Earlier text: EXAMINATION OF T. M. PREBLE'S FIRST-DAY SABBATHThe Sin of Sabbath-Breaking.
By W. H. Ball
One of the greatest sins of ancient Israel, and one for which they received terrible rebukes and chastisements at the hand of God, was the sin of Sabbath-breaking. Notwithstanding the signal blessings God promised to that nation, if they would obey his voice, walk in his statutes, and hallow his Sabbaths, yet they were a rebellious people; and his Sabbaths were greatly polluted among them, which called forth upon one occasion the following rebuke: “How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?” Ex. 16:28. One of the sins for which they were excluded from the promised land was the sin of Sabbath-breaking. This and other sins was the cause of their dispersion among the heathen. For the sin of Sabbath-breaking and idolatry, God purposed to pour out his fury upon Israel in the wilderness, to consume them; but at the intercession of Moses, his wrath was staid, and they were not destroyed. But does the sin of Sabbath-breaking rest wholly upon ancient Israel? How is it with Seventh-day Adventists? Are they clear in this matter? Do we as a people place that sacredness upon God’s holy, sanctified rest-day that is enjoined in the commandment? It is to be feared that many of us are guilty, with ancient Israel, of the terrible sin of Sabbath-breaking. We, as a people, so far as my observation goes, have become much too slack and careless in the observance of the Lord’s day. We are not as conscientious and strict in the observance of the day as formerly; and instead of being Sabbath-keepers in deed and in truth, many of us have become Sabbath-breakers. God is jealous of his law, and will not hold us guiltless unless we show a proper respect for every precept of his moral government. Many have become so loose in their habits that the Sabbath is observed by them about the same as is Sunday by professed Christendom. We wish to be plain in this matter, and speak freely of some of the evils that exist among us as a professedly Sabbath-keeping people. Perhaps there is no part of the Sabbath, that we are more liable to violate, and so often infringe upon, as its very commencement, the first hour of holy time. The devil has a great dislike and hatred to Sabbath-keepers, and takes great advantage of our worldly, covetous dispositions, especially on sixth day, “causing us to lay out a large amount of labor to be performed on that day, which he is sure to make us believe we have ample time to accomplish before the Sabbath will overtake us. The result is, in nine cases out of ten, that when the Sabbath arrives we find that we have been thwarted in our purposes, and if not guilty of Sabbath-breaking, we are ill-prepared to enter upon its observance and obligations. Many professed Sabbath-keepers, especially among farmers, are so very conscientious that they would not be seen laboring in their fields during the Sabbath hours for the world; hence are careful to refrain from all out-door labor, by the time the Sabbath arrives; yet will spend from ten to sixty minutes of holy time, doing their own work within doors, such as chores at the barn, etc., which is as much a violation of the Sabbath law, and just as bad, as to spend the same length of time in their fields, following the plough, mowing grass, or chopping wood (unless from custom the influence of the latter against the truth would exceed the former). Such persons not only break the fourth commandment, but also the eighth, which says, “Thou shalt not steal.” They rob God by taking a part of the day which he sanctified and set apart for himself, in which to do their own work. We say, then, in plain English, that such persons are not only Sabbath-breakers, but thieves and robbers. The merchant who closes his store and refuses to receive customers on sixth-day at the going down of the sun, and then spends from five to thirty minutes of holy time, arranging his goods which have been thrown into disorder during the day, is equally guilty, with the farmer, of the same sins. The same is true of the mechanic. Some have so little respect for the Sabbath that they would as soon set out on a journey, or go out of town on business, on sixth day as upon any other day of the week. Satan tells them they have plenty of time to transact their business and return before the Sabbath. The result is, they often fail in their expectations; and when the Sabbath hour arrives, it finds them several miles from home. Hence, they are obliged to use a part of the day set apart by the great Law-giver, in doing their own work. Such make a sad mistake, and are needlessly guilty of violating the Sabbath of the Lord. Another class equally guilty may be found among those who work out by the day. Some are very particular to close up their work on sixth day with the going down of the sun, and perhaps pride themselves upon being strict Sabbath-keepers, and at the same time travel from one to five miles on holy time in order to reach home. Such, instead of being Sabbath-keepers, are Sabbath-breakers. The fact is, God’s holy Sabbath has been terribly marred by its professed friends; and it is no marvel that there is such a lack of the spirit and power of godliness among us as a people. I seriously question if one half of the professed Sabbath-keepers are not guilty, each week, of the sin of Sabbath-breaking. Said a brother where we were stopping not long since, as he took down his apparatus upon a Sabbath morning to make ready for a shave: “The time was when I did not shave upon the Sabbath, but I am not quite so particular as I used to be.” This we considered equivalent to saying that he had wonderfully departed from God. What! not as particular about breaking God’s law as formerly? Not quite as particular about sinning against God, as we once were? Strange, indeed! Who has given us greater license to break God’s commandments, and to sin with impunity? This brother’s statement is but the experience of hundreds of professed Sabbath-keepers, not so particular as they once were, more ready and willing to mar the Sabbath by doing their own work! A sad change, truly. Yet God has not changed. The sin of Sabbath-breaking is just as heinous in his sight; and he will be none the less particular to punish every transgression of his holy law. We have a particular God to deal with; who cannot look upon sin with any degree of allowance or approbation; and will not fail to call us to a strict account for every violation of his law. Sabbath-breaking is a great sin, and will not go unpunished. To show the exceeding wickedness of marring the Sabbath of the Lord our God, I will suppose a case; and those who are farmers cannot fail to see the force of the illustration, or realize the magnitude of the sin of Sabbath-breaking. We will suppose that during the scarcity of hay, the past summer, throughout the New England and Middle States, A. wishes to hire a piece of grass to cut. B. has a field of eighty rods in length by fifteen in width. We will suppose the field to contain just seven acres. B. says to A., Here are just seven acres in this field; the grass upon six acres you may have to appropriate to your own use. But here is one acre, on this end of the field, I reserve to myself. B. distinctly gives the bounds by such a stump, stone, etc., and says to A., This acre is mine. The six acres you can have, but don’t you cut a clip upon this. Well, we will suppose B. goes away for a time, and A. goes to work to cut his grass. He begins at one end and mows the whole length of the field until he comes to the grass A. has reserved to himself. On seeing the bounds, he stops. He goes back and mows up again in the same manner. But this time, although there is no mistaking the bounds, B. is so fearful he shall not get every spear which belongs to him, he clips over a little upon A.’s. The third time his selfish, covetous disposition will not allow him to stop on reaching the bounds, and so he notches over again into A.’s grass. And so with each succeeding swath, until his grass is cut. Now as B. returns and goes out to examine the grass which he reserved to himself, and of which he charged A. not to cut a clip, what a sight does he behold! He finds that his instructions have been disregarded, and his grass has been notched into the whole width of the field, from one to ten feet. All can judge of the feelings of B. at seeing his grass so horribly mangled; and none can fail to comprehend the wickedness of A. in stealing B.’s grass. How much better not to have mown quite up to the line, than to have cut one clip over. Better have left a whole swath. Be careful friends, on sixth day, and not get over the line. But it may be asked, Is there not danger of marring the end of the Sabbath, as well as the beginning? Most certainly there is. The Sabbath is seemingly not a delight to all. And feeling somewhat restless such persons are very liable to mistake, and think the Sabbath ended (especially if it is a little cloudy) when it is not. You will often find this class engaged in doing their own work, or speaking their own words, long before the Sabbath is past. Many feel a sense of relief, as the sun goes down, and the restraint of the Sabbath is thrown off. Were this class composed alone of small children, it would not appear so strange. But men and women often manifest the same; which is a clear indication that their hearts are bound up in the things of the world. They feel anxious for the Sabbath to pass that they may resume their labors, and prosecute their plans for obtaining the perishing things of this life. The following language used by the prophet Amos concerning Israel, should be an open rebuke to all such: “Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?” Amos 8:4, 5. God is not well pleased with such Sabbath-keeping as is here set forth by the prophet. Such cannot say with the psalmist, “Oh! how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” The Sabbath-keeping which is acceptable to God is clearly brought to view by the prophet Isaiah in the following language: “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isa. 58:13, 14. It is no small thing to keep the Sabbath in as strict a manner as is here set forth in the above language. Many who refrain from doing their own work, often violate the Sabbath by speaking their own words; conversing upon worldly matters during the Sabbath hours. We have for a long time felt that a reform was needed among us, respecting a more strict and proper observance of the Lord’s day. We would not pass the sisters by, and have them feel slighted because we have not been as personal in our remarks to them as to the brethren. The sin of Sabbath-breaking is often found at their door also, from unnecessary cooking, washing of dishes, making of beds, etc., etc. Some seem to think they must wash their break-fast dishes, upon the Sabbath, if no more; and think perhaps this is so small and trivial a matter that there can be no harm in the act. But does not the commandment say, “Thou shalt not do any work”? by which we are to understand, of course, any unnecessary work. Is the washing of dishes upon the Sabbath a work of necessity? There may be families so extremely poor as not to have dishes sufficient to set a table but once, who may be somewhat excusable for washing a few dishes upon the Sabbath. These are extreme cases. But there can be no excuse for those who have dishes enough in the house to set a table two or more times without washing. There is no necessity for such to violate the Sabbath by doing their own work as a matter of convenience. Let us be careful, dear brethren and sisters, that we do not mar the Sabbath at either end; or any part of holy time by doing our own work, or speaking our own words. While reading the remarks of Eld. Geo. I. Butler in No. 12, present volume of the REVIEW, entitled, “A true picture” (which, by the way, is the most perfect likeness I ever saw), it occurred to me that a reform among us on the proper observance of the Sabbath, would very materially improve the present state of things among us as a people. Let us put away this loose, slack, manner of keeping God’s commandments, of which many of us are guilty, and which has been so grieving to his Spirit, and “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” W. H. BALL.
Washington, N. H. RESOLUTION
By Kalamazoo Baptist
If you have any task to do,
Let me whisper, friend, to you,
Do it. If you've anything to say,
True and needed, yea or nay,
Say it. If you've anything to give,
That another's joy may live,
Give it. If you know what torch to light,
Guiding others to the right,
Light it. If you've any debt to pay,
Rest you neither night nor day,
Pay it. If you've any joy to hold
Next your heart, lest it get cold,
Hold it. If you've any grief to meet,
At the loving Father's feet,
Meet it. If you're given light to see
What a child of God should be,
See it. Whether life be bright or drear,
There's a message, sweet and clear,
Whispered down to every ear.
Hear it. “What Has It Done for You?”
The other day Mr. Bradlaugh was lecturing in a village in the north of England; and at the close, he challenged discussion. Who should accept the challenge but an old, bent woman, in most antiquated attire, who went up to the lecturer and said: “Sir, I have a question to put to you.” “Well, my good woman, what is it?” “Ten years ago,” she said, “I was left a widow with eight children utterly unprovided for, and nothing to call my own but this Bible. By its direction, and looking to God for strength, I have been enabled to feed myself and family. I am now tottering to the grave; but I am perfectly happy, because I look forward to a life of immortality with Jesus in Heaven. That’s what my religion has done for me. What has your way of thinking done for you?” “Well, my good lady,” rejoined the lecturer, “I don’t want to disturb your comfort; but—” “Oh! that’s not the question,” interposed the woman; “keep to the point, sir. What has your way of thinking done for you?” The infidel endeavored to shirk the matter again; the feeling of the meeting gave vent to uproarious applause, and Mr. Bradlaugh had to go away discomfited by an old woman. It is not because the word went out eighteen hundred years ago, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together,” that I desire to be united with others in Christian life. It is because my heart calls out for other hearts that are congenial to it. It is because every one who has learned to love Christ truly loves his brother, and longs for fellowship with his brother.—Beecher. “TIME wasted, is existence—used, is life.” To WHOM you betray your secrets you betray your liberty. The United States in the Light of Prophecy.
By Uriah Smith
In further predicting the work of the two-horned beast, the prophet says: “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” This language is urged by some to prove that the two-horned beast must be some power which holds the reins of government in the very territory occupied by the first beast; for, otherwise, how could he exercise his power? If the word “before” denoted precedence in time, and the first beast passed off the stage of action when the two-horned beast came on, just as Babylon gave place to Persia, which then exercised all the power of Babylon before it, there would be some plausibility in the claim. But the word rendered “before,” is ἐνώπιον (enopion) which means, literally, “in the presence of.” And so the language, instead of proving what is claimed, becomes a most positive proof that these beasts are distinct and contemporary powers. The first beast is in existence, having all its symbolic vitality, at the very time the two-horned beast is exercising power in his presence. But this could not be, if his dominion had passed into the hands of the two-horned beast; for a beast in prophecy ceases to exist when his dominion is taken away. What caused the change in the symbols from the lion, representing Babylon, to the bear, representing Persia? Simply a transfer of dominion from Babylon to Persia. And so the prophecy explains the successive passing away of these beasts, by saying that their lives were prolonged but their dominion was taken away; that is, the territory of the kingdom was not blotted from the map, and the lives of the people destroyed, but there was a transfer of power from one nationality to another. So the fact that the leopard beast is spoken of as still an existing power, when the two-horned beast works in his presence, is proof that he is, at that time, in possession of all the dominion that was ever necessary to constitute him a symbol in prophecy. What power then does the two-horned beast exercise? Not the power which belongs to, and is in the hands of, the leopard beast, surely; but he exercises, or essays to exercise, in his presence, power of the same kind and to the same extent. The power which the first beast exercised was a terrible power of oppression against the people of God. And this is a further indication of the character which the two-horned beast is finally to sustain in this respect. The latter part of the verse, “And causeth the earth and them which dwell therein, to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed,” is still further proof that the two-horned beast is no phase nor feature of the papacy; for the first beast is certainly competent to enforce his own worship in his own country, and from his own subjects. But it is the two-horned beast which causes the earth (the territory out of which it arose and over which it rules) and them which dwell therein, to worship the first beast. This shows that this beast occupies territory over which the first beast has no jurisdiction. “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.” That we are living in an age of wonders none deny. Time was, and that not two score of years ago, when the bare mention of achievements which now constitute the warp and woof of every-day life, were considered the wildest chimeras of a diseased imagination. Now, nothing is too wonderful to be believed, nor too strange to happen. Go back fifty years, and the world with respect to those things which tend to domestic convenience and comfort, the means of illumination, the production and application of heat, and the performance of various household operations; with respect to methods of rapid locomotion from place to place, and the transmission of intelligence from point to point, stood about where it did in the days of the patriarchs. Suddenly the waters of that long stream over whose drowsy surface scarcely a ripple of improvement had passed for three thousand years, broke into the white foam of violent agitation. The world awoke from the slumber and darkness of ages. The divine finger lifted the seal from the prophetic books, and brought that predicted period when men should run to and fro and knowledge should be increased. Then men bound the elements to their chariots, and reaching up laid hold upon the very lightning and made it their message-bearer around the world. Nahum foretold that at a certain time the chariots should be with flaming torches and run like the lightnings. Who can behold in the darkness of the night, the locomotive dashing over its iron track, the fiery glare of its great lidless eye driving the shadows from its path, and torrents of smoke and sparks and flame pouring from its burning throat, and not realize that ours are the eyes that are privileged to look upon a fulfillment of Nahum’s prophecy. But when this should take place, the prophet said that the times would be burdened with the solemn work of God’s preparation. “Canst thou send lightnings,” said God to Job, “that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?” If Job were living to-day, he could answer, Yes. It is one of the current sayings of our time that Franklin tamed the lightning and Prof. Morse taught it the English language. So, in every department of the arts and sciences, the advancement that has been made within the last half century, is without precedent in the world’s history. And in all these the United States take the lead. These facts are not, indeed, to be taken as a fulfilment of the prophecy, but they show the spirit of the age in which we live, and point to this time as a period when we may look for wonders of every kind. The particular wonders to which the prophecy refers are evidently wrought for the purpose of deceiving the people; for verse 14 reads, “And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast.” This identifies the two-horned beast with the false prophet of Rev. 19:20, for this false prophet is the power that works miracles before the beast, “with which,” says John, “he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image,” the identical work of the two-horned beast. We can now ascertain by what means the miracles in question are wrought; for Rev. 16:13, 14, speaks of spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty, and these miracle-working spirits go forth out of the mouths of certain powers, one of which is this very false prophet, or two-horned beast. Miracles are of two kinds, true and false, just as we have a true Christ and false Christs, true and false prophets, and true and false apostles. By a false miracle we mean, not a pretended miracle, which is no miracle at all, but a real miracle, a supernatural performance, wrought for the purpose of deceiving, or of proving a lie. The miracles of this power are real miracles, but are wrought for the purpose of deception. The prophecy does not read that he deceived the people by means of the miracles which he claimed that he was able to perform, or which he pretended to do; but which he had power to do. They, therefore, fall far short of the prophecy who suppose that the great wonders wrought by this power were fulfilled by Napoleon when he told the Mussulmans that he could command a fiery chariot to come down from heaven, but never did it, or by the pretended miracles of the Romish church, which are only shams, mere tricks played off by ungodly and designing priests upon their ignorant and superstitious dupes. Miracles, or wonders, such as are to be wrought by the two-horned beast, and withal, as we think, the very ones referred to in the prophecy, are mentioned by Paul in 2 Thess. 2:9, 10. Speaking of the second coming of Christ, he says, “Whose coming is after (κατά, at the time of) the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” These are no sleight-of- hand performances, but such a working of Satan as the world has never before seen. To work with all power and signs and lying wonders, is certainly to do a real and an astounding work, but one which is designed to prove a lie. Again, the Saviour, predicting events to occur just before his second coming, says, “For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Here, again, are wonders foretold, wrought for the purpose of deception, so powerful that, were it possible, even the very elect would be deceived by them. Thus we have a series of prophecies setting forth the development, in the last days, of a wonder-working power, manifested to a startling and unprecedented degree, in the interests of falsehood and error. All refer to one and the same thing. The earthly government, with which it was to be especially connected, is that represented by the two-horned beast, or false prophet. The agency lying back of the outward manifestations was to be satanic, the spirits of devils. The prophecy calls for such a work as this in our own country at the present time. Do we behold anything like it? Read the answer in the word of the prophet: “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Stand aghast, O Earth! Tremble, ye people, but be not deceived. The huge specter of evil confronts us, as the prophet declared. Satan is loosed. From the depth of Tartarus, myriads of demons swarm over the land. The prince of darkness manifests himself as never before, and, stealing a word from the vocabulary of Heaven to designate his work, he calls it, Spiritualism. 1. Does Spiritualism, then, bear these marks of Satanic agency? 1st. The spirits which communicate claim to be the spirits of our departed friends. But the Bible, in the most explicit terms, assures us that the dead are wholly inactive and unconscious till the resurrection; that the dead know not anything; Eccl. 9:5; that every operation of the mind has ceased; Ps. 146:4; that every emotion of the heart is suspended; Eccl. 9:6; and that there is neither work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where they lie. Eccl. 9:10. Whatever intelligence, therefore, comes to us professing to be one of our dead friends, comes claiming to be what, from the word of God, we know he is not. But angels of God don’t lie; therefore these are not the good angels. Spirits of devils will lie; this is their work; and these are the credentials which at the very outset they hand us. 2d. The doctrines which they teach are from the lowest and foulest depths of the pit of lies. They deny God. They deny Christ. They deny the atonement. They deny the Bible. They deny the existence of sin, and all distinction between right and wrong. They deny the sacredness of the marriage covenant; and, interspersing their utterances with the most horrid blasphemies against God and his Son, and everything that is lovely and good and pure, they give the freest license to every propensity to sin, and to every carnal and fleshly lust. Tell us not that these things, openly taught under the garb of religion, and backed up by supernatural sights and sounds, are anything less than Satan’s masterpiece. 2. Spiritualism answers accurately to the prophecy in the exhibition of great signs and wonders. Among its many achievements, these may be mentioned: Various articles have been transported from place to place by spirits alone. Beautiful music has been produced, independent of human agency, with and without the aid of visible instruments. Many well-attested cases of healing have been presented. Persons have been carried through the air by the spirits in the presence of many others. Tables have been suspended in the air with several persons upon them. And, finally, spirits have represented themselves in bodily form and talked with an audible voice. A writer in the Spiritual Clarion speaks as follows of the manner in which spiritualism has arisen, and the astounding progress it has made:— “This revelation has been with a power, a might, that if divested of its almost universal benevolence, had been a terror to the very soul; the hair of the very bravest had stood on end, and his chilled blood had crept back upon his heart, at the sights and sounds of its inexplicable phenomena. It comes with foretokening, with warning. It has been, from the very first, its own best prophet, and step by step it has foretold the progress it would make. It comes, too, most triumphant. No faith before it ever took such a victorious stand in its infancy. It has swept like a hurricane of fire through the land compelling faith from the baffled scoffer, and the most determined doubter.” 3. Spiritualism answers to the prophecy in that it had its origin in our own country, thus connecting its wonders with the work of the two-horned beast. Commencing in Hydesville, N. Y., in the family of Mr. John D. Fox, in the latter part of March, 1848, it spread with incredible rapidity through all the States. The estimates of the number of spiritualists in this country at the present time, not yet a quarter of a century from its commencement, though differing somewhat from each other, are nevertheless such as to show that the progress of spiritualism has been without a parallel. Thus, Judge Edmonds puts the number at five or six millions (5,000,000 or 6,000,000); Hepworth Dixon, three millions (3,000,000); A. J. Davis, four millions, two hundred and thirty thousand (4,230,000); Warren Chase, eight millions (8,000,000); and the Roman Catholic Council at Baltimore, between ten and eleven millions (10,000,000 to 11,000,000). Of those who have become its devotees Judge Edmonds said so long ago as 1853: “Besides the undistinguished multitude, there are many now of high standing and talent ranked among them—doctors, lawyers, and clergymen in great numbers, a Protestant bishop, the learned and reverend president of a college, judges of our higher courts, members of Congress, foreign ambassadors, and ex-members of the United States Senate.” This statement was written nearly twenty years since; and from that time to this, the work of the spirits has been steadily progressing, and spreading among all classes of people. And from this nation, spiritualism has gone abroad into all the earth. Queen Victoria is almost an insane devotee of the new philosophy. The late emperor and empress of France, the late Queen of Spain, and the Roman Pontiff, are all said to have sought to these spirits for knowledge. Thus it is working its way to the potentates of the earth, and fast preparing to accomplish its real mission, which is, by deceiving the world with its miracles, to gather the nations to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Here we pause. Let this work go on a little longer, as it has been going, and as it is still going, and what a scene is before us! Having seen so much fulfilled, we cannot now draw back and deny the remainder. And so we look for the onward march of this last great wonder-working deception, till that is accomplished which in the days of Elijah was a test between Jehovah and Baal, and fire is brought down from heaven to earth in the sight of men. Then will be the hour of the power of darkness, the hour of temptation that is coming upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Rev. 3:10. Then all will be swept from their anchorage by the strong current of delusion, except those whom it is not possible to deceive, the elect of God. And still the world sleeps on, while Satan, with lightning fingers, and hellish energy, weaves over them his last fatal snare. It is time some mighty move were made to waken the world and rouse the church to the dangers we are in. It is time every honest heart should learn that the only safeguard against the great deception, whose incipient and even well-advanced workings we already behold before our eyes, is to make the truths of God’s holy and immutable word our shield and buckler.
U. S. Leave it Off.
By R. F. Cottrell
LEAVE off talking doubts and infidelity. Some have fallen into the habit of suggesting doubts against divine revelation, and, though their better judgment is convinced of its truth, and they are almost persuaded to embrace it as truth, yet, instead of owning these convictions, and thus cultivating faith, they will continue to talk their doubts. Now, although faith is founded on evidence, yet it is subject to the control of the will. There is sufficient evidence, but the will may reject the strongest evidence, and still remain in unbelief. Hence, we are required to believe. Faith is a duty; and he that believeth not shall be condemned. They might have believed, if they would. But they resisted the evidence, and nourished doubts; and, finally, settled down in unbelief. My friend, your doubting is your danger197You should cherish faith, and no longer nourish doubts. Leave off, at once and forever, talking those same doubts. Acknowledge all the faith you have. Look at the evidences of the inspiration of the Bible. By taking this course, you will soon find yourself, not only almost, but altogether, persuaded to be a believer. Then obey the truth—walk in the light—and your confidence will increase. Faith will be made perfect by works. You can believe if you will; and, believing, you may be saved in endless life. Your unbelief will never save you. Then leave off talking your doubts. Leave off to cultivate the poisonous plant of unbelief. It will destroy you. Talk faith, act faith, and you may find peace in believing and joy in the Holy Spirit, and, in the end, everlasting life. Come, my friend, be saved. Lay up your treasure in Heaven. Get ready for the coming of Christ, and have a part with the believing and obedient in his everlasting kingdom.