August 8

Responsibility for others

“None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (Rom. 14:7).
“He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Matt. 12:30).

Mary Lyon was in charge of one of the first colleges for women in the New England States. She encountered much opposition for advocating higher female education. Such was the example and teaching of her life, and such high Christian character and conduct marked her young women that it was the highest reference in itself to have been to her college. Her young women were sought to fill positions all over the United States. These striking words on influence are from her pen:
“Spread out before me was a solemn and awful view of personal responsibility. I saw the folly and delusion of those who are ever striving to secure for some of their steps a middle path between the service of Christ and the service of His enemy. . . . I saw that each one’s life must be devoted to the salvation of men, or its influence be felt for their eternal destruction. Everything about me seemed written all over with the Savior’s words, ‘He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.’ I seemed to hear a mighty harp of a thousand strings vibrating at the least touch of the hand, at the least breath of the lips. Its every tone seemed to echo and re-echo, and ceased not till it mingled in the songs of the New Jerusalem, or till it waked up a deep wail in the bottomless pit.


“O, who can strike with a careless, heedless hand the chords of such a harp? Who does not tremble to live, to walk, to speak in such a world as this? How distressing is the mere apprehension of having by accident administered a fatal cup of poison to a fellow-being. But infinitely more distressing must be the certainty of having, by neglect or self-indulgence, destroyed a never-dying soul. My heart exclaimed, ‘Let the past of my life suffice me in the work of death; henceforth let me live only for the salvation of men.’ I looked up to the God of my salvation and cried, ‘Lord, grant that I may never again spend aught of my time or of my possessions without seeking guidance and direction from above; grant that I may never again spend aught of earth’s treasures on myself without the united approval of the Word of God, and providence of God, and the Spirit of God.’”

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