“No Other Gods Before Me”
291
saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
world” (
John 1:29
).
O that you would search the Scriptures with prayerful hearts, and a
spirit of surrender to God! O that you would search your hearts as with
a lighted candle, and discover and break the finest thread that binds you
to worldly habits, which divert the mind from God! Plead with God
to show you every practice that draws your thoughts and affections
from Him. God has given His holy law to man as His measure of
character. By this law you may see and overcome every defect in your
character. You may sever yourself from every idol, and link yourself
to the throne of God by the golden chain of grace and truth.—
The
Review and Herald, May 14, 1901
.
A Caution Regarding Extreme Positions
There were some who had capabilities to help the church, but
who needed first to set their own hearts in order. Some had been
bringing in false tests, and had made their own ideas and notions a
criterion, magnifying matters of little importance into tests of Christian
fellowship, and binding heavy burdens upon others. Thus a spirit of
criticism, faultfinding, and dissension had come in, which had been a
great injury to the church. And the impression was given to unbelievers
that Sabbathkeeping Adventists were a set of fanatics and extremists,
[319]
and that their peculiar faith rendered them unkind, uncourteous, and
really unchristian in character. Thus the course of a few extremists
prevented the influence of the truth from reaching the people.
Some were making the matter of dress of first importance, criticiz-
ing articles of dress worn by others, and standing ready to condemn
everyone who did not exactly meet their ideas. A few condemned
pictures, urging that they are prohibited by the second commandment,
and that everything of this kind should be destroyed.
These one-idea men can see nothing except to press the one thing
that presents itself to their minds. Years ago we had to meet this same
spirit and work. Men arose claiming to have been sent with a message
condemning pictures, and urging that every likeness of anything should
be destroyed. They went to such lengths as even to condemn clocks
which had figures, or “pictures,” upon them.