Moral Standards
249
impossible to cause their minds to dwell upon pure and holy things as
it would be to turn the course of Niagara and send its waters pouring up
the falls.... Every Christian will have to learn to restrain his passions
and be controlled by principle. Unless he does this, he is unworthy of
the Christian name
Lovesick sentimentalism prevails. Married men receive attention
from married or unmarried women; women also appear to be charmed
and lose reason and spiritual discernment and good common sense;
they do the very things that the word of God condemns, the very things
that the testimonies of the Spirit of God condemn. Warnings and
reproofs are before them in clear lines, yet they go over the same path
that others have traveled before them. It is like an infatuating game
at which they are playing. Satan leads them on to ruin themselves, to
imperil the cause of God, to crucify the Son of God afresh and put
Him to an open shame
[329]
Ignorance, pleasure loving, and sinful habits, corrupting soul, body,
and spirit, make the world full of moral leprosy; a deadly moral malaria
is destroying thousands and tens of thousands. What shall be done to
save our youth? We can do little, but God lives and reigns, and He can
do much
God’s People to Stand in Contrast to the World—The liberties
taken in this age of corruption should be no criterion for Christ’s
followers. These fashionable exhibitions of familiarity should not exist
among Christians fitting for immortality. If lasciviousness, pollution,
adultery, crime, and murder are the order of the day among those who
know not the truth, and who refuse to be controlled by the principles of
God’s word, how important that the class professing to be followers of
Christ, closely allied to God and angels, should show them a better and
nobler way! How important that by their chastity and virtue they stand
in marked contrast to that class who are controlled by brute passions
Increasing Perils and Dangers—In this degenerate age many will
be found who are so blinded to the sinfulness of sin that they choose a
licentious life because it suits the natural and perverse inclination of
the heart. Instead of facing the mirror of the law of God and bringing
6
Testimonies For The Church 2, 346, 347
.
7
Manuscript 19
a, 1890.
8
Manuscript 8, 1894
.
9
Testimonies For The Church 2, 459
.