Good Sinners | AdventAI

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 23, 1858

Good Sinners.

A mother was striving to impress on the mind of her little son the claim God has on the heart, and the gratitude we owe for the gift of his Son, who died for sinners.

"Who are the sinners, and where do they live, mamma?" asked blue-eyed Charlie, looking eagerly into her face.

"We are all sinners, my son," replied the mother.

"Not you and I, mamma!" cried the little boy; "we are good!"

"No my love; all who live are sinners. You and I do not love God nor obey him as much as we ought; and that makes us sinners, even if we should never do one evil thing, or speak one unkind word before our fellow-creatures. God sees every naughty thought, and he calls us all sinners."

"Does he, mamma?" asked the little learner in a serious tone. "But we—you and I—are very good sinners, I'm sure, mamma!"

O, that self-righteousness and incredulity as to innate depravity were confined to pharisees of Charlie's tender years; then might the truths of the gospel be brought to bear on hearts convinced of sin. But alas, the trouble in many a New England community is to find any sinners to preach to, or to plead with! Every body is righteous; and the minister or private Christian who hints to the contrary is looked on as a slanderer. If, for politeness' sake, or from early prejudice formed by the Assembly's Catechism, a select few be found to admit that all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God; still like little Charlie, they will insist that, if sinners at all they must be "very good sinners;" too good to be saved by the same plan drawn for the salvation of rebels, vile and impure. This soil is the hardest on which a man can toil hoping for a harvest of souls. The heart is mellowed, cultivated, and bearing golden fruit, in the view of its possessor; and therefore all attempts to break up its soil are looked upon as idle work prompted by a spirit of fault finding rather than of love.

This sin of self-righteousness is quite peculiar, strange as it may seem, to Christian lands. The poor pagan is really more enlightened as to his own sins than is the moralist at our door. He does not argue with his teacher that he is whole and needs not a physician; but deplores his guilt, shudders at the thought of his angry God, and offers his heart's blood or the child of his love to appease his wrath. Surely it will be more tolerable, in the day of judgment, for him than for one who, knowing his Father's will, did it not. Nothing but divine power will enlighten this darkness. One gleam from the Sun of Righteousness will reveal to the profoundest pharisee the uncleanness of his heart, and lead him to cry for a righteousness not his own. O, that these "good sinners" would believe that they have deeply sinned; then would they flee to the fountain opened for their cleansing, and clothe themselves in the robe of Christ's righteousness.