DEFEATED, YET NOT DEFEATED by Stephen Nelson Haskell

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, January 8, 1880

FromThe Review and Herald, Vol. 55, No. 2

DEFEATED, YET NOT DEFEATED.

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

BY ELD. S. N. HASKELL.

It has been my practice while visiting churches, especially of late, to ascertain the spiritual standing of its members, to learn if any are using tobacco, tea, coffee, or indulging in any habit contrary to the principles of health and temperance as held by S. D. Adventists. Such evil practices, as well as the neglect of family prayer, are cancers which consume the vitals of piety in any believer in present truth. If indulged in by prominent members, whole churches not unfrequently languish, die, and become extinct, in

consequence. God’s Holy Spirit will not continue to dwell in a body saturated with alcohol, tobacco, or any poison which enslaves the God-given powers of the mind, which distinguish man from the brute creation and connect him with the Infinite. Here lies the moral wrong of these injurious practices.

I visited a small town in California where there were but a few who regularly met on God’s holy Sabbath. Some of these had habits which were a source of weakness to them. These habits were more the result of carelessness and a lack of realizing the evil of these things than wilfulness on their part.

One of the brethren was a tobacco-user. We spent some time trying to prevail upon them to sign the teetotal pledge, for any S. D. Adventist should be ashamed to sign either one of the others, and some of the brethren did so. One brother who used coffee said he would sign, if the brother who used tobacco would. The wife of the coffee-drinker would leave off the use of tea if her husband would give up coffee. My interest in the matter became great, as these persons were the most influential members in the church. I used every argument, and urged as much as I thought proper, but did not succeed. With an indescribable distress of mind I preached two sermons during the remaining portion of the day, and retired at night feeling that it was only a question of time when that company would become extinct, unless others should be raised up to take their places. My rest that night was much disturbed; but in the morning before I had arisen, this tobacco-using brother, who lived half a mile or more distant, opened my bedroom door, his face beaming with happiness, and cried, “Halloo! I have come to sign that pledge and stop that tea and coffee.” He did sign it, and went away a happy man in God. I should here state that the only reason why he refused to sign it the day before was that he feared his inability to keep the pledge. I thanked God, and took courage.