Continue Steadfast by Lera E. Dibble

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 15, 1865

Continue Steadfast.

By Lera E. Dibble

We can never make any great advance in the narrow way through impulse alone. It is not the forming of good resolutions, and covenanting with each other, when under the influence of a good meeting, that proves us children of God; but continuance in well-doing is the test of our religious profession. We are exhorted to bring forth fruits, and that our fruit should remain, not give up as soon as we have some cross or trial; and if we investigate the matter we may learn that the substance of our crosses and trials is some wound to our self-love. If we could get self once effectually crushed and be willing to be "anything or nothing for Christ's sake," we should find the path much smoother than it is now for the feet of some of us.

There must necessarily be some test of our obedience. "Goodness untried is no goodness at all," and we need not think it strange if temptation follows temptation in quick succession. It is only for us not to court it, but to lean on the strength that God has promised, to all those who come to him in meekness, to resist it. All who live godly will have a constant struggle; there is no sailing along with the tide, and our oars idle. Heaven is not to be obtained through strategy. Looking down the whole chapter of religious experience, from the early ages, we find all had to war with a powerful and sleepless foe. The adversary that tempted Cain to evil, and each God-fearing servant down through successive generations, is one and the same with him that is striving to quiet our consciences to-day, and make us believe there is an easier way to Heaven, than the narrow one. He is dogging the footsteps of every unwatchful lamb of the fold, and unless we cease to wander, we shall soon be too far away for the angels of God to lead us back.

We are apt to grow into the belief that our temptations and experiences are peculiar; that there is more excuse for our wandering away, through force of circumstances; that the Lord knows our motives and judges so differently from our fellow-men, that we may reasonably hope he will remember mercy in our case. But we are all descendants from the same father, and we shall find our natures alike in the main. And do we remember the words "there has nothing befallen you but such as is common to man?" Perhaps some brother or sister has fought bravely and come off conqueror—though bearing bruises—in just such a temptation as we have weakly yielded to, counting Satan's strength greater than Christ's. "If we are insincere and half-hearted Christians, seeking just to reach Heaven at last, after having held to the world here, we need never think to cloak our proneness to go astray, under the pretext that temptation overpowered us." God is greater than all our foes and "will with every temptation make a way for our escape," if we are not willing prisoners.

One or two happy flights of feeling or resolves to do right, will never take us into God's presence. If we plant a seed to-day we do not expect a tree bearing fruit to-morrow; but dews by night, and sunlight by day must develop it. It is a constant growth, but a work of time, so it is with Christians. We can not grow

to "be perfect men and women in Christ Jesus," by going to church on the Sabbath, and praying once or twice in the family circle. Religion and its sweet offices are interwoven with every "beating pulse of time," and not an hour passes, but we declare either for or against Jesus.

Probably there is no sin so hard to overcome as that committed by an unruly tongue. Even when we try to watch every moment, if at the close of the day we could see a list of the peevish words—the idle, careless words we have spoken, we should be astonished, and not a little discouraged.

When we get some precious bit of gossip it is so natural to want to retail it to others, that too often we do it forgetting that the inhabitant of Zion as described by the Psalmist is one "that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor." If when we are about to impart some information regarding others' affairs, we would seal our lips until we had decided whether we had the spirit of true religion in us, and if what we said could in any way be made to redound to the glory of God, I am assured there would be much less pain caused by that class of idle words, than there is now. And in the presence of worldlings, instead of letting our "conversation be in Heaven," it gets very low down upon the earth sometimes, and unconsciously we are led into unprofitable talk, and when we would open our lips to speak of the solemnity of these last days, our words condemn ourselves more than them, because we profess to believe these things, and yet they do not sanctify us.

We have taken a high position and are responsible for our influence over those with whom we are surrounded, and it should be a steady saving influence that we exert. When we look forward to what is coming upon the earth, and the perils which shall surround God's people, we may well cry out "Lord, who is sufficient for these things?" It is only by continued watchfulness and prayer, that we may hope to be brought through all the sorrow, confusion, and strife here, to the welcome rest that remaineth for God's people.

Lera E. Dibble.

Winspear, N. Y.