Good Works by Jos. Clarke

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 11, 1862

Good Works.

By Jos. Clarke

"I WILL that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God, be careful to maintain good works. These are good and profitable unto men." Titus iii, 8.

"And let ours also, learn to maintain good works, for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful." Ver. 14.

Good works are here said by Paul, to be good and profitable; and in the 14th verse, he gives as an inducement to good works, that they (the people of God) be not unfruitful.

But, says one, we must get the heart right first, then talk about good works.

Suppose the Sabbath truth is presented to a Sunday worshiper, and he answers you by saying, he will first attend to getting his heart right. You would say, My friend, the blessing comes in right doing.

The disobedient child, must first obey its parents, before it will have the smiles of heaven.

The evangelist who longs, labors, and prays for the prosperity of Zion, as he views the desolations of the church, will like Nehemiah, set the people at work, knowing that the blessing of God follows right-doing.

The present is emphatically a time of work. It is like the time when Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, it is in work, WORK, that Israel is blessed of God.

I sometimes feel astonished, that God's people should any of them hold back for a moment, and thus grieve the Nehemiahs and Ezras of the time, who labor in the fire, from enemies without, and rebels within. It is the case that in an army, where complete union prevails, the presence of its officers, inspirits and cheers on the host, while the host sustains and upholds its officers.

One would think that the people who really believe the third message and are fully posted as to the means, Jehovah has employed in sending it out into the world, and sustaining it, and the manifest destiny of those who make it a stalking-horse of their own, one would think that such a people, would fear to give uneasiness and trouble to those whose business it is to preach the message.

Who will account for the time spent by the messengers, in proving to the church, that which ought to be already as familiar as the alphabet?

Must they preach, and preach, that the gifts are in the church?

Do the people of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, need it preached into them, that the sun shines?

What does it mean that when we write for this or that messenger to come and labor with us, the reply is, Oh, he is laboring in the church to unite it?

To unite! Indeed! With all the light we have, and all the warnings, it seems there are rebels yet in the camp. Brethren, is it not too late to dilly-dally with rebels?

I say let the gift-doubters alone. It is too late to trifle time away with them. And those who are dangling loosely about systematic benevolence, let them go; and we will go to work getting new recruits. One good unspoiled recruit, well-instructed in the faith, is worth a hundred of these old rebels. Let us work.

Jos. Clarke.