Almost Persuaded by Mary A. Martin

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · May 20, 1875

Almost Persuaded.

By Mary A. Martin

OH! how many there are, now-a-days, in the same state of mind as was King Agrippa, when he said to Paul, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian," and as Felix being under such deep conviction that he even trembled as Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and Judgment to come but said, "Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient season I will call for thee;" but inspiration does not reveal the idea that the convenient season ever came, or that he ever had to grieve the Spirit of God away again, for undoubtedly he became so hardened that he never had any inclination to send for Paul,

to preach to him again the way of life. Sad thought, almost persuaded to lay up treasures in Heaven by keeping the commandments of God, but not quite. Satan, the great seducer of mankind, holds out so many temptations to allure the race on to ruin that poor mortals yield unconsciously to his devices, thinking that when they have a convenient season they will fear God and keep his commandments, which they acknowledge to be duty. What saith the Scriptures? "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation," "if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts." 'Tis the voice of God speaking through his servants the prophets saying, "Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his Judgment is come; and worship him that made Heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water,"

The call is made to all the inhabitants of the earth to fear and give glory to him for he will soon destroy all the transgressors out of it; for disobedience to his authority. "made man upright," "but they have sought out many inventions."

"What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?" Yet the Lord is long suffering and of tender mercy, not willing that any should perish, but that all should turn and live. Surely darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people, yet light is beaming out of God's word, and the wise shall understand, and walk out in the light, lest darkness overtake them.

Says the prophet, woe to them that put light for darkness and darkness for light, and how fitly that will apply to the popular ministers of the day. Are they not handling the word of God deceitfully? They are trying to gratify corrupt Christendom, who are crying, preach to us smooth things, preach to us that we can be saved without keeping the law. Are they not trying to climb into the kingdom some other way? The same, says Jesus, is a thief and a robber, and he tells us that they will be shut out of the city.

They admit that God gave a law, a rule to measure character by, but because it says the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, they claim that it was imperfect for they don't want to keep God in remembrance, by keeping holy his day.

They feel better in keeping a day which he has never blessed, or commanded to be kept in any form whatever. They also claim that we do the Creator great injustice by saying that any one can, or ever has kept his law. This is saying that he gave us a certain rule to go by, if we would be saved, but that it is such a hard one that nobody could live up to it. How unreasonable! "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." Jer. 6:16. The 19th verse reads, "Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it." Will it not be said of some, ye knew your duty but did it not. The time may come when they will exclaim: "The harvest is past, the summer is ended; and we are not saved." Then they will look back to the time when they were almost persuaded, with great regret.

Then though they may wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, and "shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord" they shall not find it, for those who preach the truth will know, at that time, that probation has ceased, and their work finished. Says Paul, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Then, certainly, it will pay to love the Lord, and put on the whole armor, if it be at the loss of all earthly things. MARY A. MARTIN.