Our Thoughts by Jos. Clarke

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 8, 1865

Our Thoughts.

By Jos. Clarke

It will not do to allow our thoughts liberty unrestrained. As upon the farm the owner cares to confine his flocks and herds by walls and fences so the thoughts which throng the mind should be looked to. Some should be carefully excluded, others as carefully kept in place.

The dangers arising from a disordered and unrestrained mind, are never fully realized, except by the godly. Maxims of prudence restrain partially, men of the world, whom self-preservation prompts to hold some sort of control over the mind; but those enlightened from above, have a clearer light, and a purer test and motive.

To those who are endeavoring to overcome in the present struggle with the powers of darkness under the last call of mercy which we hear, this subject assumes grave importance, because of the extraordinary efforts made by the arch-destroyer to overthrow every one who would essay to keep the commandments of God. As the prophecy clearly foretells, he is to make war in the last days. Surely, he has always been making war with the people of God; what, then, can this mean, but that he is to be emphatically hostile to God's people in the last days?

Is this a war of carnal weapons? Surely not; for God's people would not meet him on such a battle ground. What, then, shall it be? Certainly it must be a series of attempts to overthrow the godly, by artifice and deceit, and deep-laid plots. To accomplish this, he follows up the man he would destroy, with all strong delusions, and petty suggestions of annoyance, little questions of strife, and larger ones of jealousy and envy, thus weakening and dividing the "host" of saints who worship in purity.

To carry out his plans, no means are left unemployed. He follows, in person or by his subordinates, the farmer into his field, and the mechanic into his work-shop, and the minister into his study; and with each one he plies his every art to mislead and deceive. Wherever the weakest point may be, there he works with terrible effect, and often with success.

But at those times when God's people assemble together, Satan makes his heaviest and most powerful attacks. If it is at Battle Creek, and he can point the worshiper to some seeming inconsistency and keep his eye on this; if he can point to some time in the past, when Bro. White protested against his house being made a common stepping-place for hundreds of people, who make traveling cheap by putting up with those who reside most nearly on their line of march, when any new enterprise is to be undertaken; Satan is ready to take advantage of all these.

One good 1844 Adventist farmer came all the way to the Conference at Battle Creek, May last, to hear the loud cry. He was wonderfully disappointed. Another good brother is going to put up at the tavern or hotel, when he goes to Battle Creek; and he will surely make a flutter when he does that. Another thinks that Michigan brethren feel to look with contempt upon Ohio, or Minnesota, or some other State. Another, has godly jealousy against certain gold or silver ornaments, which flourish on some person whom he mistakes for a professor. Another gets a pout about something Bro. White states, as his view of things:—and so it is; there is nothing too improbable, nothing too ridiculous, nothing too frivolous, to urge as a pretext to divide the people of God.

Jos. CLARKE.