Lure of Pleasure
399
they lose both the desire and the capacity for a life of usefulness. Their
religious aspirations are chilled; their spiritual life is darkened. All the
nobler faculties of the soul, all that link man with the spiritual world,
are debased
Among Pleasure Lovers Are Many Church Members—Many
are eagerly participating in worldly, demoralizing amusements which
God’s word forbids. Thus they sever their connection with God and
rank themselves with the pleasure lovers of the world. The sins that
destroyed the antediluvians and the cities of the plain exist today—
not merely in heathen lands, not only among popular professors of
Christianity, but with some who profess to be looking for the coming
of the Son of man. If God should present these sins before you as they
appear in His sight, you would be filled with shame and terror
The desire for excitement and pleasing entertainment is a tempta-
tion and a snare to God’s people and especially to the young. Satan
is constantly preparing inducements to attract minds from the solemn
work of preparation for scenes just in the future. Through the agency
of worldlings he keeps up a continual excitement to induce the unwary
to join in worldly pleasures. There are shows, lectures, and an endless
variety of entertainments that are calculated to lead to a love of the
world; and through this union with the world, faith is weakened
[523]
Satan, a Skillful Charmer—The young generally conduct them-
selves as though the precious hours of probation, while mercy lingers,
were one grand holiday and they were placed in this world merely
for their own amusement, to be gratified with a continued round of
excitement. Satan has been making special efforts to lead them to
find happiness in worldly amusements and to justify themselves by
endeavoring to show that these amusements are harmless, innocent,
and even important for health
He [Satan] presents the path of holiness as difficult, while the paths
of worldly pleasure are strewn with flowers. In false and flattering
colors he arrays the world with its pleasures before the youth. But the
5
Testimonies For The Church 90
.
6
Ibid., 5:218
.
7
Counsels to Teachers, Parents, and Students, 325
.
8
Testimonies For The Church 1: 501
.