p. 172 | A Few Texts on Feeling

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 2, 1865

A Few Texts on Feeling.

THERE are some who say, not by words perhaps, but very plainly by their actions, that they will serve God, and attend to the duties of the Christian life, when they feel like it, and give over such worship and omit such duties when their feelings do not prompt them to do them. They thus put the effect in place of the cause, and make feeling instead of principle, or love, the spring of their obedience. We point such to the following texts for the consolation which the Scriptures offer for such a course.

Proverbs xxiv, 12: Shall not he [God] render to every man according to his feelings?

Matt. xvi, 27: For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then shall he reward every man according to his feelings.

2 Tim. iii, 17: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good feelings.

Matt. xxi, 28: Son, go feel in my vineyard.

Phil. ii, 12: Feel out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

James ii, 14: What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not feelings? can faith save him?

Verse 17. Even so faith, if it have not feelings, is dead, being alone.

Verse 24. Ye see then how that by feelings a man is justified, and not by faith only.

2 Cor. v, 10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things felt in his body, according to that he hath felt, whether it be good or bad.

Rev. xxii, 12: And behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man as his feelings shall be.

Rev. xx, 13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their feelings.

More passages might be adduced, but these are sufficient to show the tenor of the Scriptures in regard to feeling as an incentive to duty. If the reader will look out the references given, he will find them correct—all but the feeling. And when he sees that the Bible nowhere speaks thus about our feelings, but that it refers every time to our works, it may lead him to think that feelings are not entitled to the influence that he gives them; that regardless of his feelings, he should attend to his works, and slacken not his hand, in the discharge of his duty.

But feelings are not to be despised. It is not the object of these lines to convey that impression. We should feel over mistakes made, and sins committed, and feelings of joy and ecstasy are desirable as well as often profitable. But we are not to place these paramount to every thing else, so that we serve God when our feelings are up, and neglect him, when they are down. If we do our duty faithfully feelings will come in their own time and place. If we have good feelings, let us be thankful for them. If we have them not, let us serve God just the same, remembering that our reward is to be according to what we have done, not according to how we have felt.