Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. Genesis 1:31.

Adam and Eve came forth from the hand of their Creator in the perfection of every physical, mental, and spiritual endowment. God planted for them a garden and surrounded them with everything lovely and attractive to the eye and that which their physical necessities required. This holy pair looked out upon a world of unsurpassed loveliness and glory. A benevolent Creator had given them evidences of His goodness and love in providing them with fruits, vegetables, and grains, and had caused to grow out of the ground trees of every variety for usefulness and beauty.

The holy pair looked upon nature as a picture of unsurpassed loveliness. The brown earth was clothed with a carpet of living green diversified with an endless variety of self-propagating, self-perpetuating flowers. Shrubs, flowers, and trailing vines regaled the senses with their beauty and fragrance. The many varieties of lofty trees were laden with fruit of every kind and of delicious flavor adapted to please the taste and meet the wants of the happy Adam and Eve. This Eden home God provided for our first parents, giving them unmistakable evidences of His great love and care for them.

Adam was crowned as king in Eden. To him was given dominion over every living thing that God had created. The Lord blessed Adam and Eve with intelligence such as He had not given to the animal creation. He made Adam the rightful sovereign over all the works of His hands. Human beings made in the divine image could contemplate and appreciate the glorious works of God in nature….

The natural loveliness which surrounded them, like a mirror reflected the wisdom, excellence, and love of their heavenly Father. And their songs of affection and praise rose sweetly and reverentially to heaven, harmonizing with the songs of the exalted angels and with the happy birds who were caroling forth their music without a care. There was no disease, decay, nor death anywhere. Life, life was in everything the eye rested upon. The atmosphere was impregnated with life. Life was in every leaf, in every flower, and in every tree.—The Review and Herald, February 24, 1874.

From From the Heart

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Revelation 3:19.

The message to the church of the Laodiceans is a startling denunciation, and is applicable to the people of God at the present time….

The Lord here shows us that the message to be borne to His people by ministers whom He has called to warn the people is not a peace-and-safety message…. The people of God are represented in the message to the Laodiceans in a position of carnal security. They are at ease, believing themselves in an exalted condition of spiritual attainments….

The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true situation of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness….

The Christian life is a constant battle and a march. There is no rest from the warfare. It is by constant, unceasing effort that we maintain the victory over the temptations of Satan…. We are fully sustained in our positions by an overwhelming amount of plain scriptural testimony. But we are very much wanting in Bible humility, patience, faith, love, self-denial, watchfulness, and a spirit of sacrifice. We need to cultivate Bible holiness. Sin prevails among the people of God…. Many cling to their doubts and their darling sins, while they are in so great a deception as to talk and feel that they are in need of nothing….

All the soldiers of the cross of Christ virtually obligate themselves to enter a crusade against the adversary of souls, to condemn wrong, and sustain righteousness…. Eternal life is of infinite value, and will cost us all that we have….

It is not enough for ministers to present theoretical subjects. They need to study the practical lessons Christ gave His disciples, and make a close application of the same to their own souls and to the people. Because Christ bears this rebuking testimony, shall we suppose that He is destitute of tender love to His people? Oh, no! … He rebukes those He loves.—The Review and Herald, September 16, 1873.

From From the Heart

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Psalm 68:19.

Christians should be the most cheerful and happy people that live. They may have the consciousness that God is their father and their everlasting friend. But many professed Christians do not correctly represent the Christian religion. They appear gloomy, as if under a cloud. They often speak of the great sacrifices they have made to become Christians. They appeal to those who have not accepted Christ, representing by their own example and conversation that they must give up everything which would make life pleasant and joyful. They throw a pall of darkness over the blessed Christian hope. The impression is given that God’s requirements are a burden even to the willing soul, and that everything that would give pleasure or that would delight the taste must be sacrificed.

We do not hesitate to say that this class of professed Christians have not the genuine article. God is love. Whoso dwelleth in God dwelleth in love. All who have indeed become acquainted, by experimental knowledge, with the love and tender compassion of our heavenly Father will impart light and joy wherever they may be. Their presence and influence will be to their associates as the fragrance of sweet flowers, because they are linked to God and heaven, and the purity and exalted loveliness of heaven are communicated through them to all that are brought within their influence. This constitutes them the light of the world, the salt of the earth….

Where does the artist obtain his design? From nature. But the great Master Artist has painted upon heaven’s shifting, changing canvas the glories of the setting sun. He has tinted and gilded the heavens with gold, silver, and crimson as though the portals of high heaven were thrown open that we might view its gleamings and our imagination take hold of the glory within….

As we are attracted to the beautiful in nature and associate the things which God has created for the happiness of men and women with His character, we will regard God as a tender, loving Father rather than merely a stern judge…. The heart is quickened and throbs with new and deeper love mingled with awe and reverence as we contemplate God in nature.—The Review and Herald, July 25, 1871.

From From the Heart

Do not love the world or the things in the world. 1 John 2:15.

We see beauty and loveliness and glory in Jesus. We behold in Him matchless charms. He was the Majesty of heaven. He filled all heaven with splendor. Angels bowed in adoration before Him and readily obeyed His commands. Our Savior gave up all. He laid aside His glory, His majesty, and splendor and came down to this earth and died for a race of rebels who were transgressors against His Father’s commandments. Christ condescended to humble Himself that He might save the fallen race; He drank the cup of suffering, and in its place offers us the cup of blessing; yes, that cup was drained for us; and although many know all this, yet they choose to go on in sin and folly; and still Jesus invites them. He says, Whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely….

The truths of God’s Word must be brought to bear upon us, and we must lay hold upon them. If we do this, they will have a sanctifying influence upon our lives; they will fit us that we may have a preparation for the kingdom of glory; that when our probation shall close, we may see the King in His beauty and dwell in His presence forevermore….

It is the strength of the entire being that God requires. He requires of you a separation from the world and the things of the world. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” It is separation from the love of the world that is required, and what is given you in its place? “I will be a father unto you.” Do you have to separate in your affections from friends? Does the truth require you to stand alone in your position to serve God because others around you are not willing to yield to the claims that Christ has upon them? Does it require a separation in feeling from them? Yes, and this is the cross which you must bear, which leads many to say, I cannot yield to the claims of the truth. But says Christ, If anyone love father, or mother, or brother, or sister, more than Me, he is not worthy of Me. Whosoever will come after Me and will be My disciple, let him take up his cross and follow Me. Here is the cross of self-denial and sacrifice, to separate in your affections here from those who will not yield to the claims of truth. Is this too great a sacrifice to make for Him who sacrificed all for you?—The Review and Herald, April 19, 1870.

From From the Heart

The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself Proverbs 11:25.

Divine wisdom has appointed, in the plan of salvation, the law of action and reaction, making the work of beneficence, in all its branches, twice blessed. Those who give to the needy bless others, and are blessed themselves in a still greater degree….

That we might not lose the blessed results of benevolence, our Redeemer formed the plan of enlisting us as His coworkers. By a chain of circumstances which would call forth our charities, He bestows upon us the best means of cultivating benevolence, and keeps us habitually giving to help the poor and to advance His cause. By their necessities, a ruined world are drawing forth from us talents of means and influence, to present to them the truth, of which they are in perishing need…. In bestowing, we bless others, and thus accumulate true riches….

The cross of Christ appeals to the benevolence of every follower of the blessed Savior. The principle there illustrated is to give, give. This, carried out in actual benevolence and good works, is the true fruit of the Christian life. The principle of worldlings is to get, get, and thus they expect to secure happiness, but carried out in all its bearings, the fruit is misery and death….

Christ assigned to human beings the work of spreading the gospel. But while some go forth to preach, He calls upon others to answer His claims upon them for offerings, with which to support His cause in the earth. This is one of God’s ways of exalting us. It is just the work that we need, for it will stir the deepest sympathies of our heart and call into exercise the highest capabilities of the mind….

God planned the system of beneficence in order that we might become, like our Creator, benevolent and unselfish in character….

Christ’s believing people are to perpetuate His love…. Meet around the cross of Calvary in self-sacrifice and self-denial. As you stand before the cross and see the Royal Prince of heaven dying for you, can you seal your heart, saying, “No; I have nothing to give”? God will bless you as you do your best.—The Review and Herald, October 3, 1907.

From From the Heart