p. 101 | An Anecdote by E. Goodrich

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 23, 1864

An Anecdote.

By E. Goodrich

WHILE in conversation with a certain man, one Dr. Sabine, he gave me an incident of his religious experience. The doctor was naturally of a combative and destructive turn of mind, and withal, possessed a good deal of firmness and self-esteem. Also, he lived in a time when and place where it was honorable to fight. Said he, Before I embraced religion, while quite a lad, I came across a young fellow who insulted and abused me; whereupon, I resolved to give him a sound thrashing. But, he continued, before I carried my threat into execution, a protracted effort came off in my neighborhood. The power of God settled down upon the people; and, with others, I became thoroughly convicted of my sins and the need of pardon. But then, the young man was not yet whipped. How could I give up my honor and self-esteem, and let him go free? I could not think of fighting after I got or professed religion. Now was the time or never. But, he still continued to narrate, the power of conviction continued to settle down into my soul, and I finally gave up the idea of whipping the fellow, and sought the Lord, and found peace in believing, and joy in the Holy Ghost. I did not then wish to whip the fellow; and so, he said, the young fellow escaped his whipping because I embraced religion.

The above anecdote illustrates one of Satan's snares by which he sought to secure the young man convicted of his sins. It seems a small matter; yet, to the young man thus constituted and situated, perhaps no inducement or consideration could have influenced him so much.

But it is not always that victory turns thus on the right side, and we resolve to obey the truth at whatever cost or sacrifice. 'Tis not always that we decide to walk while we have the light. We are too apt to wait for a more convenient time—a more favorable opportunity. We wait until we have accomplished some favorite object. We wait until the light and opportunity passes away and we are left in darkness. And thus we excuse ourselves by saying, We do not see, we do not feel.

The one to whom Jesus said, "Follow me," replied, "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father." Perhaps the old gentleman was living, yet in feeble health, and having no one to care for him like his son. The son may have been living with the father, or the father with the son; but what the circumstances were makes no difference. The young man wished to be excused or exempted from following Christ until he had paid the last debt of love and gratitude to his aged parent. The answer, Let the dead bury their dead, is plain and positive. It shows that earthly considerations are not to weigh against duty. And we are elsewhere abundantly taught in the scriptures that neither right eyes, nor right arms, nor life itself, can excuse us from doing what God requires of us.

The life of the Christian is a life of self-denial. The way to Heaven is straight and narrow. And although Satan and the carnal mind are always raising excuses, and always proposing some better time, some easier way, some shorter route, to the kingdom of God than that revealed, yet the truth has but one way. She takes no excuses. Her answer always is, Follow thou me.

E. GOODRICH.

Edinboro, Pa.