of gospel privileges, are the words of the apostle, "The whole world lieth in wickedness."