Letter From Bro. Cornell.
By M. E. Cornell
BRO. SMITH: I wish to say a few words through the Review to those who are in any way troubled upon the subject of “oath-taking.” A dear brother writes to me that he has been much troubled upon that subject, and fears that he is looking through the doubting spectacles. I will say to him, that there is no doubt but what his fears are well grounded, if things look dark. Those glasses are so fixed that everything viewed through them appears inverted, “turned upside down;” they “make light darkness, and darkness light.” I have tried those eye glasses, and know very well how things appear through them. After wearing them awhile, you begin to feel confused and lost, and a sort of “don’t-know” or “may-be-so” spirit comes over you, and before you are aware of it your foundation is destroyed, and you feel that you have nothing to build upon. When FAITH is gone you have nothing to add to, no incentive to virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity, and of course, he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see far enough to reach the “exceeding great and precious promises.” Those “doubting spectacles” are recommended very highly by the religious peddlers of the day, as the very best to aid our spiritual vision, but whoever wears them long will surely be blind. The majority wear them, and this is why they do not see the Sabbath, Lord’s coming, gifts, &c. If the things of the spirit of God are foolishness to the churches of the day, then it is because they are carnal, and not able to discern the things of God. They are wearing the wrong spectacles, and they cannot see through to the end. Paul says we “see through a glass darkly” (or partially) but thank the Lord, the believer’s glasses enable him to look “through” and see the glories within the vail; and the more he looks, the more he is changed into the same image; and this “looking through” is sure to impart the spirit of “go through,” the very spirit we need. If we are established in the present truth we are on the “through” train by express to Mt. Rion. We see an account in the papers of a French girl being marked or labelled, St. Louis, to be sent by express. If the train did not “smash up,” she went through, no doubt. But no such “if” stands in the way of the present truth train; it is going through sure. And we, if we are properly marked with the seal of the living God, shall go through. If there be written upon us, God, New Jerusalem, via the Law and Gospel Rail Road, care of the Heavenly Express Company (the angels), we shall not fail to go THROUGH; for on this line everything is insured, and there cannot be a failure or delay, though heaven and earth pass away. But to return to the subject of “oath-taking,” I will say that probably no one has had more to sacrifice in feelings on that subject than I have. And now, though I do not see it all clear, yet there is one thing I know, and that is, I never was blessed in cherishing the view I had of that subject, as I have been in those points upon which the body is united. The Lord’s hand is set to lead out his people, and he will shew them truth as fast as they will appreciate it, and live it out. The light on the time to begin the Sabbath, and the Laodicean message, came in the right time, and the Spirit witnessed to them. But not so with the view we had of swearing. Our conviction rested upon the bare argument. We did not see clearly that the plan of God is to have the spirit lead into all truth. My prayer is that we may learn wisdom by what we suffer on this point; for if we run ahead of the angels, it is ours to “retrace our steps, and meekly follow no faster than the angels lead.” (See Testimony No. 5.) There are truths which the Holy Spirit has brought to bear upon the minds, and feelings too, which we have been very slow to receive and live out. Again and again have we been most solemnly admonished on very important matters—those things that pertain to salvation. Let us who have had in some things “zeal without knowledge,” no longer suffer the enemy to draw our attention to his finger-boards, and then run us off the track to spend our zeal to the injury of the cause we love. We could not see that the exhortation of the apostle James, “Above all things, my brethren, swear not,” could refer to anything but judicial oaths: it could not be that we were in danger of being led into vain and idle profanity of various kinds. We were “rich” and increased in spiritual goods so that we “had need of nothing” of this kind. I remember too that we once thought the humiliating reproof of the testimony to the Laodiceans could not apply to Sabbath-keepers. No, it could not be we were in that condition, and so the testimony was applied to the nominal Adventists. If it had not been for the spirit of “thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think,” we might have seen that the burden of the apostle James’ testimony, was concerning vain and idle conversation, and worldly “by-words,” and of the sayings that are not convenient. My conviction is that many of us have a greater work to do before the “well done” can be applied to us than we have been in the habit of thinking was before us. Let those words, “Neither by any other oath,” be fully observed among us, and it will sweep off many words and phrases that are used by many every day. If some have had to overcome tobacco, others have to overcome a habit of speaking idle words, fit only to be uttered by mouths defiled with tobacco, or something equally abominable. If Phil. iv, 8, were observed, there would be less idle talk among the remnant. I am glad to be able to report some victories in this direction; but alas! how far I am from being like Jesus, our patron, who stands for us before the ark of the holy covenant. The flesh must be crucified, and its deeds must cease and die. O what a work it is to OVERCOME, and yet by the grace of God it can be performed. But what is done must be done quickly. Then may we give all diligence to make our election sure, and not delay till to-morrow what ought to be done to-day. May the Lord help us to work fast, and be found in the end with the faithful servants on Mt. Zion.