The Present Truth (UK)
1894
August 16, 1894
The Christian's Privilege
Oh, why does not the church of Christ arise, and put on her beautiful garments? Why does she not shine? The great reason of such feeble Christianity is that those who claim to believe the truth have so little knowledge of Christ, and so low an estimate of what He will be to them, and what they may be to Him. We have the most solemn, weighty truths ever committed to mortals. Were our words, our thoughts, our actions purer and elevated, more in accordance with the holy faith we profess, we should view our responsibilities in a far different light. How solemn, how sacred, they would appear! We should have a deeper sense of our obligations, and should make it our constant aim to perfect holiness in the fear of God. Earthly, temporal things would be subordinate to the heavenly and eternal. PrT August 16, 1894, par. 1
The language of the heart and lips would be, as expressed by the Psalmist, “How amiable are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house; they will be still praising Thee. Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee: in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well . . . They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. . . . Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of Thine anointed. For a day in Thy house is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” PrT August 16, 1894, par. 2
Mrs. E. G. White.