Reward in this Life

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 4, 1856

Reward in this Life.

"AND Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come, eternal life." Mark x, 29, 30.

It will be readily admitted that all those precepts which have been given to govern the Christian's life during the gospel dispensation, will apply with tenfold more force as we draw near the close of that dispensation, when the end of all things is at hand. From the above scripture we learn that it has ever been the duty of the Christian to leave father and mother, houses and lands, for Christ's sake and the gospel's, if he could not follow him without. But those who thus sacrifice, are promised a reward of an hundred fold in this life, houses and brethren, sisters and mothers, children and lands. Are we to understand this literally? Are the persons here brought to view to become literal possessors of rich tracts of land, and proprietors of large families? None can fail to see from the text that they assume the relations there mentioned only by becoming members of Christ's great family on earth, every individual of which should love his neighbor as himself.

What then shall we think of those, who, while professing to believe the Third Angel's Message, and that scenes of destruction are just upon us, to be followed by the coming of the Son of man, and the end of all earthly things, are laboring to increase their stock of houses or lands, or children? Are they not rendering themselves liable to be accused by the world of denying their faith, and laying stumbling blocks in the way of the inquiring? We see not how it can be otherwise.

A time of trouble is approaching, more disastrous in its consequences than the calamities that occurred at the destruction of Jerusalem. [Matt. xxiv, 19.] a time when those who adhere to the requirements of truth can neither buy nor sell. Rev. xiii, 17. It will be expected, therefore, by all, that those who profess to believe this, will make their lives correspond. There is no greater cumbrance to any cause, than inconsistency on the part of its professors.