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DON'T GIVE UP THE FIGHT

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The Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · November 27, 1879

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 54, No. 22

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DON'T GIVE UP THE FIGHT.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

I wish to impress upon your minds the thought of what is before you. There will be crosses and trials to meet; there will be dark hours and sadness; there will be apostasy and giving way to worldly influences. Brethren, these things will come. God will permit them, to test you. Now, I am anxious. What will these brethren do? How many of these sisters will go through to the kingdom of God? How many of you will refuse to bear the first little cross that God shall send? If you give way to discouragements, you will not go far; there will be no strength in you. But if you can withstand temptations, bear up under heavy crosses, struggle through the dark clouds that hover around you, even lay down your life for the Master,—if you can bear all that God will bring upon you to test you, to purge and purify you, then the reward of the overcomer will be yours. A home in the beautiful city, with the society of the ransomed, all the holy angels, our adorable Redeemer, and our loving Heavenly Father, will be yours to enjoy throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. Is not this worth struggling for? Is it not worth all we can give? I think it is.
In one of Christ's parables he said a man went out to sow, and some of the seed fell by the wayside, and the birds picked it up; some fell on stony ground, and it died when it came up; some fell among thorns, and the weeds choked it, so that it never brought forth fruit; and some fell upon good ground and bore good fruit many fold. Now hear the explanation: “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside.”
You remember that at one time Christ fed five thousand. That was enough to convince them that he was the Christ; but how many of that crowd ever became believers on him? But very few. They were wayside hearers. How many have heard the truth in this place, and yet how few have obeyed. How many are wayside hearers!
Here is another class: “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for awhile; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by-and-by he is offended.”
I have often seen this text illustrated. Brethren, go back to last year. Have you not heard persons say, “I thank God for present truth! Oh, how precious! how sweet it is!” Often these persons are the very first to accept it; but by-and-by they meet tribulation and persecution for the truth's sake, then they are offended and give up. What is the matter? Why, they cannot stand the pressure.
I have seen the text illustrated on the farm. Some parts of my father's farm were very stony, and I would often plant corn on the top of a rock that was covered over with a thin soil. The corn would be the very first to spring up, and would look rank and healthy for a short time; but during the month of June it would turn yellow, and die. It is just so with this class of people. They embrace the truth, but they cannot stand sharp, cutting testimonies, and so drop off. I say in my heart, “O Lord, is there a stony-ground hearer here?” Dear brethren, do not let the devil get the advantage of you on this point. Hold on to the truth till you die.
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” Here is another class. They hear the truth, and believe it. They know they ought to accept it, and they do; but their business is urgent, and they must attend to that. They neglect to pray in the family. They do not come to prayer-meeting. They do not sacrifice for the cause. Why? Business is dull, and they cannot afford it. It is all they can do to live. The consequence is they backslide, and never amount to anything.
Now the last class: “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Dear brethren and sisters, the Lord has laid our duty before us. And now let me say to you, Be of good cheer; have hope. No matter if some do go back; just press on, stand by the right, work for God, and by-and-by the Lord will come, and then you will have your reward in the kingdom of God.
As I look over the past, I feel sad. I preach the truth. It seems to me that every one ought to see it. It seems to me that the brethren should take hold, and sacrifice for the cause. But we have to work earnestly and pray and struggle, and still the brethren do not seem to realize their duty. This discourages me. But the Lord is coming soon, and then it will all be over. Here it is work on, fight on, struggle on. I know there will be dark hours; I know there will be discouragements; I know there will be burdens. But when I think of Paul, and Moses, and Jesus, and see how self-sacrificingly they lived, and the cruel persecutions and sufferings they endured, I say, Lord, give me strength; I will fight on; if others fail, I will stand; if others go back, I never will; if others give up the truth, I will not; if others do not do their duty, I will be of good cheer; I will have hope; I will stand by the right and let God take care of the result.
Now, my dear brethren and sisters, may God bless you, and may you bear the burdens, go through the battles, and when it is all over and you have been faithful, how you will love to tell about it. I always think of the time of our last war when I think of this. There were some men who went into the war at the first call for ninety days. When their time was out, they enlisted for three years, and when this time expired many enlisted again. They went through battles and skirmishes, endured hardships, were kept for months in the loathsome Libby prison; just escaped with their life from Andersonville, were wounded, and at last came home with scars, and perhaps with the loss of a limb. When the war was over, the battles had been fought and the victory won, how these men loved to tell what they had passed through! How their eyes would sparkle when they told of the battles they had been in. They had something to tell of hardships, and trials, and sufferings. But you remember that just as the war was about to close there was another call. Many enlisted merely for the eight-hundred-dollars bounty, and went down South just in time to see Richmond taken and Lee surrender, and have a fine view of the country, and then came home without even fighting a single battle. When these came back, do you suppose they loved to tell how they saw Richmond taken? No; such men kept still about their experience in warfare.
It will be so with us when we get into the kingdom of God. You will not say, “Bro. Canright, how easy I got through. I served the devil, I lived a worldling all my life, and just before I drew my last breath, I said, ‘Lord, receive me,’ and he did.” You would be ashamed of such an experience. But if you have been whipped, sent away from home, disowned by your parents, and left to look out for yourself; if you have endured great crosses, made large sacrifices, lived in poverty, and at last laid down your life, for the cause of Christ, what a joy it will be to you to recall the scenes you passed through in this life to gain Heaven.
There is to be another world; there is a hereafter; there is a God; there is a Heaven; there is a Judgment; and there is to be a hell also. These will all come. They are all as real as the things in this life. I want to be on the right side; I want to stand for the truth, come what may. If not another man stands, I want to be faithful to the end. I know these things are so. There are persons in this house who know that we preach the truth, who know that this is a message from Heaven, who know they should obey it. Dear friends, we appeal to you to take a firm stand for God. How it would gladden our hearts, how the hearts of these brethren would rejoice, if you would stand for the truth now. How much you could help us. Come now.
Brethren and sisters, let us stand by the right; let us take courage; let us stand at our post; let us be men and women of God; let us be what the Bible says we must be,—earnest Christians. Do this, and God will bless you and give you the kingdom. D. M. CANRIGHT.