Is Any Sacrifice too Great?
By M. Wilkinson
I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Rom. xii, 1. Is there any sacrifice too great for us to make for the sake of Jesus, who has suffered, and died, that we might have eternal life? What a sacrifice did he make for us, when he left the glory of the Father, and came54into this world to be despised and rejected, and at last put to death by those of his own nation! By perusing the history of his life, we see that it was a life of toil, privation and suffering. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. What unspeakable love he must have had for poor fallen man! Think of the agony he endured when he sweat great drops of blood; and shall we count any sacrifice too great to make for Christ, or for the advancement of his cause? Shall we not rather deem it a pleasure to give up all for him, who has done so much for us.? Then again, are not all the sacrifices we are called to make, for our own benefit; especially those relating to our giving up tea, coffee and other things which are injurious to our health, or articles of dress which are worn merely to follow the fashion, for fear of being peculiar! To be sure if we are peculiar we may have to endure scoffs and frowns; for those who care not for religion, will think we are very foolish, to deprive ourselves of things which they enjoy. But what of that? Are not the smiles of our Saviour rather to be preferred than the smiles of this world? But says one, I do not like to give up the society of my friends; and I cannot have their company unless I dress and appear something like them. They will be ashamed of me and avoid me if I am peculiar. Well which shall we try to please, our friends, or our Saviour? Some of the young think it hard to give up their young companions. They have some who are dear to them. But unless they will walk with you in the way of life, you must soon give them up or perish with them. We must give all for Jesus, or we are not worthy of him. And when we have given all that we can give, what is it compared with what he gave for us? Oh let us give all for Jesus and beg of him to accept of us and make use of us for his glory. The Lord has shown us both by his word and the gift of prophecy, what we must give up and how we must live in order to be fitted for his soon coming. May the Lord help us to be ready. M. WILKINSON.