Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .
P u r s u i t o f p l e a s u r e ( 3 RELATED PHRASES ) |
The phrase 'pursuit of pleasure' appears 13 times in the published writings of EGW see page on Original site Related phrase: pleasure seekers ( 28 ) ( below ) - - pleasure lovers
| The pursuit of pleasure and amusement centers in the cities. Many parents who choose a city home for their children, thinking to give them greater advantages, meet with disappointment, and too late repent their terrible mistake. The cities of today are fast becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah. The many holidays encourage idleness. The exciting sports — theatergoing, horse racing, gambling, liquor-drinking, and reveling—stimulate every passion to intense activity. The youth are swept away by the popular current. Those who learn to love amusement for its own sake open the door to a flood of temptations. They give themselves up to social gaiety and thoughtless mirth, and their intercourse with pleasure lovers has an intoxicating effect upon the mind. They are led on from one form of dissipation to another, until they lose both the desire and the capacity for a life of usefulness. Their religious aspirations are chilled; their spiritual life is darkened. All the nobler faculties of the soul, all that link man with the spiritual world, are debased. { COL 54.3} Read entire Chapter 2 also { LDE 110.2 }
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| The pursuit of pleasure and amusement centers in the cities. Many parents who choose a city home for their children, thinking to give them greater advantages, meet with disappointment, and too late repent their terrible mistake. The cities of today are fast becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah. The many holidays encourage idleness. The exciting sports—theatergoing, horse racing, gambling, liquor-drinking, and reveling—stimulate every passion to intense activity. The youth are swept away by the popular current. Those who learn to love amusement for its own sake open the door to a flood of temptations. They give themselves up to social gaiety and thoughtless mirth, and their intercourse with pleasure lovers has an intoxicating effect upon the mind. They are led on from one form of dissipation to another, until they lose both the desire and the capacity for a life of usefulness. Their religious aspirations are chilled; their spiritual life is darkened. All the nobler faculties of the soul, all that link man with the spiritual world, are debased. { CSA 23.1 }
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Scoffers pointed to the things of nature,—to the unvarying succession of the seasons, to the blue skies that had never poured out rain, to the green fields refreshed by the soft dews of night,—and they cried out: “Doth he not speak parables?” In contempt they declared the preacher of righteousness to be a wild enthusiast; and they went on, more eager in their pursuit of pleasure, more intent upon their evil ways, than before. But their unbelief did not hinder the predicted event. God bore long with their wickedness, giving them ample opportunity for repentance; but at the appointed time His judgments were visited upon the rejecters of His mercy. { GC 338.1} |
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| Those who accepted the advent doctrine were roused to the necessity of repentance and humiliation before God. Many had long been halting between Christ and the world; now they felt that it was time to take a stand. “The things of eternity assumed to them an unwonted reality. Heaven was brought near, and they felt themselves guilty before God.”—Bliss, page 146. Christians were quickened to new spiritual life. They were made to feel that time was short, that what they had to do for their fellow men must be done quickly. Earth receded, eternity seemed to open before them, and the soul, with all that pertained to its immortal weal or woe, was felt to eclipse every temporal object. The Spirit of God rested upon them and gave power to their earnest appeals to their brethren, as well as to sinners, to prepare for the day of God. The silent testimony of their daily life was a constant rebuke to formal and unconsecrated church members. These did not wish to be disturbed in their pursuit of pleasure, their devotion to money-making, and their ambition for worldly honor. Hence the enmity and opposition excited against the advent faith and those who proclaimed it. { GC 340.1} Read entire Chapter 18
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| Scoffers pointed to the things of nature,—to the unvarying succession of the seasons, to the blue skies that had never poured out rain, to the green fields refreshed by the soft dews of night,—and they cried out, “Doth he not speak parables?” In contempt they declared the preacher of righteousness to be a wild enthusiast; and they went on, more eager in their pursuit of pleasure, more intent upon their evil ways, than ever before. But their unbelief did not hinder the predicted event. God bore long with their wickedness, giving them ample opportunity for repentance; but at the appointed time his judgments were visited upon the rejecters of his mercy. { 4SP 209.1 }
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Scoffers pointed to the things of nature—to the unvarying succession of the seasons, to the blue skies that had never poured out rain, to the green fields refreshed by the soft dews of night—and they cried out, “Doth he not speak parables?” In contempt they declared the preacher of righteousness to be a wild enthusiast; and they went on, more eager in their pursuit of pleasure, more intent upon their evil ways, than ever before. But their unbelief did not hinder the predicted event.... { FLB 341.3} |
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| Scoffers pointed to the things of nature—to the unvarying succession of the seasons, to the blue skies that had never poured out rain, to the green fields refreshed by the soft dews of night—and they cried out: “Doth he not speak parables?” In contempt they declared the preacher of righteousness to be a wild enthusiast; and they went on, more eager in their pursuit of pleasure, more intent upon their evil ways, than before. But their unbelief did not hinder the predicted event. God bore long with their wickedness, giving them ample opportunity for repentance; but at the appointed time His judgments were visited upon the rejecters of His mercy. { Mar 263.3} |
| Our yearly convocations are of importance. They cost something in time, money, and wearing labor. They are held for a special purpose. We meet for the worship of God, and to obtain spiritual strength by feeding upon the bread of life. We want to seek the Lord, and find him to the joy of our souls. To do this we must banish worldly thoughts and interests; we must lay aside our home and business cares. We must not give our time to visiting and feasting, nor to the gratification of pride, nor the pursuit of pleasure. The season we spend together should be devoted to heart-searching, to confession of sin, and to earnest prayer. Jesus is among us, to hear our prayers, to pardon our sins, and to give us his blessing. { GosHealth April 1, 1898, par. 1 }
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| No amusement is safe for our youth to indulge in, unless they can bow down and ask God’s blessing upon it before engaging in it. If they cannot take Jesus with them to their scenes of pleasure, they may take it for granted that such amusements are positively dangerous, both to physical and moral health. If you would not be willing to have Jesus come and find you engaged in your chosen amusements, you may know that you cannot engage in them today with safety. If your conscience tells you that you are doing wrong in the pursuit of pleasure, you may know that your amusements are not calculated to make you grow as did Jesus, waxing strong in spirit, to resist the devices of the enemy. { YI July 27, 1893, par. 4 }
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The instructors ought to have had wisdom to follow the indications of the Holy Spirit, and go on from grace to grace, leading the youth to make the most of the light and grace given. They should have taught the youth that the Holy Spirit, which was imparted in great measure, was to help them to use their time and ability to do the very highest service for the Master, showing forth the praises of Him who had called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. But instead of this, many went more eagerly in pursuit of pleasure. There were witnesses upon the pleasure-grounds, heavenly intelligences that made the records in the book of God of transactions that many will not care to meet in the day when every work shall be manifest. Not only were heavenly messengers present, but the synagogue of Satan were on the ground to exult that his ingenious methods had in a great measure thwarted the purpose for which God gave the Holy Spirit. God desired to carry the youth forward and upward that they might understand by experience the words of the inspired apostle, “We are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” Of how many who exhibited their qualifications in the games could this be said? ... { 6MR 127.2 } |
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p l e a s u r e s e e k e r s |
The phrase 'pleasure seekers' appears 28 times in the published writings of EGW making separate page
| We often hear of disasters in theaters and pleasure resorts, where lives are lost, and many are wounded, and perhaps made life-long sufferers. But these things do not arrest the pleasure-seekers. They rush on, thirsting for excitement, and often in the very act they too are hurled into eternity; without a moment’s warning, their probation is ended; and what has been their life record? Can Christ say of these, “Well done, good and faithful servants”? Multitudes are vainly seeking happiness in worldly amusements. They crave something which they have not. They are spending their money for that which is not bread, and their labor for that which satisfieth not. The hungry, thirsting soul will continue to hunger and thirst so long as it partakes of these unsatisfying pleasures. Oh that they would listen to the voice of Jesus, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.” Those who drink of the living water will thirst no more for frivolous, exciting amusements. Christ, the well-spring of life, is the fountain of peace and happiness. { HS 191.2 }
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| I cannot admit that we are moving in God’s order. We must have a different order of things, or give up the name Health Retreat; for it is wholly inappropriate. The Lord has shown me that the Health Institute must not be molded to meet the appetite or any person’s ideas. I am aware that the excuse for the meat eating allowed in the institution has been that the pleasure seekers who come are not pleased with any other diet. Then let them go where they can obtain the diet they wish. When the institution cannot be conducted, even for guests, according to right principles, then let it drop the name it has assumed. But the excuse that has been urged does not now exist; for outside patronage is very small. { CD 406.5}
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| We are not to absorb the time and strength of men capable of carrying forward the Lord’s work in the way He has outlined, in an enterprise for the accommodation and entertainment of pleasure seekers, whose greatest desire is to gratify self. To connect workers with such an enterprise would be perilous to their safety. Let us keep our young men and young women from all such dangerous influences. And should our brethren engage in such an enterprise, they would not advance the work of soul saving as they think they would. { CH 272.2} |
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