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WORSE AND BETTER

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 27, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 4.

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WORSE AND BETTER.

Worse

Worse a thousand times over to cherish or tolerate one sin in the heart than to have a thousand sins committed on every side of us by the world. Evil environment will not hurt us if we do not let it inside.
Jesus formed a perfect character in the wicked city of Nazareth. The pure, white lily matures in the midst of slimy, putrid ooze. If Christ abides within, the soul can resist any environment in the way of duty.
Sooner or later God's children and institutions will be called out of cities, but while duty holds any soul in the city, God will protect that soul if it trust Him. The saloon and theater will do us no harm if we keep them out of our heart. The evil of them gets into our heart before we yield to enter them.
Worse a thousand times over to be in the most fruitful, blessed land, with no evil environment, and there cherish sin in the heart, than to live loyal to God in the Five Point district of New York or the East End of London.

Better,

infinitely, to lose every earthly friend and retain our integrity, than to win the world and lose the companionship of our God.
Better a thousand times to stand with Christ alone, even in the judgment hall, or driven before a mad mob, than to shine in the courts of kings, or companion with all the pleasure-loving of earth.
Better, far better, is a church of only ten active, whole-hearted, full-souled, consecrated Christians than a church of one thousand allied with the world, moved by the world, possessed by the spirit of the world. The one means an increasing company of witnesses for the Master, the other a graveyard of disappointed hopes.
Better, far better, is poverty with Christ than riches with the world.
Better, infinitely better, is one moment of eternal day with Christ our Lord than a lifetime of pleasure in this world; for no second or minute or hour or day or year of pleasure is a surety of happiness beyond, and oftentimes a moment is the seed-sowing of a harvest of death, but that moment of eternal day with Christ is God's infallible pledge of an eternity of ages of bliss.
Shall it be worse or better?