An Anecdote by E. Goodrich

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 19, 1865

An Anecdote.

By E. Goodrich

Recently while engaged in taking a few private lessons in book-keeping, one evening as the teacher (who by the way was a fine and noble young man of some twenty-two or three years, and a professor of penmanship as well as book-keeping) took his pipe for the purpose of smoking, the lesson for the evening was for the time laid aside and the conversation very pleasantly turned upon the use of tobacco, and its consequences; and partly in reply to what had been said, yet apparently of his own free will, the teacher said, "I believe if I had never used tobacco I would have been twice as good a penman as I now am." This was saying much, for he was a good penman, as many a specimen would show. Neither did he stop there, but continued, "The teacher that taught us (referring to a particular Commercial college where he had learned the art of penmanship) never used stimulants of any kind, neither whiskey, brandy, cider, beer, tobacco, nor even tea or coffee."

Such testimony coming from such a source and expressed in such a manner, impressed my mind more favorably with the simple truth than any that I had ever noticed. I could but exclaim within myself, What a beautiful compliment to temperance. The apostle was not far from the truth when he said, "But godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." 1 Tim. iv, 8.

And to extend a remark or two, many, both those who do and those who do not receive Christianity have too limited a view of godliness. We are quite apt to talk and act as though the term godliness only signified those duties and devotional exercises that pertain to the worship and house of God, such as praying, singing, preaching, faith, baptism, and the Lord's supper; whereas the word signifies all that is really good, true, and honorable. It is true that the apostle particularizes various graces, as temperance, patience, brotherly-kindness, and charity; but are not these so many items of godliness? If not what are they? Is a man industrious, orderly, and cleanly in his habits? His is godliness. Is a man just, honorable, and even merciful, in his deal? He is a godly man to that extent.

But you may say the man has never professed religion. What of that? Suppose a man that never professed to be a mechanic should frame a stick of timber according to mechanical principles; would he not be a mechanic? He certainly would be a mechanic to the extent of the work done.

Many there are who condemn godliness as a thing beneath their dignity, a thing to be despised, not knowing how much they owe even of their present happiness to the power of godliness in the world. Suppose, as an example to illustrate the subject, we take a man that is ungodly, from whose lips every principle and practice of godliness is wanting. The murderer, the adulterer, the incendiary, the robber, and the man who has no love or sympathy for his fellows, is an ungodly man. And if we were to hold up to view an utterly ungodly man, there is no person however skeptical or infidel, so low in the scale of intelligence and moral judgment, but he would readily say, Such a man is worthless. He is a blot in creation.

E. Goodrich.

Edinboro, Pa.