When you see a man loaded down with responsibilities in a position, where, if you let reason bear sway, you must know he has very much to perplex him and try his patience and test his wisdom; when you see a man fighting the battle with almost everything against him,—then will you show the Satan side of your character and add your influence to the22popular cry, Crucify him, crucify him? Why not practice the law of kindness? Why not dwell upon the good traits of character? Why keep before you and in your lips words that savor of distrust, that show the very worst imagining of the heart? Why will you not practice the law of love? why not cultivate a tender, pitiful, kind spirit? why be so cold, unfeeling, heartless, satanic? why rejoice in iniquity rather than in the truth?
Oh, let us be Christians; let us be true, pure, and holy; let sympathy and love come into our hearts. This is a work we may all have a part in; this is a work which will tell for time and for eternity. God help us to be true to one another. Satan is always an accuser,—one who tears down but never builds up. What if you should now change your course of action, and begin to think well and speak well of your brethren and sisters! Would it not be Christlike to manifest this fruit of the Spirit, “Thinketh no evil, is not puffed up, hopeth all things, believeth all things,” (not of evil, not of false reports,) but all that is “pure, lovely, and of good report”? “Little children,” says the beloved disciple, “love one another.”
The Lord is coming. We have a work to do for ourselves, a work to do for one another. Christ has bound up our souls with the infinite God. We have a higher, nobler calling than to devise and report evil one of another. You have driven one to the grave, another from your midst, for the want of brotherly love and compassion; and is not this record in the books of Heaven enough? Will you double your guilt; will you blacken your already darkened record? I call upon these men and women, whatever your profession may be, to be swift to hear counsel of God, entreaties of his Spirit,—and slow to speak. Think not evil one of another, lest ye be condemned. Whatever we do, whatever we say, wherever we are, we can never cease our responsibility to God. He has appointed our work. It is not to bite and devour23one another, but it is to labor earnestly, kindly, tenderly, in all love to help one another to resist our common foe. God has given us the means, the faculties, and the opportunities, and he holds us accountable for using them well. When we work with a single eye to God’s glory, we shall love the purchase of his blood, and work for them and seek to bless them in every way possible; and then shall we have praise of God, and may consider ourselves as collaborers with him, as building for eternity. Every one, whether ministers or lay members, are God’s embassadors, executing his work. The flippant speech, the jesting and joking, are all out of place now. The Judge standeth before the door. Our accountability to God, fully accepted and faithfully met, will balance our characters. We shall outgrow the tendencies to be superficial. We shall be, through the grace given unto us, raised above everything that is mean and selfish and impure. It will make us have an interest for our brethren, for they are the purchase of the blood of Christ. It will make us realize that we have something great and good to live for. This close connection with God will make our lives earnest, cheerful, and strong under difficulties, hopeful amid discouragements that will be the lot of all.
The lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God will not enjoy our company; for our conversation, our deportment, the Spirit of Christ we cherish, will rebuke their spirit and give no encouragement in their vain propensities. The church now most want men whose minds can comprehend and bear the thought of their responsibility to God,—men who are made strong by the consciousness that they are doing God’s work, and that they will do it with fidelity. Satan’s work is to make us contented with superficially doing our work and meeting our responsibilities, and he has been wonderfully successful here.
Those who believe in Jesus will love to do his will.24Those who acknowledge that Jesus is the Redeemer of the world and yet live for themselves in all their words and actions, contradict their faith, and testify to the world that they do not believe in Jesus Christ. Sacrifice and self-denial will be met at every step in the Christian path. If we walk with Christ, we shall see his triumph and share his glory. Like our divine Master, we shall be made perfect by suffering. Those whose lives are one with Christ will not be full of mirth and worldliness and pleasure loving now. There is work to do, earnest work to warn the world, earnest labor to wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. There will be a wholesome fear which will lead to sobriety and balance the character,—a fear lest a promise being made us on certain conditions, we should seem to come short of meeting those conditions.
This distrust of self will lead us to be circumspect in actions. Christ had travail of soul. All who are co-laborers with him will have travail of soul, will be burden-bearers. Their anxiety will not be to tear one another to pieces and exalt themselves; but their work will be to help one another, to strengthen one another in the most holy faith, while they will be diligent to make their own calling and election sure. They will also be earnest and faithful to do their work for God, that others shall not fail of everlasting life. Pride and ambition will be humbled in the dust. We are to meet those we associate with when the Judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, and when all shall be judged according to their works. How can we meet those we have treated with neglect, those we have envied, those we have tried to tear down, the souls we have wounded and bruised, destroyed their influence and awakened a spirit of hatred against them, that caused them to be crippled and hedged up in doing the work God would have them do? God is in earnest with us. God help us to be wise unto salvation.
E. G. WHITE.