p. 15 | Kicking by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 2, 1859

Kicking.

By Editor

"Stand firm! what though perchance you fail, 'Tis with your armor girded on— You have obeyed the General's call."

Kick, does he? Well suppose he does kick, will he hurt you? Can you not keep out of his way? What makes him kick? Those that kick generally have something to kick at. Saul of Tarsus kicked, you know, for a while, but he found it hard work, very hard; so does every one that kicks against the truth, love and mercy.

There is no peace to these kickers; they are like "the troubled sea, casting up mire and dirt." Saul never kicked any more after the scales fell from his eyes; his name was changed to Paul the Apostle. The cause of all kicking against the truth is because truth is hated. Persons that kick do not like to be probed, searched out, their sins exposed, brought to light.

We do not expect any thing else but kicks from those who hold on to lust, pride, covetousness or oppression. Persons also who manufacture, sell and use rum and tobacco, write novels, puff novels, sell novels, read novels, and the like, are almost sure to kick when reproved; we have found it so. Ministers, editors, theological teachers, that keep back part of the price, cry "peace, peace," when there is no peace, that succumb to iniquity in high places, wink at sin, bow the knee to the popular voice, hush agitation, are almost sure to kick when a word of reproof is dropped in the ear. And a kick from this quarter, of all other kicks tells, yes, it tells! It is a kick in very deed, we felt this to be true the other day. "Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved." John iii, 20.

It was kicking in gospel times, it's kicking now, in our times. Haters of the truth kicked then, haters of the same truth kick now, and the same kicking against God's truth, doubtless will go on, so long as there are haters of the truth to kick. The true prophets of God were kicked for telling the truth, so also the apostles. Paul was kicked and kicked time after time, for rebuking sin and sinners. The Scribes and Pharisees of old kicked terribly when Christ exposed their sins, their pride, covetousness, hypocrisy, their spirit of caste and aristocracy, while they honored God with their lips at the same time their hearts were far from him; when he compared them "to whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." See Matt. xxiii throughout.

Luther was kicked severely for rebuking sin in high places; so was Wesley, Whitefield, Bunyan, Baxter Edwards, Payson, the Tenants.

"Them that honor me," saith the Lord, "will I honor, and them that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." Brother, sister, minister, editor, are you God's, wholly God's—God's now, henceforth and forever? Do you expect to move on heavenward softly and smoothly in the path of duty—stand for Jesus always, without any kicks? we tell you nay, nay.

"Where is thy cross? the daily care, The daily toil, the daily strife— The warfare thou art called to bear With foes who arm at more than life."

What says Christ? "He that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall (not may) suffer persecution." "I come not to send peace on earth, but a sword. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light; and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the house tops. And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

"Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease, While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas?"