Difficult by Roswell Fenner Cottrell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 10, 1864

Difficult.

By Roswell Fenner Cottrell

It is difficult to drive two horses together, one of which is a go-ahead, fiery high-spirited animal which cannot bear the sight of the whip, and the other is dull and lazy and needs continual urging. The difficulty is, that if you lift the whip, your fiery animal will always take it that it is meant for him; and if you coax him down to moderation, your dull horse will take all to himself, and will settle back upon the wheel with all the composure imaginable. In like manner it is difficult to teach two classes of persons in a consistent christian course of life. One class are naturally active, driving and worldly; and the other are too indolent and careless to procure and enjoy a decent living on the earth. These need urging to diligence in worldly business and in every thing. Those need to be cautioned against being all engrossed in worldliness. But when you would stir up the tardy ones, the active stirring ones take all the counsel to themselves, and rush on in the way of their predisposition; while your cautions which were intended for them, are all appropriated by the others to themselves; they never forget them, but are comforted by them exceedingly.

These things make it necessary to come to the point and say, "Thou art the man."

R. F. COTTRELL.