Chapter 33—Conformity to the World
Those who travel in the narrow way are talking of the joy and
happiness they will have at the end of the journey. Their countenances
are often sad, yet often beam with holy, sacred joy. They do not dress
like the company in the broad road, or talk like them, or act like them.
A Pattern has been given them. A Man of sorrows and acquainted with
grief opened that road for them, and traveled it Himself. His followers
see His footsteps and are comforted and cheered. He went through
safely; so can they, if they follow His footsteps.
The Broad Way
In the broad road all are occupied with their persons, their dress,
and the pleasures in the way. They indulge freely in hilarity and glee,
and think not of their journey’s end, of the certain destruction at the
end of the path. Every day they approach nearer their destruction; yet
they madly rush on faster and faster. Oh, how dreadful this looked to
me!
I saw many traveling in this broad road who had written upon them,
“Dead to the world. The end of all things is at hand. Be ye also ready.”
They looked just like all the vain ones around them, except a shade of
sadness which I noticed upon their countenances. Their conversation
was just like that of the gay, thoughtless ones around them; but they
would occasionally point with great satisfaction to the letters on their
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garments, calling for the others to have the same upon theirs. They
were in the broad way, yet they professed to be of that number who
were traveling the narrow way. Those around them would say, “There
is no distinction between us. We are all alike; we dress and talk and
act alike.” ...
I was shown the conformity of some professed Sabbath-keepers to
the world. Oh, I saw that it is a disgrace to their profession, a disgrace
to the cause of God. They give the lie to their profession. They think
they are not like the world, but they are so near like them in dress,
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