p. 122 | Worldly-Mindedness

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

Worldly-Mindedness.

THIS has been an evil in the church ever since there have been those who profess to love God, and yet, by wicked works, deny him. But why are Christians ever found to be in possession of such a disposition? They have vowed to leave the world with all its follies behind them. "They have vowed to "renounce the world, with all its vain pomp and show, with all covetous desires of the same," so that they will not be governed or led by them.

But we often see those who have these vows, engaging in things that pertain strictly to the world, not to Christianity. Anything in which we engage, that hinders us from the pure spiritual worship of God, tends to weaken faith in him, and strengthen dependence on the world. The pure worship of God is spiritual. If we are led by things sensual, are we right in the sight of God? In other words, if we find greater pleasure in anything of a mere worldly nature than we do in the service of God, are we not worldly-minded? We will instance a few cases:

Dancing is a worldly pleasure, and sensual. If we love to attend places where this is carried on, and to participate in it, more than we do to attend upon and participate in the worship of God, are we not worldly-minded? "Social parties," as they are conducted now-a-days, should be called "sensual parties." They take the form of worldly pleasures. Those who engage in them, do not profess to do so because they love God, far from it; but some church members would rather go there than to church, and do attend them to the neglect of the house of God. "Too cold to go to meeting, Christmas, wasn't it? Oh, but didn't we have a fine time at the social party at ———, Christmas?" Such persons are worldly-minded, are they not? But to save fifty dollars, you rode all day in the rain; the other Sunday it misted a little, and was so damp and chilly, you was afraid you would take a death cold if you went to meeting—worldly-minded. Yes, you drove old Jack in the harness six days without rest. He was too tired to ride to meeting Sunday; you couldn't go—six for the world, and none for God. Yes, madam, you paid thirty dollars for that dress to show off in, and then thought it hard to give thirty cents to the missionary cause. Yes, sir, and

you, too;

you paid three hundred dollars for that carriage, and then thought it hard when you was called upon to give thirty dollars towards the support of your preacher and his family—three hundred to the world, and thirty to the gospel. Yes, and you said you were too poor to help any towards supporting the gospel, especially these hard times. Stop, sir, I saw you buy a plug of tobacco, twenty-five cents, once per week; one year, twelve dollars; can't spare the preacher a two-fifty? But the tobacco was chewed and gaubed about, wasn't it? Your preacher had to do as best he could without money, among strangers, too. "O, it's good enough for him; he can stand it, if he is a true itinerant." The Sunday-School went down for want of books, but you were too poor to help it. I thought so when I saw you pay five dollars for toys for the children to use up. "I am too poor, actually too poor to take the Advocate." Yes, but you take two political papers. Why didn't you go to the class-meeting last Sunday? "O, I had company; I couldn't leave them and go." Come out from the world.

In short, the love of dress, sensual pleasures, to please our neighbors, our children, ourselves, have all to be attended to before the support of the gospel, the work of God in other ways, and attendance to the direct worship of God. Worldly-minded—Ichabod, must be written.—Sel.