A Chilling Influence by Joseph Clarke

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 12, 1864

A Chilling Influence.

By Joseph Clarke

The influence of a cold, heartless christianity upon the world is now being manifested in all the walks of public and private life, in its cringing, shuffling maneuvers for wealth and fame, and all the world calls precious.

This we expect from the nominal church, but not from those who profess faith in the present truth.

See, there is a little band of believers who are overcoming the world through faith in those precious truths which are fitting up the people of God to withstand the temptations of the last days, a family who have long had a name as S. D. Adventists come among them: hope and joy fill all hearts because that voice of experience is now to be heard among them, and they will now have help.

Alas, the chilling influence. Instead of help, the young converts whose hearts were pulsating in their first love of the truth, are bowed down, and grief and sorrow instead of joy, bickering instead of peace, and the seed of distrust and doubt are plentifully sown. Alas, who has blighted the fair flowers of innocence, hope and faith? What hand can hinder or stay the evil?

Again a young and faithful and loving company set out on the journey to that land where all is holiness and peace, and love, they have just got the truths from lips burning with love to God and his holy word; they see the truth in its beauty, they expect great things from a people who for years have experienced the sanctifying truths of the word of God as brought to light in the third message, they are filled with astonishment at the strong and impregnable positions held by this people; they enter upon a new life; the Bible never seemed so beautiful, so clear, so interesting. Their eyes are now upon those who for years have been under the influence of these truths. What do they find? Are they disappointed? Do they ever find coldness where they expected to find hearts glowing with love to God? Do they always find the love of God where they had looked for it? Are they ever chilled with the lukewarmness of those they expected to find zealous?

Am I, are you, dear brother, clear in this matter? Have we so lived that as new and hoping bands were brought into the light, they could see a reflection of the truth in us? Alas, for one I mourn in deepest sorrow, that my own course has not always been such as to give joy to such young and hoping converts; bitter tears, bitter thoughts arise, to think that such young, confiding, hoping hearts should be disappointed, as they look in vain for that perfect stature of men in Christ they had hoped to find.

Of late this consideration has taken deeper hold of my mind than ever before. Shall we fulfill the hopes of the young convert, who in the fervor of his first love forms high and exalted opinions of his more experienced brethren, or shall we blight them in the bud?

Will holy angels commissioned of God, look with calmness upon hopes so blighted, expectations so raised, to be disappointed? What human heart does not bleed at the thought of so frustrating the good work of God? Who does not mourn when the chilling influence of the carnally minded professor is thrown around the young convert, as he first begins his christian course? Who but God can calculate the extent of such an injury over which men and angels weep? JOSEPH CLARKE.