TESTIMONY  
FOR THE CHURCH  
NUMBER THIRTY-TWO.  
BY MKR. E. G. WHITE.  
THE LIBRARY  
S.D.A. Thoo'og c&l Seminary  
Takor ia Park  
Washi i^ion 12, D.C.  
PACIFIC PRESS: OAKLAND, CAL.  
REVIEW AND HERALD: BATTLE CREEK, MICII.  
18S5.


uu  
[rf  
no. 34  
RELEASED _V 7/  
JAMES S'liTE LIBRARY  
AMNN:^' LKHVLIRSITY  
3ERk£N SPRINGS, MICH.  

NOTE TO THE READER.  
W HILE the closing chapters of the fourth volume of the Great  
Controversy were being prepared for the press, it was found that  
four hundred pages the size of the first three volumes, would 
not admit all the matter. By making volume four one hundred  
pages larger than was at first intended, the main points of the  
history wire all admitted, but some chapters of warning and  
exhortation to our people were left to be printed in the Testi-
monies, and will be found in the closing articles of this number.  
Most of the matter contained in the first sixty-four pages of  
this Testimony was written in 1880, and read to the persons ad-
dressed. On a subsequent visit to these Conferences, it appeared 
that the errors reproved in these testimonies had hail a lasting 
influence to hinder the growth of the Conferences. Additional  
warnings Here given, and these, with those written four years 
before, were read to some of the leading brethren. The fact that  
all in these Conferences need the benefit of the testimony, and 
that the cause of truth in other Conferences is crippled and hin-
dered by the same wrongs, leads to its publication in this number.  
In the reproofs and advice given to individuals, and in the warn- 
ings and counsels of the other portions of this Testimony, there  
is instruction for all. In many cases the persons addressed in  
these epistles have made a radical change in life, and are striving 
to correct past wrongs. It is hoped that a prayerful reading of 
these pages will save many from committing the same errors.  
All who are laboring for the advancement and spread of the  
truth will be especially interested in the articles on the manage-
ment and support of missions, and the canvassing and pub- 
lishing work.  
In former numbers of the printed Testimonies, blanks or initials  
were generally used for the names of persons addressed. In this 
number the letters of 'the alphabet, beginning with A, are used 
instead.


CONTENTS.  
PAGE.  
The Work of the Gospel Minister 5  
Christian Growth 19  
Faithfulness in the Work of God 28  
Influence of Unbelief 41 
Deceitfulness of Sin 45 
Criticising Ministers 54  
Fidelity and Perseverance Needed 58  
Sinfulness of Repining 65  
" Praise Ye the Lord." 71  
Parental Responsibility 75 
The Training of Children 79  
Christian Forbearance 87 
Worldly Ambition.... 92  
Love among Brethren 97  
Redeeming the Time 105  
The Manufacture of Wine and Cider 110  
Marriage with Unbelievers 117 
The Support of City Missions 124 
The True Missionary Spirit 141  
Young Men as Missionaries 146  
Importance of the Canvassing Work 152  
The Publishing Work 163  
Business and Religion 178  
Worldly-Mindedness a Snare 186  
Responsibilities of the Physician 195 
The Coming Crisis 205  
The Church the Light of the World 210 
Joshua and the Angel 223  

TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
NUMBER THIRTY-TWO.  
THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL MINISTER.  
THERE are many things that need to be corrected in  
the U. 0. and N. P. Conferences. The Creator expected  
these brethren to bear fruit according to the light and  
privileges bestowed upon them; but in this he has been 
disappointed. He has given them every advantage, but  
they have not improved in meekness, godliness, benev- 
olence. They have ngt pursued that course of life, have 
not revealed that character nor exercised that influence, 
which would tend most to honor their Creator, ennoble  
themselves, and make them a blessing to their fellow-men. 
Selfishness exists in their hearts. They love to have 
their own way, and seek their own ease, honor, and  
wealth, and their own pleasure in its grosser or more 
refined forms. If we pursue the course of the world, and  
follow the bent of our own minds, will that work for our 
best good % Does not God, who formed man, look for 
something better from us 1  
"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children."  
Christians must be like Christ. They should have the  
same spirit, exert the same influence, and have the same 
moral excellence, that he possessed. The idolatrous and 
corrupt in heart must repent and turn to God. Those 
who are proud and self-righteous must abase self, and 
become penitent and meek and lowly in heart. The  
worldly-minded must have the tendrils of the heart  
removed from the rubbish of the world, around which 
they are clinging, and entwined about God; they must  
(5)


6  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
become spiritually minded. The dishonest and untruth- 
ful must become just and true. The ambitious and 
covetous must be hid in Jesus, and seek his glory, not  
their own. They must despise their own holiness, and 
lay up their treasure above. The prayerless must feel  
the need of both secret and family prayer, and must 
make their supplications to God with great earnestness.  
As the worshipers of the true and living God, we  
should bear fruit corresponding to the light and privileges 
we enjoy. Many are worshiping idols instead of the 
Lord of Heaven and earth. Anything that men love  
and trust in instead of loving the Lord and trusting 
wholly in him, becomes an idol, and is thus registered in  
the books of Heaven. Even blessings are often turned  
into a curse. The sympathies of the human heart,  
strengthened by exercise, are sometimes perverted until  
they become a snare. If one is reproved, there are  
always some who will sympathize with him. They en- 
tirely overlook the harm that has been done to God's  
cause by the wrong influence of one whose life and char- 
acter do not in any wray resemble those of the Pattern.  
God sends his servants with a message to the people pro-
fessing to be followers of Christ; but some are children  
of God only in name, and they reject the warning.  
God has in a wonderful manner endowed man with  
reasoning powers. He who fitted the tree to bear its  
burden of goodly fruit has made man capable of bearing 
the precious fruits of righteousness. He has planted  
man in his garden and tenderly cared for him; and he  
expect 
s him to bear fruit. In the parable of the fig-tree  
Christ says, " Behold, these three years I come seeking  
fruit." For more than two years has the Owner looked  
for the fruit that he has a right to expect from these  
Conferences; but how has his search been rewarded?  
How anxiously we watch a favorite tree or plant, expect-
in 
g it to reward our care by producing buds, blossoms,  
and fruit; and how disappointed we are to find upon it  
nothing but leaves. With how much more anxiety and 
tender interest does the heavenly Father watch the spir-
itual growth of those whom he has made in his own image,  

THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL MINISTER.  7  
and for whom he condescended to give his Son that they 
may be elevated, ennobled, and glorified.  
The Lord has his appointed agencies to meet men in  
their errors and backslidings. His messengers are sent  
to bear a plain testimony to arouse them from their  
sleep 
y condition, and to open the precious words of life,  
the Holy Scriptures, to their understanding. These  
me 
n are not to be preachers merely, but ministers, light- 
bearers, faithful watchmen, who will see the threatened  
danger and warn the people. They must resemble Christ 
in their earnest zeal, in their thoughtful tact, in their  
personal efforts,—in short, in all their ministry. They  
are to have a vital connection with God, and are to be- 
come so familiar with the prophecies and the practical  
lessons of the Old and the New Testament that they may 
bring from the treasure-house of God's word things new  
and old.  
Some of these ministers make a mistake in the prepa- 
ration of their discourses. They arrange every minutia  
with such exactness that they give the Lord no room to  
lead and impress their minds. Every point is fixed,  
stereotyped as it were, and they cannot depart from the  
plan marked out. This course, if continued, will cause  
them to become narrow-minded, circumscribed in their 
views, and will soon leave them as destitute of life and 
energy as are the hills of Gilboa of dew and rain. They  
must throw the soul open, and let the Holy Spirit take 
possession to impress the mind. When everything is  
laid out beforehand, and they feel that they cannot vary 
from these set discourses, the effect is little better than  
that produced by reading a sermon.  
God would have his ministers wholly dependent upon  
him, but at the same time they should be thoroughly  
furnished unto every good work. No subject can be  
treated before all congregations in the same manner.  
The Spirit of God, if allowed to do its work, will impress  
the mind with ideas calculated to meet the cases of those  
who need help. But the tame, formal discourses of many 
who enter the desk have very little of the vitalizing 
power of the Holy Spirit in them. The habit of preach-


6  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
ing such discourses will effectually destroy a minister's  
usefulness and ability. This is one reason why the efforts 
of the workers in and have not been more suc-
cessful. God has had too little to do with impressing  
the mind in the desk.  
Another cause of failure in these Conferences is that the  
people to whom God's messenger is sent wish to mold his 
idea 
s to theirs, and to put into his mouth the words that  
he should speak. God's watchmen must not study how 
they shall please the people, nor listen to their words and  
utte 
r them; but they must listen to hear what saith the  
Lord, what is his word for the people. If they rely upon  
discourses prepared years before, they may fail to meet 
the necessities of the occasion. Their hearts should be  
laid open, so that the Lord may impress their minds,  
and then they will be able to give the people the precious  
trut 
h warm from Heaven. God is not pleased with  
those narrow-minded ministers who devote their God-
give 
n powers to matters of little moment, and fail to  
gro 
w in divine knowledge to the full stature of men in  
Christ Jesus. He would have his ministers possess  
breadth of mind and true moral courage. Such men will  
be prepared to meet opposition and surmount difficulties,  
and will lead the flock of God instead of being led by  
them.  
There is altogether too little of the Spirit and power of  
God in the labor of the watchmen. The Spirit which  
characterized that wonderful meeting on the day of  
Pentecost is waiting to manifest its power upon the men  
who are now standing between the living and the dead as  
ambassadors for God. The power which stirred the  
people so mightily in the 1844 movement will again be  
revealed. The third angel's message will go forth, not in  
whispered tones, but with a loud voice.  
Many who profess to have great light are walking in  
sparks of their own kindling. They need to have their 
lips touched with a live coal from off the altar, that they 
may pour forth the truth like men who are inspired. Too  
many go into the desk with mechanical discourses, that  
have no light from Heaven in them.  

THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL MINISTER. 8  
There is too much of self and too little of Jesus in the  
ministry of all denominations. The Lord uses humble  
men to proclaim his messages. Had Christ come in the  
majesty of a king, with the pomp which attends the 
great men of earth, many would have accepted, him.  
But Jesus of Nazareth did not dazzle the senses with a  
display of outward glory, and make this the foundation of  
their revei-ence. He came as a humble man, to be the 
teache 
r and exemplar as well as the redeemer of the race.  
Had he encouraged pomp, had he come followed by a  
retinue of the great men of earth, how could he have  
taught humility 1 how could he have presented such 
burning truths as in his sermon upon the mount ? His 
example was such as he wished all his followers to imitate.  
Where would have been the hope of the lowly in life, had 
he come in exaltation, and dwelt as a king upon the 
eart 
h 1 Jesus knew the needs of the world better than  
they themselves knew. He did not come as an angel,  
clothed with the panoply of Heaven, but as a man. Yet 
combined with his humility was an inherent power and 
grandeur that awed men while they loved him. Although 
possessing such loveliness, such an unassuming appear- 
ance, he moved among them with the dignity and power  
of a Heaven-born king. The people were amazed, con- 
founded. They tried to reason the matter out; but,un-
willing to renounce their own ideas, they yielded to doubts, 
clinging to the old expectation of a Saviour to come in  
earthly grandeur.  
When Jesus delivered the sermon on the mount, his  
disciples were gathered close about him, and the multi- 
tude, filled with intense curiosity, also pressed as near as  
possible. Something more than usual was expected. 
Eager faces and listening attitudes gave evidence of the 
deep interest. The attention of all seemed riveted upon  
the speaker. His eyes were lighted up with unutterable 
love, and the heavenly expression upon his countenance 
gave meaning to every word uttered. Angels of Heaven  
were in that listening throng. There, too, was the ad- 
versary of souls with his evil angels, prepared to coun- 
teract, as far as possible, the influence of the heavenly


10  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Teacher. The truths there uttered have  come down  
through the ages, and have been a light amid the general 
darkness of error. Many have found in them that which  
the soul most needed,—a sure foundation of faith and  
practice. But in these words spoken by the greatest 
Teacher the world has ever known, there is no parade of  
human eloquence. The language is plain, and the 
thoughts and sentiments are marked with the greatest 
simplicity. The poor, the unlearned, the most simple- 
minded, can understand them. The Lord of Heaven  
was in mercy and kindness addressing the souls he came  
to save. He taught them as one having authority, speak- 
in 
g the words of eternal life.  
All should copy the Pattern as closely as possible.  
While they cannot possess that consciousness of power  
which Jesus had, they can so connect with the Source of  
strength that J esus can abide in them and they in lnm,  
and so his spirit and his power will be revealed in them.  
"Walk in the light as He is in the light." It is  
earthliness and selfishness that separate from God. The 
messages from Heaven are of a character to arouse op-
position. The faithful witnesses for Christ and the 
truth will reprove sin. Their words will be like a ham- 
mer to break the flinty heart; like a fire to consume the  
dross. There is constant need of earnest, decided mes- 
sages of warning. God will have men who are true to 
duty. At the right time he sends his faithful messengers  
to do a work similar to that of Elijah.  
MINISTERS AS EDUCATORS.  
The state of things in is a matter of deep regret.  
That which the Lord has been pleased to present before  
m 
e has been of a character to give me pain. Whoever  
shall labor here or in hereafter will have up-hill  
work, and must carry a heavy load, because the work 
has not been faithfully bound off, but has been left in  
an unfinished state. And this is the more grievous be- 
cause the failure is not wholly chargeable to worldliness 
ancl want of love for J esus and the truth on the part of  

MINISTERS AS EDUCATORS.  11  
the people, but much of it lies at the door of the minis- 
ters, who, while laboring among them, have signally 
failed in their duty. They have not had the missionary  
spirit; they have not felt the great need of thoroughly  
educating the people in all branches of the work, in all  
places where the truth has gained a foothold. The work 
done thoroughly for one soul is done for many. But the 
ministers have not realized this, and have failed to edu- 
cate persons who in their turn should stand steadfast in 
defense of the truth, and educate others. This loose,  
slack, half-way manner of working is displeasing to God.  
A minister may enjoy sermonizing; for it is the pleas- 
ant part of the work, and is comparatively easy; but no  
minister should be measured by his ability as a speaker.  
The harder part comes after he leaves the desk, in  
watering the seed sown. The interest awakened should  
be followed up by personal labor,—visiting, holding  
Bible-readings, teaching how to search the Scriptures, 
praying with families and interested ones, seeking to 
deepen the impression made upon hearts and consciences.  
There are many who have no desire to become ac- 
quainted with their unbelieving neighbors, and those 
with whom they come in contact; and they do not feel 
it their duty to overcome this reluctance. The truth  
they teach and the love of Jesus should have great power  
to help them to overcome this feeling. They should 
remember that they must meet these very men and 
women in the Judgment. Have they left words unsaid  
that should have been spoken ? Have they felt interest  
enough for souls, to warn, to entreat, to pray for  
them, to make every effort to win them to Christ?  
Have they united discrimination with zeal, heeding the  
direction of the apostle, "Of some have compassion,  
making a difference; and others save with fear, pulling 
them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted  
by the flesh"?  
There is earnest work to be done by all who would be  
successful in their ministry. I entreat you, dear breth-
ren, ministers of Christ, not to fail in your appointed  
duty to educate the people to work intelligently to sus-


12 TESTIMONY FOB THE CHU&CH.  
tain the cause of God in all its varied interests. Christ  
was an educator, and his ministers, who represent him, 
should be educators. When they neglect to teach the 
people their obligation to God in tithes and offerings, 
they neglect one important part of the work which their  
Master has left them to do, and " unfaithful servant " is  
written against their names in the books of Heaven.  
The church come to the conclusion that if these things 
were essential, the minister, whom God has sent to pre- 
sent the truth to them, would tell them so; and they feel 
secure and at ease while neglecting their duty. They 
go contrary to the express requirements of God, and as  
the result become lifeless and inefficient. They do not 
exer 
t a saving influence upon the world, and they are  
represente 
d by Christ as salt without savor.  
Companies of Sabbath-keepers may be raised up in  
many places. Often they will not be large companies;  
but they must not be neglected; they must not be left 
to die for want of proper personal effort and training.  
The work should not be left prematurely. See that all  
are intelligent in the truth, established in the faith, and 
interested in every branch of the work, before leaving 
them for another field. And then, like the apostle Paul,  
visit them often to see how they do. Oh, the slack work  
that is done by many who claim to be commissioned of  
God to preach his word, makes angels weep.  
The cause might be in a healthful condition in every  
field, and it would be if ministers would trust in God,  
and allow nothing to come between them and their work.  
Laborers are needed much more than mere preachers;  
but the two offices must be united. It has been proved  
in the missionary field, that, whatever may be the preach- 
ing talent, if the laboring part is neglected, if the people  
are not taught how to work, how to conduct meetings, how  
to act their part in missionary labor, how to reach people 
successfully, the work will be nearly a failure. There  
is much to be done in the Sabbath-school work also, in 
bringing the people to realize their obligation and to act 
their part. God calls them to work for him, and the  
ministers should guide their efforts.  

MINISTERS AS EDUCATORS.  13  
The sad fact is apparent that the work in these fields  
ought to be years in advance of what it now is. The  
negligence on the part of the ministers has discouraged 
the people, and the lack of interest, self-sacrifice, and  
appreciation of the work on the part of the people, has  
discouraged the ministers. Two years behind stands 
recorded in the ledger of Heaven. This people might 
have done much to advance the cause of truth and to  
bring souls to Christ in different localities, and at the 
same time might themselves have been growing in grace  
and in the knowledge of the truth, had they improved 
their opportunities and made the most of their privileges,  
walking, not with murmuring and complaining, but in  
faith and courage. Eternity alone can reveal how much 
has been lost during these years,:—how many souls  
have been left to perish through this state of things. 
The loss is too great to be computed. God has been in-
sulted. The course pursued has brought upon the cause  
a wound which will be years in healing; and if the mis- 
takes that have been made are not seen and repented of,  
they will surely be repeated.  
A realization of these facts has brought unspeakable  
burdens upon me, driving sleep from my eyes. At times  
it has seemed that my heart would break, and I could 
only pray, while giving vent to my anguish in weeping  
aloud. Oh, I felt so sorry for my Saviour! His search- 
ing for fruit amid the leaf-covered branches of the fig- 
tree, and his disappointment in finding "nothing but  
leaves," seemed so vivid before my eyes. I felt that I  
could not have it so. I could in no way be reconciled  
to the past years of neglect of duty on the part of  
ministers and people. I feared that the withering curse 
passed upon the fig-tree might be the fate of these care- 
less ones. The terrible neglect of doing the work and  
fulfilling the mission which God has intrusted to them 
incurs a loss which none of us can afford to sustain. It  
is running a risk too fearful to contemplate, and too ter- 
rible to be ventured at any time in our religious history, 
but especially now, when time is so short, and so much  
is to be done in this day of God's preparation. All


14  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Heaven is earnestly engaged for the salvation of men;  
light is coming from God to his people, defining their 
duty, so that none need err from the right path. But 
God does not send his light and truth to be lightly 
esteeme 
d and trifled with. If the people are inattentive,  
they are doubly guilty before him.  
As Christ was riding into Jerusalem, on the crest of  
Olive 
t he broke forth in uncontrollable grief, exclaiming  
in broken utterances, as he looked upon Jerusalem, " If 
tho 
u hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day,  
th 
e things which belong unto thy peace! but now they  
are hid from thine eyes." He wept not for himself, but  
for the despisers of his mercy, long-suffering, and for- 
bearance. The course taken by the hard-hearted and 
impenitent inhabitants of the doomed city is similar to  
the attitude of churches and individuals toward Christ  
a 
t the present time. They neglect his requirements and  
despise his forbearance. There is a form of godliness, 
there is ceremonial worship, there are complimentary  
prayers; but the real power is wanting. The heart is  
not softened by grace, but is cold and unimpressible.  
Many, like the Jews, are blinded by unbelief, and know 
not the time of their visitation. So far as the truth is  
concerned, they have had every advantage; God has been  
appealing to them for years in warnings, reproofs, cor-
rections, and instruction in righteousness; but special  
directions have been given only to be disregarded, and 
placed on a level with common things.  
DUTY TO REPROVE MONEY-LOVERS.  
Many who are numbered with the believers, are not  
really with them in faith and principle. They are doing  
exactly that which Jesus told them not to do,—seeking  
to lay up treasures upon the earth. Christ said, " Lay  
not up for yourselves treasures upon earth; . . . but  
lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven. . . . For  
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  
Her 
e is one danger which threatens Christians. They  
are not obedient to Christ's positive directions. They  

DUTY TO REPROVE MONEY-LOVERS.  15  
show no real faith and confidence in God. In order to  
gai 
n riches, they accumulate burdens and cares, until  
their minds are almost wholly engrossed with them.  
They are eager for gains, and always anxious for fear of  
losses. The more money and lands they possess, the 
more eager are they for more. " They are drunken, but 
not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink." 
They are surfeited with the cares of this life, which 
affect them as strong drink does the drunkard. They 
are so blinded by selfishness that they work night and  
da 
y to secure perishable treasures. Their eternal inter- 
ests are neglected; they have no time to attend to these  
things. The great matters of truth are not kept in 
mind, as is evidenced by their words, their plans, and  
their course of action. "What if souls around them per-
ish in their sins ? This is not of so much consequence to 
them as their earthly treasures. Let souls for whom  
Christ died sink to ruin; they have no time to save  
them. In laying plans for earthly gain they show skill  
and talent; but these precious qualities are not de- 
voted to winning souls to Christ, to the upbuilding of  
the Bedeemer's kingdom. Are not the senses of such  
persons perverted 1 Are they not drunken with the in- 
toxicating cup of worldliness ? Is not reason laid aside, 
and have not selfish aims and purposes become the rul- 
ing power] The work of preparing themselves to stand 
in the day of the Lord, and employing their God-given  
abilities in helping to prepare a people for that day, is  
considered too tame and unsatisfying.  
The Saviour of the world has presented a most profit- 
able business, in which rich and poor, learned and un-
learned, may engage. All may safely lay up for them- 
selves " a treasure in the heavens that faileth not." This  
is investing their powers on the right side. It is putting  
out their talents to the exchangers.  
Jesus illustrated his teaching by the case of a substan- 
tial farmer whom the Lord had greatly favored. The  
Lord had blessed his grounds, causing them to produce 
plentifully, thus placing it in his power to exercise liber-
ality to others not so greatly blessed. But when he


16  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
found that his grounds had produced so abundantly, far  
beyond las expectation, instead of planning how to re-
lieve the poor in their necessities, he began  to devise  
means to secure all to himself. As he saw the gifts of  
Heaven rolling into his garners, he poured not out his  
sou 
l in thanksgiving to the bounteous Giver, neither did  
he consider that this great blessing had brought addi-
tional responsibility. In the pure selfishness of his 
nature he inquires, " What shall I do, because I have no  
room where to bestow my fruits 1" Taking counsel with 
his own covetous heart, he said, " This will I do: I will  
pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will  
I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to 
m 
y soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many  
years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." The  
mean 
s of real enjoyment and elevation of soul are ac- 
tivity, self-control, holy purposes; but all that this man  
proposed to do with the bounties God had given him  
was to degrade the soul. And what was the result ?  
" God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall  
be required of thee; then whose shall those things be 
which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up  
treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  
This poor rich man possessed great earthly treasure,  
but was destitute of the true riches. How many to-day  
are under condemnation for a similar reason. Streams 
of salvation are poured in upon us from the throne of  
God. Temporal blessings are given, but they are not 
improved to bless humanity or to glorify God. The  
Lord is our gracious benefactor. He has brought light  
and immortality to light through Jesus Christ. Yes; 
through Jesus all our blessings come. Oh that every 
tougue would acknowledge the great Giver! Let every  
voice, in clear and joyful strains, proclaim the glad tid-
ings that through Jesus the future, immortal life is 
opened to us; and invitations are given for all to accept  
this great boon. All the treasures of Heaven are  
brough 
t within our reach, waiting our demand. Can we  
be surprised that this poor rich man was called a fool  
becaus 
e he turned away from eternal riches, the priceless  

DUTY TO REPROVE MONEY-LOVERS.  17  
gift of immortal life, the eternal weight of glory, and  
was satisfied with perishable, earthly treasures ?  
God tests men, some in one way, and some in another.  
He tests some by bestowing upon them his rich bounties,  
and others by withholding his favors. He proves the  
rich to see if they will love God, the Giver, and their 
neighbor as themselves. When man makes a right use 
of these bounties, God is pleased; he can then trust him 
with greater responsibilities. The Lord reveals man's rela-
tive estimate of time and eternity, of earth and Heaven. 
He has admonished us, " If riches increase, set not your 
heart upon them." They have a value when used for 
the good of others and the glory of God; but no earthly 
treasur 
e is to be your portion, your god, or your saviour.  
My brethren, the world will never believe that you are  
in earnest in your faith until you have less to say about  
temporal things and more about the realities of the 
eternal world. The Lord is coming; but many who pro-
fess the faith do not realize that that event is nigh. 
They cannot fasten their faith upon the revealed pur-
poses of God. With some, the passion for money-making 
has .become all-absorbing, and earthly riches have eclipsed  
the heavenly treasure. Eternal things have faded from  
the mind, as of minor consequence, while worldliness has  
come in like a flood. The great question is, How can I  
make money? Men are alive to every hope of gain. 
They try a thousand plans and devices, among them vari- 
ous inventions and patent-rights. Some dig in the 
earth for the precious metals, others deal in bank stock,  
still others till the soil; but all have the one object in  
view of making money. They become bewildered and  
eve 
n insane, in the pursuit of wealth; yet they refuse to  
see the advantage of securing an immortal inheritance.  
When Christ was on earth, he was brought in contact  
with some whose imaginations were fevered with the  
hope of worldly gain. They were never at rest, but  
were constantly trying something new, and their extrav- 
agant expectations were aroused only to be disappointed. 
Jesus knew the wants of the human heart, which are the  
sam 
e in all ages; and he called their attention to the  
. 2


18  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
only permanent riches. " The kingdom of Heaven," said 
he, "is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which, when  
a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth 
and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." He  
tells men of treasure beyond estimate, which is within 
the reach of all. He came to earth to guide their minds 
in their search for this treasure. The way is marked out;  
the very poorest who will follow him will be made richer 
than the most wealthy upon earth who know not Jesus,  
and they will be made increasingly rich by sharing their  
happiness with others.  
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,  
where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves  
break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treas-
ures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth cor- 
rupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal."  
Those who do this will meet with no loss. The treasure 
lai 
d up in Heaven is secure; and it is put to our account,  
for Jesus said, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in  
Heaven." Men may sow here, but they reap in eter- 
nity.  
It is this eternal treasure that ministers of Christ are  
to present wherever they may go. They are to urge the  
people to become wise unto salvation. They are not to  
allow world-loving, time-serving professed believers to 
influence their course and weaken their faith. It is not 
their mission to help individuals or churches to contrive  
how they can save money by narrow plans and circum- 
scribe 
d efforts in the cause of God. Instead of this they  
are to teach men how to work disinterestedly, and thus 
become rich toward God. They should educate minds to 
place the right estimate on eternal things, and to make 
the kingdom of Heaven first.  
Calebs are wanted in these two fields. There must be  
in these Conferences, not children, but men who will  
move understandingly and bear burdens, letting their 
voice be heard above the voices of the unfaithful, who 
present objections, doubts, and criticism. Great inter- 
ests are not to be managed by children. An undevel-
oped Christian, dwarfed in religious growth, destitute of  

CHRISTIAN GROWTH.  19  
wisdom from above, is unprepared to meet the fierce  
conflicts through which the church is often called to 
pass. "I have set watchmen upon thy walls, 0 Jerusa- 
lem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night."  
Unless the minister shall fearlessly declare the whole  
truth, unless he shall have an eye single to the glory of  
God, and shall work under the direction of the great 
Captain of his salvation, unless he shall move to the  
front, irrespective of censure and uncontaminated by  
applause, he will be accounted an unfaithful watchman.  
There are some in who ought to be men instead  
of boys, and heavenly minded instead of earthly and  
sensual; but their spiritual vision has become obscured;  
the Saviour's great love has not ravished their souls.  
He has many things to say unto you, but you cannot  
bear them now. You are children in growth, and can- 
not comprehend the mysteries of God. When God 
raises up men to do his work, they are false to their  
trust if they allow their testimony to be shaped to  
please the minds of the unconsecrated. He will prepare  
men for the times. They will be humble, God-fearing 
men, not conservative, not policy men; but men who  
have moral independence, and will move forward in the  
fear of the Lord. They will be kind, noble, courteous; 
yet they will not be swayed from the right path, but  
wil 
l proclaim the truth in righteousness whether men  
will hear or whether they will forbear.  
CHRISTIAN GROWTH.  
I HAVE been shown that those who have a knowledge  
of the truth, and yet allow all their powers to be ab-
sorbed in worldly interests, are unfaithful. They are  
not, by their good works, letting the light of truth shine 
to others. Nearly all their ability is devoted to becom- 
in 
g sharp, skillful men of the world. They forget that  
their talents were given them of God to be used in ad- 
vancing his cause. If they were faithful to their duty, 
the result would be great gain of souls to the Master; but  
many are lost through their neglect.


20  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
God calls upon those who know his will to be doers of  
his word. Weakness, half-heartedness, and indecision  
provoke the assaults of Satan; and those who permit 
these traits to grow will be borne helplessly down by  
the surging waves of temptation. Every one who pro-
fesses the name of Christ is required to grow up to the  
full stature of Christ, the Christian's living head.  
We all need a guide through the many strait places in  
life, as much as the sailor needs a pilot over the sandy  
bar or up the rocky river; and where is this guide to be 
found? We point you, dear brethren, to the Bible. In- 
spired of God, written by holy men, it points out with  
great clearness and precision the duties of both old and  
young. It elevates the mind, softens the heart, and im-
parts gladness and holy joy to the spirit. The Bible 
presents a perfect standard of character; it is an infalli-
ble guide under all circumstances, even to the end of the  
journey of life. Take it as the man of your counsel, the  
rule of your daily life.  
Ever 
y means of grace should be diligently improved  
that the love of God may abound in the soul more and  
more, " that ye may approve things that are excellent;  
that ye may be sincere and without offense till the clay  
of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness."  
Your Christian life must take on vigorous and stalwart 
forms 
. You can attain to the high standard set before  
you in the Scriptures, and you must if you would be  
childre 
n of God. You cannot stand still; you must either  
advance or retrograde. You must have spiritual knowl- 
edge, that you " may be able to comprehend with all 
saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and  
height, and to know the love of Christ," that you may 
be " filled with all the fullness of God."  
Many who have an intelligent knowledge of the  
truth, and are able to defend it by arguments, are doing  
nothing for the upbuilding of Christ's kingdom. We  
meet them from time to time; but they bear no fresh 
testimonies of personal experience in the Christian life;  
they relate no new victories gained in the holy warfare.  
Instead of this, you notice the same old routine,—the  

CHRISTIAN GROWTH.  19  
same expressions in prayer and exhortation. Their 
prayers have no new note; they express no greater intel- 
ligence in the things of God, no more earnest, living  
faith. Such persons are not living plants in the garden  
of the Lord, sending forth fresh shoots and new foliage,  
(ancl the grateful fragrance of a holy life. They are not  
growing Christians. They have limited views and plans,  
and there is no expansion of mind, no valuable additions 
to the treasures of Christian knowledge. Their powers  
have not been taxed in this direction. They have  not  
learned to view men and things as God views them, and  
in many cases unsanctifiecl sympathy has injured souls 
and greatly crippled the cause of God. The spiritual 
stagnation that prevails is terrible. Many lead a formal  
Christian life, and claim that their sins have been  
forgiven, when they are as destitute of any real knowl-
edge of Christ as is the sinner.  
Brethren, will you have a stinted Christian growth, or  
will you make healthy progress in the divine life? Where 
there is spiritual health, there is growth. The child of  
God grows up to the full stature of a man or woman in  
Christ 
. There is no limit to his improvement. When  
the love of God is a living principle in the soul, there 
are no narrow, confined views; there is love and faithful- 
ness in warnings and reproofs; there is earnest work, and 
a 
 disposition to bear burdens and take responsibilities.  
Some are not willing to do self-denying work. They  
show real impatience when urged to take some responsi- 
bility. "What need is there," say they, " of an increase 
of knowledge and experience 1" This explains it all.  
They feel that they are " rich, and increased with goods, 
and have need of nothing," while Heaven pronounces  
them poor, miserable, blind, and naked. To these the 
True Witness says, " I counsel thee to buy of me gold 
tried in the fire, that thou mayst be rich; and white  
raiment, that thou mayst be clothed, and that the shame  
o 
f thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes  
with eyesalve, that thou mayst see." Your very self-com- 
placency shows you to be in need of everything. You  
are spiritually sick, and need Jesus as your physician.


22  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
In the Scriptures thousands of gems of truth lie hid- 
den from the surface-seeker. The mine of truth is never  
exhausted. The more you search the Scriptures with  
humble hearts, the greater will be your interest, and the 
more you will feel like exclaiming with Paul, "Oh,the  
depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge 
of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his  
ways past finding out!" Every day you should learn  
something new from the Scriptures. Search them as for  
hid treasures, for they contain the words of eternal life.  
Pray for wisdom and understanding- to comprehend these  
holy writings. If you would do this, you would find 
new glories in the word of God; you would feel that you  
had received new and precious light on subjects con-
nected with the truth, and the Scriptures would be con-
stantly receiving a new value in your estimation.  
" The great day of the Lord is near; it is near, and hast- 
eth greatly." Jesus says, "Lo, I come quickly." We  
should keep these words ever in mind, and act as though  
we do indeed believe that the coming of the Lord is  
nigh, and that we are pilgrims and strangers upon the  
earth. The vital energies of the church of God must 
be brought into active exercise for the great object of 
self-renovation; every member must be an active agent  
for God. " For through him we both have access by one 
Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more  
strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the 
saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon  
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ 
himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the 
building, fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy tem-
ple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together  
for a habitation of God through the Spirit." This is a  
particular work, which must be carried forward in all 
harmony, in unity of spirit, and in the bonds of peace. 
No place should be given to criticisms, doubts, and un 
belief.  
The U. C. and N. P. Conferences are years behind.  
Som 
e who ought to be strong and established in Christ  
are as babes in understanding and experimental knowl- 

TITHES AND OFFERINGS.  23  
edge of the workings of the Spirit of God. After years 
of experience they are able to comprehend only the first  
principles of that grand system of faith and doctrine 
that constitutes the Christian religion. They do not  
comprehend that perfection of character which will re- 
ceive the commendation, " Well done."  
Brethren, your duty, happiness, future usefulness, and  
final 
 salvation call upon you to sever the tendrils of  
your affections from everything earthly and corruptible. 
There is an jmsanctified sympathy that partakes of the  
nature of love-sick sentimentalism, and is earthly, sensual.  
It will require no feeble effort for some of you to over-
come this, and change the course of your life; for you  
have not placed yourselves in connection with the 
Strength of Israel, and have become enfeebled in all 
your faculties. Now you are loudly called upon to be  
diligent in the use of every means of grace, that you  
may be transformed in character, and may grow to the  
full stature of men and women in Christ J esus.  
We have great victories to gain, and a Heaven to  
lose if we do not gain them. The carnal heart must  
be crucified; for its tendency is to moral corruption, and  
the end thereof is death. Nothing but the life-giving  
influences of the gospel can help the soul. Pray that the  
might 
y energies of the Holy Spirit, with all their quick- 
ening, recuperative, and transforming power, may fall 
like an electric shock on the palsy-stricken soul, causing  
every nerve to thrill with new life, restoring the whole  
man from his dead, earthly, sensual state to spiritual  
soundness. You will thus become partakers of the di- 
vine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in 
the world through lust; and in your souls will be re-
flected the image of Him by whose stripes you are 
healed.  
TITHES AND OFFERINGS.  
The Lord requires that we return to him in tithes  
and offerings, a portion of the goods he has lent us. He  
accepts these offerings as an act of humble obedience on  
ou 
r part, and a grateful acknowledgment of our in- 
debtedness to him for all the blessings we enjoy. Then


24  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
let us offer willingly, saying with David, " All things  
come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee." 
Withholding more than is meet tends to poverty. 
God will bear long with some, he will test and prove  
all; but his curse will surely follow the selfish, world- 
loving professor of truth. God knows the heart; every 
thought and every purpose is open to his eye. He says,  
" Them that honor me I will honor, and they that de- 
spise me shall be lightly esteemed." He knows whom  
to bless, and who are deserving of his curse. He makes 
no mistakes; for angels are keeping a record of all our 
works and words.  
When the people of God were about to build the sanct- 
uary in the wilderness, extensive preparations were neces-
sary. Costly materials were collected, and among them 
was much gold and silver. As the rightful owner of all 
their treasures, the Lord called for these offerings from  
the people; but he accepted only those that were given 
freely. The people offered willingly, until word was 
brought to Moses, " The people bring much more than 
enough for the service of the work, which the Lord com-
manded  to make." And the proclamation was made to  
all the congregation: "Let neither man nor woman  
make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.  
S 
o the people were restrained from bringing; for the  
stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it,  
and too much."  
Had some men of limited ideas been on the ground,  
they would have opened their eyes in horror. Like Ju- 
das they would have asked, " To what purpose is this 
waste 1" "Why not make everything in the cheapest 
manner?" But the sanctuary was not designed to honor  
man, but the God of Heaven. He had given specific di-
rections how everything was to be done. The people 
were to be taught that he was a being of greatness and  
majesty, and that he was to be worshiped with rever- 
ence and awe.  
The house where God is worshiped should be in ac- 
cordance with his character and majesty. There are  
small churches that ever will be small, because they  

TITHES AND OFFERINGS.  25  
place their own interests above the interests of God's 
cause. While they have large, convenient houses for 
themselves, and are constantly improving their prem- 
ises, they are content to have a most unsuitable place  
for the worship of God, where his holy presence is to  
dwell. They wonder that Joseph and Mary were obliged  
to find shelter in a stable, and that there the Saviour was 
born; but they are willing to expend upon themselves  
a large part of their means, while the house of worship  
is shamefully neglected. How often they say, " The time  
is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be  
built." But the word of the Lord to them is, " Is it 
time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and  
this house lie waste 1"  
The house where Jesus is to meet with his people  
should be neat and attractive. If there are but few be-
lievers in a place, put up a neat but humble house, and  
by dedicating it to God, invite Jesus to come as your 
guest. How does he look upon his people when they  
have every convenience that heart coulcl wish, but are  
willing to meet for his worship in a barn, some miser-
able, out-of-the-way building, or some cheap, forsaken  
apartment 

1? You work for your friends, you expend  
means to make everything around them as attractive as  
possible; but Jesus, the One who gave everything for  
you, even his precious life,—He who is the Majesty of  
Heaven, the King of kings and Lord of lords,—is fa-
vored with a place on earth but little better than the  
stable which was his first home. Shall we not look at  
-these things as God looks at them 1 Shall we not test  
our motives, and see what kind of faith we possess ?  
" God loveth a cheerful giver," and those who love  
him will give freely and cheerfully when by so doing  
they can advance his cause and promote his glory. The  
Lord never requires his people to offer more than they  
are able, but according to their ability he is pleased to  
accept and bless their thank-offerings. Let willing obe-
dience and pure love bind upon the altar every offering  
that is made to God; for with such sacrifices he is well  
pleased, while those that are offered grudgingly are an


26  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
offense to him. When churches or individuals have no 
heart in their offerings, but would limit the cost of  
carrying forward the work of God, and gauge it by  
their own narrow views, they show decidedly that they 
hav 
e no living connection with God. They are at vari- 
ance with his plan and manner of working, and he will  
not bless them.  
We are builders for God, and we must build upon the  
foundation which he has prepared for us. No man is to  
build upon his own foundation, independent of the plan  
which God has devised. There are men whom God has  
raise 
d up as counselors, men whom he has taught, and  
whose heart and soul and life are in the work. These  
men are to be highly esteemed for their work's sake.  
There are some who will wish to follow their own crude 
notions; but they must learn to receive advice and to work  
in harmony with their brethren, or they will sow doubt  
and discord that they will not care to harvest. It is the 
will of God that those who engage in his work shall be 
subject to one another. His worship must be conducted 
with consistency, unity, and sound judgment. God is 
our only sufficient helper. The laws which govern his 
people, their principles of thought and action, are re-
ceived from him through his word and Spirit. When 
his word is loved and obeyed, his children walk in the 
light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in them.  
They do not accept the world's low standard, but work  
from the Bible standpoint.  
The selfishness which exists among God's people is  
very offensive to him. The Scriptures denounce covet- 
ousness as idolatry. "No covetous man," says Paul,  
" who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the king- 
dom of Christ and of God." The trouble with many is, 
they have too little faith. Like the rich man in the  
parable, they want to see their supplies piled up in their  
granaries. The world is to be warned, and God wants  
us wholly engaged in his work; but men have so much to 
do to forward their money-making projects that they 
have no time to push the triumphs of the cross of Christ.  
They have neither time nor disposition to put their in- 
tellect, tact, and energy into the cause of God.  

TITHES AND OFFERINGS.  27  
Brethren  and sisters, I wish to excite in your minds  
disgust for your present limited ideas of God's cause and 
work. I want you to comprehend the great sacrifice  
that Christ made for you when he became poor, that 
through his poverty you might come into possession of 
eternal riches. Oh! do not, by your indifference to the 
eternal weight of glory which is within your reach,  
cause angels to weep and hide their faces in shame and  
disgust. Arouse from your lethargy; arouse every God- 
given faculty, and work for precious souls for whom  
Christ died. These souls, if brought to the fold of  
Christ, will live through the ceaseless ages of eternity; 
and will you plan to do as little as possible for their sal- 
vation, while, like the man with the one talent, you in- 
vest your means in the earth? Like that unfaithful  
servant, are you charging God with reaping where he  
has not sown, and gathering where he has not strewed ?  
All that you have and are belongs to God. Then will  
you not say from the heart, " All things come of thee,  
and of thine own have we given thee " 1 " Honor the  
Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all  
thine increase." Paul thus exhorts his Corinthian  
brethren to Christian beneficence: "As ye abound in  
everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and 
in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye  
abound in this grace also." In his epistle to Timothy he 
says, " Charge them that are rich in this world that they 
be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in 
the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;  
that they do good, that they be rich in good works, 
read 
y to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up  
in store for themselves a good foundation against the 
time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."  
Liberality is not so natural to us that we gain this  
virtue by accident. It must be cultivated. We must  
deliberately resolve that we will honor God with our 
substance; and then we must let nothing tempt us to rob  
him of the tithes and offerings that are his due. We  
must be intelligent, systematic, and continuous in our acts 
of charity to men and our expressions of gratitude to


'28  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
God for his bounties to us. This is too sacred a duty to  
be left to chance, or to be controlled by impulse or feel- 
ing. We should regularly reserve something for God's 
cause, that he may not be robbed of the portion which  
he claims. When we rob God we rob ourselves also.  
We give up the heavenly treasure for the sake of having  
more of this earth. This is a loss that Ave cannot afford 
to sustain. If we live so that we can have the bless-
ing of God, we shall have bis prospering hand with us in  
our temporal affairs; but if his hand is against us, he can 
defeat all our plans, and scatter faster than we can  
gather.  
I was shown that the situation of things in these two  
Conferences is sad indeed; but God has many precious  
souls here, over whom he has a jealous care, and he will  
not leave them to be deceived and misled.  
FAITHFULNESS IN THE WORK OF GOD.  
THERE is precious talent in the churches in Oregon  
and Washington Territory; and had it been developed by 
well-directed labor, there might now be efficient workers  
i 
n these Conferences. A live church is always a working  
church. The truth is a power, and those who see its 
force will stand boldly and fearlessly in its defense.  
Truth must be apprehended by the intellect, received  
into the heart, and its principles incorporated into the  
character; and then there must be a constant effort to 
win others to accept it, for God holds men responsible 
for the use they make of the light he imparts to them.  
Th 
e Lord calls upon all his people to improve the  
ability he has given them. The mental powers should 
be developed to the utmost; they should be strengthened  
and ennobled by dwelling upon spiritual truths. If the 
mind is allowed to run almost entirely upon trifling 
things and the common business of every-day life, it will, 
i 
n accordance with one of its unvarying laws, become  
weak and frivolous, and deficient in spiritual power.  

FAITHFULNESS  IN THE WORK OF GOD.  29  
Times that will try men's souls are just before us; and  
those who are weak in the faith will not stand the test  
of those days of peril. The great truths of revelation  
are to be carefully studied; for we shall all want an in- 
telligent knowledge of the word of God. By Bible  
study and daily communion with Jesus, we shall gain  
clear, well-defined views of individual responsibility, and 
strength to stand in the day of trial and temptation.  
H 
e whose life is united to Christ by hidden links will  
be kept by the power of God through faith unto salva-
tion.  
More thought should be given to the things of God,  
ancl less to temporal matters. The world-loving professor, 
if he will exercise his mind in that direction, may be- 
come as familiar with the word of God as he now is with  
worldly business. "Search the Scriptures," said Christ;  
" for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are  
they which testify of me." The Christian is required to  
be diligent in searching the Scriptures, to read over and 
over again the truths of God's word. Willful ignorance 
on this subject endangers the Christian life and character.  
I 
t blinds the understanding and corrupts the noblest  
powers. It is this that brings confusion into our lives.  
Our people need to understand the oracles of God; they  
need to have a systematic knowledge of the principles of  
revealed truth, which will fit them for what is coming  
upon the earth, and prevent them from being carried  
about by every wind of doctrine.  
Great changes are soon to take place in the world, and  
every one will need an experimental knowledge of the  
things of God. It is the work of Satan to dishearten  
the people of God, and to unsettle their faith. _ He tries  
i 
n every way to insinuate doubts and questionings in  
regard to the position, the faith, the plans, of the men  
upon whom God has laid the burden of a special work, 
ancl who are zealously doing that work. Although he  
may be baffled again and again, yet he renews his at- 
tacks, working through those who profess to be humble  
and God-fearing, and who are apparently interested in, 
or believers of, present truth. The advocates of truth


30  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
expect fierce and cruel opposition from their open ene- 
mies; hut this is far less dangerous than the secret 
douht 
s expressed by those who feel at liberty to ques- 
tion and find fault with what God's servants are doing. 
These may appear to be humble men; but they are self- 
deceive 
d and they deceive others. In their hearts are  
envy and evil surmisings. They unsettle the faith of  
the people in those in whom they should have confidence,  
those whom God has chosen to do his work; and when 
they are reproved for their course, they take it as per-
sonal abuse. While professing to be doing God's work,  
they are in reality aiding the enemy.  
Brethren, never allow any one's ideas to unsettle your  
faith in regard to the order and harmony which should  
exist in the church. Many of you do not see all things  
clearly. The directions in regard to order in the taber- 
nacle service were recorded that lessons might be drawn  
from it by all who should live upon the earth. Men 
were selected to do various parts of the work of setting 
up and taking clown the tabernacle, and if one strayed  
in carelessly and put his hands to the work assigned to 
another, he was to be put to death. We serve the same  
God to-day. But the death penalty has been abolished;  
had it not been, there would not now be so much care-
less, disorderly work in his cause. The God of Heaven  
is a God of order, and he requires all his followers to  
have rules and regulations, and to preserve order. All  
should have a perfect understanding of God's work.  
It is unsafe to cherish doubt in the heart even for a  
moment. The seeds of doubt which Pharaoh sowed  
when he rejected the first miracle, were allowed to grow, 
and they produced such an abundant harvest that all 
subsequent miracles could not persuade him that his posi-
tion was wrong. He continued to venture on in his own 
course, going from one degree of questioning to another, 
and his heart became more and more hardened until he  
was called to look upon the cold, dead faces of the firstborn.  
Go 
d is at work, and we are not doing one-half that  
must be done to prepare a people to stand in the day  
when the Son of man shall be revealed. Woe be to  

FAITHFULNESS  IN THE WORK OF GOD.  31  
the man that shall in the least degree seek to hinder the 
work which God is doing. We must labor for others; 
we must try to weaken the hold of our brethren upon  
their earthly treasures; for many will sell their birth-
right to eternal life for worldly advantages. How much  
better to encourage them to lay up their treasure in  
Heaven, than complainingly to drop the words, " It is 
money 
, money, that these men are continually calling for;  
and they are getting rich by it." How sweet are words like 
these to the world-lovingprofessor! How they strengthen  
his courage to withhold from God the proportion which  
belong 
s to him, and which should be returned to him in  
tithes and offerings ! The curse of the Lord will rest  
upon those who fail to render to him his own. Let us 
work in harmony with God. His servants have a message 
to bear to money-lovers; why should they not bear a close 
testimony in regard to bringing all the tithes into the  
storehouse, when the Lord himself has set them the  
example?  
The religion of Christ subdues the selfish spirit, and  
transforms the mind and the affections; it lays low the  
pride of men, that God alone may be exalted. Thisis what  
Bro. A wants. He needs a practical faith in God. He 
needs to see and feel the glory of serving Christ; he needs  
to exalt principle and elevate the Christian standard; he  
needs to store his mind with the rich promises, the  
warnings, the counsels and threatening, of God's word;  
he needs to see the importance of having faith and cor-
responding works, that he may fairly represent, at home, 
in the church, and in his business, the purity and ele- 
vated character of religion. He should place himself in  
connection with Christ, that he may have spiritual power.  
His connection with the world, and with influences ad- 
verse to the spirit of truth, have greater power over him  
than the Spirit of Christ. Here is his danger; and he 
will eventually make shipwreck of faith unless he  
changes his course of action and firmly connects with 
the Source of light.  
If his interest in spiritual things were as great as it  
is in the things of the world, his consecration to God


30  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
•would be entire; he would show himself a true disciple  
of Christ, and God would accept and use the talents  
which are now wholly devoted to the service of the  
world. The very same ability is required in the cause  
of God that is now given to the accumulation of property.  
Managers are needed in every branch of his work, that  
it may be carried on with energy and system. If a 
man has tact, industry, and enthusiasm, he will make 
a success in temporal business, and the same qualities,  
consecrated to the work of God, will prove even doubly  
efficient; for divine power will be combined with human 
effort. The best of plans, either in temporal or spiritual 
matters, will prove a failure if their execution is in-
trusted to inexperienced, incapable hands.  
Those who bury their talents in this world are not  
pleasing^ God. All their powers are devoted to the ac-
cumulation of property, and the desire to accumulate be-
comes a passion. Bro. A is an active man, and he 
takes pride in carrying out worldly projects. If the same 
interest, tact, and ambition were exercised in trading for 
the Lord, how much grander, nobler results would he 
realize! The education obtained in worldly business  
will not be of the least advantage in the future life, for  
no such business will be carried on in Heaven; but if the 
faculties which God has given are used to his glory, to 
the upbuilding of his kingdom, an education is received 
which will be taken into Heaven.  
What is our position in the world? We are in the  
waiting time. But this period is not to be spent in ab- 
stract devotion. Waiting, watching, and vigilant work-
ing are to be combined. Our life should not be all bustle 
and drive and planning about the things of the world, 
to the neglect of personal piety and of the service that  
God requires. While we should not be slothful in busi- 
ness, Ave should be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. 
The lamp of the soul must be trimmed, and we must  
have the oil of grace in our vessels with our lamps. 
Every precaution must be used to prevent spiritual de-
clension 
, lest the day of the Lord overtake us as a thief.  
That day is not to be put far off; it is near, and no man  

FAITHFULNESS  IN THE WORK OF GOD. 32  
should say, even in his heart, much less by his works,  
" My Lord delayeth his coming," lest for so doing his  
portion be appointed with hypocrites and unbelievers.  
I saw that God's people are in great peril; many are  
dwellers upon the earth; their interest and affections are 
centered in the world. Their example is not right. The 
world is deceived by the course pursued by many who 
profess great and noble truths. Our responsibility is in  
accordance with the light given, the graces and gifts be-
stowed 
. On the workers whose talents, whose means,  
whose opportunities and abilities, are greatest, rests the 
heaviest responsibility. God calls upon Bro. A to  
change his course of action, to use his ability to God's  
glor 
y instead of debasing it to sordid worldly interests.  
Now is his day of trust; soon will come his day of reck-
oning.  
Bro. A was presented before me to represent a class  
who are in a similar position. They have never been 
indifferent to the smallest worldly advantage. By dili-
gen 
t business tact and successful investments, by trading,  
not on pounds, but on pence and farthings, they have ac- 
cumulated property. But in doing this they have edu- 
cated faculties inconsistent with the development of  
Christian character. Their lives in no Avay represent  
Christ; for they love the world and its gain better than  
they love God or the truth. " If any man love the world, 
the love of the Father is not in him."  
All the abilities which men possess belong to God.  
Worldly conformity and attachments are emphatically  
forbidden in his word. When the power of the trans-
forming grace of God is felt upon the heart, it will send  
a 
 man, hitherto worldly, into every pathway of benefi- 
cence. He who has in his heart a determination to lay 
up treasure in the world, will " fall into temptation and  
a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which  
drow 
n men in destruction and perdition; for the love of  
money is the root of all evil [the foundation of all ava- 
rice and worldliness], which while some coveted after, 
they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves 
through with many sorrows."  
3


34  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Each member of the church should feel under sacred  
obligations to guard strictly the interests of the cause of  
God. The individual members of the church are re- 
sponsible for its distracted, discouraged state, by which 
the most sacred truths ever committed to man are dis- 
honored. There' is no excuse for this condition of things.  
Jesus has opened to every one a way by which wisdom, 
grace, and power may be obtained. He is our example  
in all things, and nothing should divert the mind from  
the main object in life, which is to have Christ in the  
soul, melting and subduing the heart. When this is the  
case, every member of the church, every professor of the  
truth, will be Christlike in character, in words, in actions.  
Some who have been channels of light, whose -hearts  
have been made glad by the precious light of truth, have 
denied that truth by assimilating to the world. They 
have thus lost the spirit of self-sacrifice and the power 
of the truth, and have depended for happiness upon un- 
stable things of earth. They are in great peril. Hav-
ing once rejoiced in the light, they will be left in total  
darkness unless they speedily gather up the rays that are 
still shining upon them, and return to the Lord with re-
pentance and confession. We are in a day of peril,  
when error and deception are captivating the people.  
Who will warn the world, who will show them the bet-
ter way, unless those who have had the light of truth 
are sanctified through it, and shall let their light so 
shine that others may see their good works and glorify  
God? I wish I could impress upon all the danger they  
are in of losing Heaven. Joining the church is one 
thing, and connecting with Christ is quite another. Not  
all the names registered in the church-books are regis-
tere 
d in the Lamb's book of life. Many, though appar- 
ently sincere believers, do not keep up a living connec-
tion with Christ. They have enlisted, they have en- 
tered their names on the register; but the inner work of 
grace is not wrought in the heart. As the result, they  
are not happy, and they make hard work of serving  
God.  
"With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged."  

FAITHFULNESS  IN THE WORK OF GOD.  35  
Remember that your brethren are fallible creatures like 
yourself, and regard their mistakes and errors with the  
same mercy and forbearance that you wish them to ex- 
ercise toward you. They should not be watched, and  
thei 
r defects paraded to the front for the world to ex- 
ult over. Those who dare to do this have climbed upon 
the judgment-seat and made themselves judges, while 
they have neglected the garden of their own hearts, and  
have allowed poisonous weeds to obtain a rank growth.  
We individually have a case pending in the court of  
Heaven. Character is being weighed in the balances of  
the sanctuary, and it should be the earnest desire of all  
to walk humbly and carefully, lest, neglecting to let their 
light shine forth to the world, they fail of the grace of  
God and lose everything that is valuable. All dissen- 
sion, all differences and fault-finding, should be put away,  
with all evil speaking and bitterness; kindness, love, and 
compassion for one another should be cherished, that the  
prayer of Christ that his disciples might be one as he is  
one with the Father, may be answered. The harmony  
and unity of the church are the credentials that they 
present to the world that Jesus is the Son of God. 
Genuine conversion will ever lead to genuine love for 
Jesus and for all those for whom he died.  
Every one who does what he can for God, who is true  
an 
d earnest to do good to those around him, will receive  
the blessing of God upon his efforts. A man may render  
effective service for God although he is not the" head or 
the heart of the body of Christ. The service represented 
in the word of God by that of the hand or the foot, 
though lowly, is nevertheless important. It is not the 
greatness of the work, but the love with which it is done,  
the motive underlying the action, that determines its 
worth. There is work to be done for our neighbors and  
for those with whom we associate. We have no liberty  
to cease our patient, prayerful labors for souls as long as  
any are out of the ark of safety. There is no release in 
this war. We are soldiers of Christ, and are under ob- 
ligation to watch lest the enemy gain the advantage,  
an 
d secure to his service souls that we might win to  
Christ.


36  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
The day of trust and responsibility is ours; we have  
a work to do for God. The church in has been  
gradually growing cold and irreligious. There is much 
to be done for its individual members. Great light has  
shone upon their pathway. For this they will be held ac-
countable. Said Christ, " Ye are the light of the world;"  
"ye are the salt of the earth." They need a deeper  
work of grace in their hearts. There must be a reforma- 
tion before God can bless them. There are plenty of  
formal professors. A selfish grasping for gain eclipses 
the heavenly inheritance. If the kingdom of Heaven  
is made first, noble integrity will shine forth in the life 
and character. This is what Bro. A needs if he 
would exert an influence for good. He loves to handle  
money, and to see it accumulate by turning it one way  
and another. His mind and affections are absorbed in 
worldly enterprises. He is drunken with the cares 
o 
f this life; that is, he is so swallowed up in his business  
that he cannot think rationally and intelligently of the 
things of God; his vision is obscured by love of money.  
The truth should reach down deep into his heart, and de- 
velop fruit in his private and public life.  
Bro 
. A has excused himself for not making the  
Scriptures his study, because he was a business man.  
But to one pressed with business cares the Scriptures  
will be a source of strength and safety. Such a man 
has greater need of light from the word of God, of its  
counsels and warnings, than if he were not placed in  
suc 
h a dangerous position. If Bro. A would exercise  
the same forethought and business tact in the things of  
God that he has given to worldly matters, he would real-
ize blessed results. If he thinks that God is satisfied  
with him while giving his talent and energy almost  
entirely  to the service of mammon, he is fearfully de- 
ceived. Said Christ, " No man can serve two masters; 
for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else  
he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye can- 
not serve God and mammon." If Bro. A continues to  
make eternal things subordinate to his worldly interests,  
his passion for accumulating will steadily increase until  

VOWING AND NOT PAYING.  37  
it will overrule principle, and he will be so blinded by the 
god of this world that he will be unable to discern be- 
tween the sacred and the common.  
Bro. A has a strong influence upon the minds of his  
brethren; they view things largely from his standpoint.  
He needs to improve in spiritual soundness, and be wise  
in the things of God. He should begin to show an in-
terest in and devotion to heavenly things, and to so educate 
his powers that they may be of service in the cause of 
God. He needs the armor of righteousness with which 
to ward off the darts of the enemy. It is impossible for  
him to obtain salvation unless there is a decided change 
in the objects and pursuits of his life, unless he exercises 
himsel 
f continually in spiritual things.  
God calls upon the individual members of the churches  
in these two Conferences to arouse and be converted.  
Brethren, your worldliness, your distrust, your murmur- 
ing, have placed you in such a position that it will be 
exceedingly difficult for any one to labor among you. 
While your president neglected his work and failed in 
his duty, your attitude was not such as to give him any  
encouragement. The one in authority should have ac- 
quitted himself as a man of God, reproving, exhorting,  
encouraging, as the case demanded, whether you would  
receive or reject his testimony. But he was easily  
discouraged, and left you without the help that a faith- 
ful minister of Christ should have given. He failed in  
not keeping up with the opening providence of God, and 
in not showing you your duty and educating you up to 
the demands of the time; but the minister's neglect  
should not dishearten you, and lead you to excuse your-
selves for neglecting duty. There is the more need of  
energy and fidelity on your part.  
VOWING AND NOT PAYING.  
Some of you have been stumbling over your pledges.  
The Spirit of the Lord came into the meeting in an- 
swer to prayer, and while your hearts were softened under  
its influence, you pledged. While the streams of salva- 
tio 
n were pouring upon your hearts, you felt that you


36  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
must follow the example of Him who went about doing  
good, and who cheerfully gave his life to ransom man from 
sin and degradation. XJnder the heavenly, inspiring influ-
ence, you saw that selfishness ancl worlclliness were not  
consistent with Christian character, and that you could 
not live for yourselves and be Christlike. But when  
the influence of his abundant love and mercy was not  
felt in so marked a manner in your hearts, you withdrew 
your offerings, and God withdrew his blessing from you.  
Adversity came upon some. There was a failure in  
their crops, so that they could not redeem their pledges;  
and some were even brought into straitened circum-
stances. Then, of course, they could not be expected  
to pay. But had they not murmured and withdrawn 
their hearts from their pledges, God would have worked 
for them, and would have opened ways whereby every  
one could have paid what he had promised. They did 
not wait in faith, trusting God to open the way so that 
they could redeem their pledges. Some had means at 
their command; ancl had they possessed the same willing  
mind as when they pledged, and had they heartily 
rendered to God in tithes and offerings that which he 
had lent them for this purpose, they would have been 
greatly blessed. But Satan came in with his tempta-
tions, and led some to question the motives and the  
spiri 
t which actuated the servant of God in presenting  
the call for means. Some felt that they had been de-
ceived and defrauded. In spirit they repudiated their 
vows, and whatever they did afterward was with reluc-
tance 
, and therefore they received no blessing.  
In the parable of the talents, the man to whom was  
intruste 
d one talent manifested a grudging spirit, and  
hid his money so that his lord could not be benefited by 
it. When his master required him to give an account  
of his stewardship, he excused his neglect by laying 
blame upon his lord. " I knew thee [he professes to be ac- 
quainted with his lord], that thou art a hard man, reap- 
ing where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou  
hast not strewed; and I was afraid [that all my improve-
ments would not be mine, but that you would claim  

VOWING AND NOT PAYING.  

38  
them], and went and hid thy talent in the earth; lo,  
there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and 
sai 
d unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou  
knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather  
where I have not strewed; thou oughtest therefore to 
have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my  
comin 
g I should have received mine own with usury.  
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him  
whic 
h hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath  
[made a right use of my goods] shall be given, and he  
shall have abundance [for I can trust him, knowing that 
he will make right improvement of what is lent him];  
but from him that hath not [who has been fearful to 
trus 
t me] shall be taken away even that which he hath.  
[I shall deprive him of what he claims as his; he shall  
forfeit all right of trust; I will take away his talents, 
and give them to one who will improve them.] And cast  
ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there  
shall be weeping ancl gnashing of teeth."  
The spirit manifested by the brethren in regard to their  
pledges has been very offensive to God. Had they seen 
the cause prospering in the fields already entered, they  
would have felt differently. There was no deception 
practiced upon them, and the charge of deception which  
the 
y made was against the Spirit of God, and not against  
the servant he sent. Had Bro. A occupied the right  
position in this matter, had he cherished the spirit which  
influenced him to make the pledge, he would not have  
felt such an unwillingness to invest in the cause of God.  
But he thought how much he could do with his means  
by investing it in worldly enterprises. Avarice, world- 
liness, and covetousness are defects in character which  
are opposed to the exercise of the Christian graces.  
Said the apostle, "Let your conversation [your very  
deportment and habits of life] be without covetousness;  
and be content with such things as ye have; for He hath 
said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."  
It was evident that many who vowed had no  
faith, and believed themselves wronged. They talked of 
it and dwelt upon it until it seemed a reality to them.


40  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
They felt that they ought not to have aided the General 
Conference 
, and urged that they ought to have had the  
means to use in their own held. The Lord worked 
for them according to their limited faith. Satan, who 
had been holding their minds in deception, caused them 
to think that they had done a liberal thing in sending 
means to the General Conference, when upon investiga-
tion the facts showed that they still lacked a considera- 
ble of returning to the Conference the amount that had 
been paid out in sending them laborers, and in helping  
them in various ways to start the work and carry it for-
ward. Yet these persons have been grieved, dissatisfied, 
unhappy, and have backslidden from" God, because they  
thought they were doing such great things. This only  
shows what a terrible deception can come upon minds 
when they are not under the special control of the Spirit 
of God. Their doubting, their suspicions, their preju- 
dice in regard to the General Conference, were all 
prompted by Satan. The cause of God is one the world 
over. Every branch of the work centers in Christ. No  
one portion of the field is independent of the rest.  
Dear brethren, you have let Satan into your hearts,  
and he will never be fully vanquished until you repent 
of your wicked doubts and the withdrawal of your  
pledges. The Lord's messenger was despised, "and  
charged with bringing an undue pressure upon the peo- 
ple. God was displeased with Bro. B because he did 
not bear a decided testimony against everything of that 
sort, and show you your sin as it really was.  
" When thou vow est a vow unto God, defer not to pay  
it; for he hath no pleasure in fools. Pay that which  
thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldst not  
vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay. Suffer  
not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, neither say thou  
before the angel that it was an error; wherefore should  
Go 
d be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine  
hands?"  
Here the matter is presented in its true light. Your  
work was done before the angel of God. Your words  
were not only heard by men, but the angel of God listened  

INFLUENCE  OF UNBELIEF.  41  
to them, and can you be surprised that God was angry 
wit 
h you? Can you wonder that he has not blessed you,  
an 
d made you able to pay your pledges? When you  
have grumbled, and murmured, and withdrawn your  
pledges, and felt that God's servants had deceived you  
and extorted from you pledges that were not just, the 
enemy has exulted. Could you see your course as it is,  
you would never make one semblance of an excuse for it.  
Be careful how you speak one word to lessen the in- 
fluence of God's messengers. There may sometimes 
have been too much urging for means. But when the  
light and love of Jesus illuminates the hearts of his  
followers, there will be no occasion for urging or beg- 
ging their money or their service.  WJen they become  
one with Jesus, and realize that they are not their own, 
that they are bought with a price, and are therefore 
the Lord's property, and thkt all they have is sim- 
ply intrusted to them as his stewards, they will with  
cheerful heart and unswerving fidelity render to God  
the things that are his. The Lord will not accept an  
offering that is made unwillingly, grudgingly. With 
you 
r present feelings there would be no vii tue in ngaking  
more pledges. When you recover from this snare of the  
enemy, when you heal the breach that you have made,  
and realize that the wants of God's cause are as con- 
tinual as are his gifts to the children of men, your works  
will correspond with your faith, and you will receive a  
rich blessing from the Lord.  
INFLUENCE OF UNBELIEF.  
THE church in has greatly backslidden  
from God. It is no longer in a state of healthful pros-
perity. Each individual member of the church has had  
burdens and discouragements of his own to bear; but  
these he should have borne, and kept his soul alive before  
God, without weakening others in the church. He  
should have added to the strength of the church instead  
of diminishing it. Bro. C has not taken a position 
to strengthen his own faith or that of the church. He


42  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
has been acting on the side of the enemy to dishearten 
and discourage. Satan is constantly encouraging unbe-
lief. He notes the mistakes and failings of Christ's pro-
fessed followers, and taunts the angels of God with them. 
He is an accuser of the brethren, and he will influence  
as many as possible to do the same work. Those who 
tak 
e it upon themselves to watch their neighbor's garden  
instead of weeding their own plot of ground, will surely  
find their own gardens so grown up to weeds that every  
precious plant will be crowded out.  
Bro. C is not in a position to be a light to the world.  
Oh, no; he is a body of darkness. Eternity will reveal  
the fact that his inconsiderate words have planted the 
seeds of questi«iing, doubt, and fault-finding in many  
minds, and that his influence has turned many souls from  
the truth. He has consented to make himself a channel  
of darkness, to communicate suspicion and bring discour-
agement upon minds. God is not pleased with him.  
His own soul is becoming less and less susceptible to the 
influence of the Spirit of God. He has but little faith;  
and how could it be otherwise, when by his words he is  
constantly strengthening unbelief? "While he suggests 
doubts instead of letting beams of precious light shine  
upon others, he is aiding the enemy in his work. This 
spirit makes him almost an infidel, and unless he turns 
square about, he will yet become one.  
Bro. C is thoughtless of his words and actions. Idle  
words, for which he must render an account in the day  
of God, are almost continually falling from his lips. He 
places himself upon the enemy's ground, and as the re-
sult has not the Spirit of Christ. He will sometime see  
that he has made a great mistake, that he has been los-
ing precious, golden moments, which he might have em- 
ployed in purifying his own heart. He has been pick-
ing flaws in others, living on their mistakes; and this is  
spiritual starvation. Every revival is liable to bring  
persons into the church who are not really converted. 
They hold the truth nominally, but are not sanctified by 
its sweet influence. Being destitute of grace, they are 
selfish, hard, and unyielding. Such persons are always  

INFLUENCE  OF UNBELIEF.  43  
unreliable. They will ever be doing and saying things 
contrary to our faith. The church that has such a  
burden inflicted upon it deserves pity. The world is in  
opposition to the church, and Satan and his angels are 
constantl 
y at war with it. Therefore the defects of  
these unworthy members are held up before those who 
are sound in the faith.  
Those who believe the truth should be determined to  
hel 
p and not to hinder the few in who  
are struggling under discouragements. The members of 
the church should each have a jealous care that the 
enemie 
s of our faith have no occasion to triumph over  
their lifeless, backslidden state. Some have wasted their 
influence, when with a little self-denial, earnestness, and 
zeal, they might have been a power on the side of good.  
This zeal will not come without effort, without earnest 
struggles 
. If only three faithful souls were left, in the  
• church, they would, if connected with God,  
be living channels of light, and he would add to their 
numbers. God has raised up standard-bearers in  
. Some have moved away, some have died, and  
some have become spiritually dead; their services are 
given to Satan. They do not realize that a by-and-by is  
coming, when their account in the heavenly records will 
be balanced, and when every man's work will be re- 
vealed, of what sort it is.  
Remember that every one must be judged according  
to his work. When, in the great day of final reckoning,  
the record of your life shall be opened before you, my 
doubting, questioning, accusing brother, how will it stand?  
" Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord.  
Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee ?  
Ye have said, It is vain to serve God, and what profit j.s 
it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have  
walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts ?" This has 
bee 
n the language of your heart; and "out of the  
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." By  
your words you are to be justified or condemned. Ac- 
cusing the brethren is the very work that Satan has  
been engaged in since his fall. You have disheartened


64  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
the church, who had little enough courage at hest. You  
have presented the truth in almost every objectionable  
light. This is the work Satan is doing. You have no 
occasion to be proud of your words; for they will bring 
confusion of face, shame and despair, in the day when 
every man shall receive according to the deeds done in  
the body.  
Your wife has heard your expressions of darkness  
until she is molded in a great degree to your ideas. The  
fear of the Lord is almost entirely removed from you  
both. You are now sowing seeds of unbelief, and they  
will produce a plentiful harvest by and by, in the reap- 
ing of which you will take no satisfaction. You have 
lent yourself to the enemy, to be his agent to lead souls  
to doubt and unbelief. Your whole work has been to  
scatter from Christ. You glory in your sharpness, your 
aptness in confusing minds. You think it a mark of 
intelligence; but it is the same kind of intelligence that  
the prince of darkness possesses, and will receive the 
same reward that he is winning by his intense activity 
and shrewdness. The tendency of this age is to unbelief, 
to making light of godliness and true religion. This is  
Satan's plan; and when you yield your powers to unbe-
lief, you are led captive by his devices to do his work.  
Your wife will have a hard fight to conquer the devices  
of the enemy, to overcome her own defects of character, 
and bring all her powers into subjection to the will of  
God, planting her feet firmly upon the platform of 
eternal truth. She is not naturally devotional, and you 
have placed things before her in such an uncertain light  
that she is left to drift without anchorage. She takes  
no real comfort in faith and hope; for she has not an 
intelligent knowledge of the truth. She is greatly  
affected by the atmosphere of unbelief she breathes, and  
if she is lost, the blood of her soul will be found on your 
garments.  
You are just as surely doing the work of Satan as is  
any one of his open agents. The doubts which you 
have introduced into many minds will bear fruit. Your 
harvest is ripening for the final gathering. Will you be  

SINFULNESS  OF REPINING.  45  
proud of it then 1 You may turn to the Lord; you may 
find rest in him. But you have so long educated yourself  
to criticise, to turn and twist everything in a false light,  
that it will require earnest prayer and constant watch- 
fulness to break the habit which has become second 
nature. My heart yearns over you and your family.  
The Lord is displeased with you; he is grieved every  
day. You must be a thoroughly converted, transformed  
man, or you will never have the precious gift of ever- 
lastin 
g life.  
DECEITFULNESS OF SIN.  
BRO. D was presented before me as doing a work  
which in the Judgment he will wish undone. He is not  
correct in all points of doctrine, and he obstinately 
maintains his erroneous positions. He is an accuser of  
the brethren. He has not only thought evil of those  
whom God has chosen as laborers in his cause, but he  
has spoken this evil to others. He has not conformed 
to the Bible rule, and conferred with the leading brethren; 
and yet he finds fault with them all.  
The excuse made for him is, " Oh, Bro. D is such a  
good man. He is a pattern of amiability and kind-heart- 
edness, and is a ready helper anywhere." Bro. D has  
many excellent traits of character. He has no great  
ability as a preacher, but may become an earnest, faith- 
ful worker. The enemy has come in through his esti- 
mation of himself. Had he not esteemed himself more  
highly than he should, he would never have dared to use 
the reputation of his brethren as he has done. By his  
freedom in gathering up and repeating false reports, he 
has come in between the people and the message which 
God has given his ministers to bear to them to fit them  
to stand in the day of the Lord. His good traits have  
made him all the more dangerous; for they have given  
him influence. People have thought that what he said 
must be so. Had he been an immoral or quarrelsome 
person, he could not have succeeded in winning the con- 
fidence of so many.


64  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Bro. D's manner of working also makes his course  
more deserving of censure, and a greater offense to God.  
Had he shown his feelings undisguised, had he said in  
public the things he talked in private, no one would 
have thought for a moment of sending him out to labor 
in the Conference. While he is laboring under its sanc-
tion, his brethren have a right to suppose that his views 
are correct. And with this sanction his influence has  
been a power for evil. There are some who would never 
have entertained suspicion of their brethren or thought 
evil of them, had it not been for his words. He has 
started minds on a track which, if pursued, will end in 
rebellio 
n and the loss of the soul. Stripped of its dis- 
guise, this is the work which our good brother has been  
doing.  
God has presented this matter before me in its true  
light. Bro. D's heart is not right. It is defiled with  
bitterness, wrath, envy, jealousy, and evil surmising, and 
it needs to be purified. Unless he changes his course 
entirely 
, he will soon be a fallen man. Charity, or love,  
" suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity  
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave  
itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily pro- 
voked, thrnketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but 
rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all 
things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."  
Suppose that Bro. D leads the people to question  
and reject the testimonies that God has been giving to his 
people during the past thirty-eight years; suppose he  
makes them believe that the leaders in this work are de-
signing, dishonest men, engaged in deceiving the people;  
what great and good work has he done ? It is a work  
exactly similar to that of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; 
and with all whom he has influenced the result will be 
disastrous. He has thought that he could not be in error;  
but does this work bear the signet of Heaven? No;  
Bro. D has indulged a self-righteous spirit, which has  
almost ruined him. Let him come upon an equality 
with his brethren; if he has difficulties with them in re-
gard to their course of action, let him show wherein  
their sin lies.  

SINFULNESS  OF REPINING.  
46  
When Satan became disaffected in Heaven, he did not  
lay his complaint before God and Christ; but he went 
among the angels who thought him perfect, and repre- 
sented that God had done him injustice in preferring  
Christ to himself. The result of this misrepresentation  
was that through their sympathy with him one-third of 
the angels lost their innocence, their high estate, and 
their happy home. Satan is instigating men to continue 
o 
n earth the same work of jealousy and evil surmising  
that he commenced in Heaven.  
When Jesus was upon earth, the Jews were ever act- 
ing as spies on his track. They gathered up every false 
report, and charged him with one crime after another.  
They were constantly endeavoring to turn the people 
away from him. Was their course right? If it was, 
then Bro. D has not sinned, for he is doing a similar 
work. He may now break the snare of the enemy; he  
may conquer this spirit which leads him to exalt him-
self above his brethren. Let him seek meekness, and 
learn to esteem others better than himself. If he will  
work in fidelity and in harmony with God's plan, he will  
hear the sweet words, " Well done," from the lips of the  
Master. But if he rejects the labors of God's servants, 
if he chooses his own way and leans to his own under-
standing, he will surely make shipwreck of faith. God  
has not passed his people by, and chosen one solitary  
man here and another there as the only ones worthy to  
b 
e intrusted with his truth. He does not give one man  
new light contrary to the established faith of the body.  
In every reform men have arisen making this claim. 
Paul warned the church in his day, " Of your own selves 
shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away  
disciples after them." The greatest harm to God's peo- 
ple comes through those who go out from among them 
speaking perverse things. Through them the way of  
truth is evil spoken of.  
Let none be self-confident, as though God had given  
them special light above their brethren. Christ is rep- 
resente 
d as dwelling in his people; and believers, as  
"built upon the foundation of the apostles and proph-


64  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
ets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; 
in whom all the building, fitly framed together, grow- 
eth unto a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also  
are builded together for a habitation of God through the  
Spirit." "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord," says 
Paul, "beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation  
wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness,  
with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; en- 
deavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond 
o 
f peace. There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye  
are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one  
faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is  
above all, and through all, and in you all."  
That which Bro. D calls light is apparently harm- 
less; it does not look as though any one could be in- 
jured by it. But, brethren, it is Satan's device, his en- 
tering wedge. This has been tried again and again.  
One accepts some new and original idea which does not  
seem to conflict with the truth, He talks of it and 
dwells upon it until it seems to him to be clothed with 
beauty and importance, for Satan has power to give this  
false appearance. At last it becomes the all-absorbing 
theme, the one great point around which everything cen-
ters; and the truth is uprooted from the heart.  
No sooner are erratic ideas started in his mind than  
Bro. D begins to lose faith, and to question the work  
of the Spirit which has been manifested among us for  
so many years. He is not a man who will entertain 
what he believes to be special light without imparting  
it to others; therefore it is not safe to give him influence 
that will enable him to unsettle other minds. It is 
opening a door through which Satan will rush in many  
errors to divert the mind from the importance of the 
truth for this time. Brethren, as  an ambassador of  
Christ I warn you to beware of these side-issues, whose 
tendency is to divert the mind from the truth. Error  
i 
s never harmless. It never sanctifies, but always  
brings confusion and dissension. It is always danger-
ous. The enemy has great power over minds that are  
not thoroughly fortified by prayer and established in  
Bible truth.  

SINFULNESS  OF REPINING.  49  
There are a thousand temptations in disguise pre- 
pared for those who have the light of truth; and the only 
safety for any of us is in receiving no new doctrine, no  
new interpretation of the Scriptures, without first sub-
mittin 
g it to brethren of experience. Lay it before  
them in a humble, teachable spirit, with earnest prayer; 
and if they see no light in it, yield to their judgment;  
for " in the multitude of counselors there is safety."  
Satan saw in Bro. I) traits that would enable him  
t 
o gain an advantage. " The prince of this world com- 
eth," said Christ, "and hath nothing in me." But 
while appearing to possess great humility, Bro. D has  
placed too high an estimate upon himself. For years 
he has entertained the feeling that his brethren did not 
appreciate him, and he has expressed this feeling to oth- 
ers; and Satan found in him a self-conceit to which he  
could successfully appeal.  
This is a time of extreme peril to Bro. D, and to  
many others. Angels of God are watching these  
souls with intense interest, and Satan and his an-
gels are very anxious to see how their plans will suc- 
ceed. This is a crisis in Bro. D's life. He will 
here make decisions for time and for eternity. God  
loves him, and this experience may be one of great 
value to him. If he fully yields his heart to God,  
and accepts all the truth, he will be a tireless laborer;  
God will work through him, and he may do much 
good. But he must work in harmony with his breth-
ren. He must overcome sensitiveness, and learn 
to endure hardness as a good soldier of the cross of  
Christ.  
Satan is constantly at work; but few have any idea  
o 
f his activity and subtlety. The people of God must be  
prepared to withstand the wily foe. It is this resistance 
that Satan dreads. He knows better than we do the  
limit of his power, aud how easily he can be overcome if 
we resist and face him. Through divine strength, the 
weakest saint is more than a match for him and all his 
angels, and if brought to the test, he would be able to  
prove his superior power. Therefore Satan's step is  
4


64  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
noiseless, his movements stealthy, and his batteries  
masked. He does not venture to show himself openly, 
lest he arouse the Christian's dormant energies, and send 
him to God in prayer.  
The enemy is preparing for his last campaign against  
the church. He has so concealed himself from view  
that many can hardly believe that he exists, much less  
can they be convinced of his amazing activity and power. 
They have to a great extent forgotten his past record, 
and when he makes another advance move, they will not  
recognize him as their enemy, that old serpent, but they  
will consider him a friend, one who is doing a good 
work. Boasting of their independence, they will, under  
his specious, bewitching influence, obey the worst im- 
pulses of the human heart, and yet believe that God is 
leading them. Could their eyes be opened to distinguish, 
their captain, they would see that they are not serving  
God, but the enemy of all righteousness. They would 
see that their boasted independence is one of the heaviest  
fetters Satan can rivet on unbalanced minds.  
Man is Satan's captive, and is naturally inclined  
to follow his suggestions and do his bidding. He 
has in himself no power to oppose effectual resistance to  
eviL It is only as Christ abides in him by living faith,  
influencing his desires and strengthening him with  
strength from above, that man may venture to face so 
terribl 
e a foe. Every other means of defense is utterly  
vain. It is only through Christ that Satan's power is  
limited. This is a momentous truth that all should un- 
derstand. Satan is busy every moment, going to and 
fro, walking up and down in the earth, seeking whom 
he may devour. But the earnest prayer of faith will  
baffle his strongest efforts. Then take the " shield of  
faith," brethren, " wherewith ye shall be able to quench  
all the fiery darts of the wicked."  
The worst enemies we have are those who are trying  
to destroy the influence of the watchmen upon the walls  
.o 
f Zion. Satan works through agents. He is making  
an earnest effort here. He works according to a definite  
plan, and his agents aet in concert, A line of unbelief  

SINFULNESS OF REPINING.  
50  
stretches across the continent, and is in communication 
with the church of God. Its influence has been exerted  
t 
o undermine confidence in the work of the Spirit of  
God 
. This element is here, and is silently working.  
Be careful lest you be found aiding the enemy of God  
and man by spreading false reports, and by criticisms 
and decided opposition.  
Through deceptive means and unseen channels, Satan  
is working to strengthen his authority and to place ob-
stacles in the way of God's people, that souls may not 
b 
e freed from his power, and gathered under the ban- 
ner of Christ. By his deceptions he is seeking to allure 
souls from Christ, and those who are not established  
upon the truth will surely be taken in his snare. And  
those whom he cannot lead into sin, he will persecute, as  
the Jews did Christ.  
Satan's object is to dishonor God, and he works with  
every element that is unsanctified to accomplish this de- 
sign. The men whom he makes his instruments in do-
ing this work, are blinded, and do not see what they are  
doing until they are so deeply involved in guilt that they  
think it would be useless to try to recover themselves,  
an 
d they risk all, and continue in their course of trans- 
gression to the bitter end.  
• Satan hopes to involve the remnant people of God in  
the general ruin that is coming upon the earth. As the 
coming of Christ draws nigh, he will be more determined  
and decisive in his efforts to overthrow tbem. Men and  
women will arise professing to have some new light or  
some new revelation whose tendency is to unsettle faith 
in the old landmarks. Their doctrines will not bear the  
test of God's word, yet souls will be deceived. False 
reports will be circulated, and some will be taken in this  
snare. They will believe these rumors, and in their  
turn will repeat them, and thus a link will be formed 
connecting them with the arch-deceiver. This spirit  
will not always be manifested in an open defiance of the 
messages that God sends, but a settled unbelief is ex- 
pressed in many ways. Every false statement, that is  
made feeds and strengthens this unbelief, and through


64  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
this means many souls will be balanced in the wrong di- 
rection.  
"We cannot be too watchful against every form of  
error, for Satan is constantly seeking to draw men from  
the truth. He fills them with notions of their own suf- 
ficiency, and persuades them, as he has Bro. D, that 
originality is a gift much to be coveted. Bro. D  
needs to learn the truth more perfectly. Satan has  
taken advantage of his ignorance in this direction, and  
her 
e comes the danger. One man has been drawn aside  
who is hard to be persuaded when once he has set his  
feet in a wrong track, and many who thought they 
were only following the man as he followed Christ, are 
betrayed into following him when he has turned his back  
upon his Saviour.  
Pride dwells in the heart of Bro. I), and it will be  
exceedingly difficult for him to yield; but unless he 
makes a full surrender to Christ, the enemy will con- 
tinue to work through him. And if he does not at once 
take a decided stand, I fear he never will.  
The and churches have taken a heavy  
responsibility. The full result of the work they have  
done will not be known until the Judgment. You  
need heavenly wisdom, brethren, for sin has many dis-
guises. The want of spiritual vision makes you stumble  
like blind men. Had you had singleness of purpose, it  
would have been in your Conference an element of tre- 
mendous power. But the very things I feared have  
come. There was work to be done that has been left  
undone. The companies that I saw would have been  
raised up as the result of well-directed effort, and the  
meeting-houses that would have been built,—where are 
they ? Your unbelief has held the work. You have done  
comparatively nothing yourselves, and when one would  
work, you hedged the way so that he could not labor to  
any advantage.  
Some are slow, very slow, and they pride themselves  
in it. But this indolent sluggishness is a defect of char- 
acter of which no man should boast. Make a firm re- 
solve to be prompt, and with divine help you will  

SINFULNESS  OF REPINING.  
52  
succeed. Let your consecration be complete; bind prop-
erty and friends on the altar of God, and when the heart  
is prepared to receive the heavenly influence, bright 
beams from the throne of God will flash into your soul,  
quickenin 
g all its dormant energies.  
Some men have no firmness of character. They are  
like a ball of putty, and can be pressed into any con-
ceivable shape. They are of no definite form and con- 
sistency, and are of no practical use in the world. This  
weakness 
, indecision, and inefficiency must be overcome.  
There is an indomitableness about true Christian char- 
acter which cannot be molded or subdued by adverse  
circumstances. Men must have moral backbone, an in- 
tegrity which cannot be flattered, bribed, or terrified.  
I greatly fear for the church. As Paul expressed  
it, "I fear lest by any means, as the serpent be- 
guiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should  
be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."  
Paul then explains that it is by means of corrupt teach-
ers that the enemy will assail the faith of the church.  
" For such are false apostles," he says, " deceitful work- 
ers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  
And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an 
angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his minis- 
ters also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness."  
The more we learn in reference to the early days of  
the Christian church, and see with what subtlety Satan 
worked to weaken and destroy, the better we shall be  
prepared to reSist his devices and meet coming perils.  
We are in the time when tribulations such as the world 
has never yet seen shall prevail. " Woe to the inhabit- 
ers of the earth and of the sea; for the devil is come  
down unto you, having great wrath, because he know- 
eth that he hath but a short time." But God has set  
bounds that Satan cannot pass. Our most holy faith 
is this barrier; and if we build ourselves up in the faith,  
w 
e shall be safe in the keeping of the Mighty One.  
" Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also  
will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall  
come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon  
the earth."


54  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
CRITICISING MINISTERS.  
ONE mistake leads to another. Our brethren must  
learn to move intelligently, and not from impulse. Feel- 
ing must not be the criterion. A neglect of duty, the 
indulgence of undue sympathy, will be followed by a  
neglect to properly estimate those who are laboring to  
build up the cause of God. Jesus said, "I am come in  
my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another 
shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."  
Many do not look upon preaching as Christ's ap- 
pointed means of instructing his people, and therefore  
always to be highly prized. They do not feel that the 
sermon is the word of the Lord to them, and estimate it  
by the value of the truths spoken, but they judge it as 
they would the speech of a lawyer at the bar,—by the  
argumentative skill displayed, and the power and beauty  
of the language. The minister is not infallible, but God  
has honored him by making him his messenger. If you  
listen to him as though he were not commissioned from 
above, you will not respect his words, nor receive them  
as the message of God. Your souls will not feed upon 
th 
e heavenly manna; doubts will arise concerning some  
things that are not pleasing to the natural heart, and  
you will sit in judgment upon the sermon, as you would 
upo 
n the remarks of a lecturer or a political speaker.  
As soon as the meeting closes, you will be ready with  
some complaint or sarcastic remark, thus showing that 
the message, however true and needful, has not profited 
you. You esteem it not; you have learned the habit of  
criticisin 
g and finding fault, and you pick and choose,  
and perhaps reject the very things that you most need.  
There is very little reverence for sacred things in  
either the U.C. or N.P. Conference. The ordained in- 
strumentalities of God are almost entirely lost sight of.  
God has instituted no new method of reaching the chil- 
dren of men. If they cut themselves off from Heaven's  
appointe 
d agencies to reprove their sins, correct their  
errors 
, and point out the path of duty, there is no way  

CRITICISING MINISTERS.  55  
to reach them with any heavenly communication. They 
are left in darkness, and are ensnared and taken by the  
adversary.  
The minister of God is commanded: " Cry aloud, spare  
not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people 
their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."  
The Lord says of these people, "They seek me daily, and 
delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteous-
ness." Here is a people who are self-deceived, self- 
righteous, self-complacent; and the minister is com- 
manded to cry aloud and show them their transgressions. 
In all ages this work has been done for God's people, 
ancl it is needed now more than ever before.  
The word of the Lord came to Elijah; he did not seek  
to be the Lord's messenger, but the word came to him.  
God always has men to whom he intrusts his message.  
His Spirit moves upon their hearts, and constrains them  
to speak. Stimulated by holy zeal, and with the divine  
impulse strong upon them, they enter upon the perform- 
ance of their duty without coldly calculating the conse- 
quences of speaking to the people the word which the 
Lord has given them. But the servant of God is soon  
made aware that he has risked something. He finds 
himself ancl his message made the subject of criticism.  
His manners, his life, his property, are all inspected and 
commented upon. His message is picked to pieces and  
rejected in the most illiberal ancl unsanctified spirit, as  
men in their finite judgment see fit. Has that message  
done the work that God designed it should accomplish 1  
No; it has signally failed because the hearts of the 
hearers were unsanctified.  
If the minister's face is not flint, if he has not indom- 
itable faith and courage, if his heart is not made strong 
by constant communion with God, he will begin to shape  
his testimony to please the unsanctified ears and hearts  
of those he is addressing. In endeavoring to avoid the  
criticism to which he is exposed, he separates from God  
and loses the sense of divine favor, and his testimony  
become 
s tame and lifeless. He finds that his courage  
ancl faith are gone, and his labors powerless. The world


56  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
is full of flatterers and dissemblers who have yielded to 
the desire to please; but the faithful men, who do not  
study self-interest, but love their brethren too well to 
suffer sin upon them, are few indeed.  
_ It is Satan's settled purpose to cut off all communica- 
tion between God and his people, that he may practice 
his deceptive wiles with no voice to warn them of their 
danger. If he can lead men to distrust the messenger,  
or to attach no sacredness to the message, he knows that  
they will feel under no obligation to heed the word of  
God to them. And when light is set aside as darkness, 
Sata 
n has things his own way.  
Our God is a jealous God; he is not to be trifled -with.  
He who does all things according to the counsel of his  
own will, has been pleased to place men under various  
circumstances, and to enjoin upon them duties and ob- 
servances peculiar to the times in which they live and  
the conditions under which they are placed. If they  
would prize the light given them, their faculties would  
be greatly enlarged and ennobled, and broader views of 
truth would be opened before them. The mysteries of 
eternal things, and especially the wonderful grace of  
God as manifested in the plan of redemption, would be  
unfolded to their minds; for spiritual things are spirit- 
ually discerned.  
We are never to forget that Christ teaches through  
his servants. There may be conversions without the 
instrumentality of a sermon. Where persons are so 
situated that they are deprived of every means of grace, 
the 
y are wrought upon by the Spirit of God and con- 
vinced of the truth through reading the word; but God's 
appointed means of saving souls is through the "foolish-
ness of preaching." Though human, and compassed with 
the frailties of humanity, men are Gocl's messengers;  
and the dear Saviour is grieved when so little is effected  
by their labors. Every minister who goes out hito the  
great harvest field should magnify his office. He should  
not only seek to bring men to the knowledge of the  
truth, but he should labor, as did Paul, " warning every 
man, and teaching every man in all wisdom," that he 
may " present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."  

CRITICISING MINISTERS.  57  
The man is to be regarded and honored only as God's  
ambassador. To praise the man is not pleasing to God. 
The message he brings is to be brought to the test of the  
Bible. "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak  
not according to this word, it is because there is no 
light in them." But the word of the Lord is not to be  
judged by a human standard. It will be seen that those  
whose minds have the mold of earthliness, those who 
hav 
e a limited Christian experience and know but little  
of the things of God, are the ones who have the least 
respect for God's servants, and the least reverence for  
the message he bids t'hem bear. They listen to a search- 
ing discourse, and go to their homes prepared to sit in  
judgment on it; and the impression disappears from their  
minds like the morning dew before the sun. If the 
preaching is of an emotional character, it will affect the  
feelings, but not the heart and conscience. Such preach- 
ing results in no lasting good; but it often wins the 
hearts of the people, and calls out their affections for the  
man who pleases them. They forget that God has said,  
" Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils."  
, Jesus is waiting with longing desire to open before his  
people the glory that will attend his second advent, and  
to carry them forward to a contemplation of the land- 
scapes of bliss. There are wonders to be revealed. A  
long lifetime of prayer and research will leave much  
unexplored and unexplained. But what we know not 
now will be revealed hereafter. The work of instruction  
begun here will be carried on to all eternity. The Lamb,  
as he leads the hosts of the redeemed to the fountain of 
living waters, will impart rich stores of knowledge; he  
will unravel mysteries in the works and providence of  
God that have never before been understood.  
We can never by searching find out God. He does  
not lay open his plans to prying, inquisitive minds. We 
must not attempt to lift with presumptuous hand the  
curtain behind which he veils his majesty. The apostle  
exclaims, " How unsearchable are his judgments, anil his  
ways past finding out." It is a proof of his mercy that 
there is the hiding of his power, that he is enshrouded


58  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
in the awful clouds of mystery and obscurity; for to lift  
the curtain that conceals the Divine Presence is death.  
No mortal mind can penetrate the secrecy in which the  
Mighty One dwells and works. We can comprehend no  
more of his dealings with us and the motives that  
actuate him, than he sees fit to reveal. He orders  
everything in righteousness, and we are not to be dis- 
satisfied and distrustful, but to bow in reverent submis- 
sion. He will reveal to us as much of his purposes as it  
is for our good to know; and beyond that we must trust  
the hand that is omnipotent, the heart that is full of  
love.  
FIDELITY AND PERSEVERANCE NEEDED.  
THE state of the church in is far from what it  
should be. Unless there is a decided change, it will 
wither and die. There is much fault-finding; many  
are giving way to doubt and unbelief. Those who  
talk faith and cultivate faith will have faith; but those 
who cherish and express doubts will have doubts.  
There has been a neglect on the part of the ministers.  
They have not urged home to the hearts of their hearers 
the necessity of faithfulness. They have not educated the 
church on all points of truth and duty, nor labored with 
zeal to bring them into working order, and to get them  
interested in every branch of the cause of God. I have 
been shown that had the church been properly educated,  
they would have been far in advance of their present po- 
sition 
. The neglect on the part of the ministers has  
made the people careless and unfaithful. They have  
not felt their individual responsibility, but have excused  
themselves on account of the failure of the ministers to 
do the work of a pastor. But God does not hold them  
excused. Had they no Bible, had they no warnings, 
reproofs, and entreaties from Heaven to bring duty to  
their minds, there would be less condemnation. ° But the 
Lord has given counsel and instruction; the duty of each  

FIDELITY AND PERSEVERANCE  NEEDED.  59  
individual has been made so plain that he need make 
n 
o mistake.  
God gives light to guide those who honestly desire  
light and truth; but it is not his purpose to remove all  
cause for questioning and doubt. He gives sufficient ev-
idence to found faith upon, and then requires men to ac- 
cept that evidence and exercise faith.  
He who will study the Bible with a humble and teach- 
able spirit, will find it a sure guide, pointing out the  
way of life with unfailing accuracy. But what does  
your study of the Bible avail, brethren and sisters,  
unless you practice the truths it teaches? That holy 
book contains nothing that is non-essential; nothing is  
revealed that has not a bearing upon our actual lives.  
The deeper our love for Jesus, the more highly we shall 
regard that word as the voice of God directly to us.  
The church in is standing on Satan's enchanted  
ground, and there  is necessity for a thorough conversion.  
Individual effort is needed. The rich promises of the 
Bibl 
e are for those who take up their cross and deny  
self daily. Every one who has a sincere desire to be a  
learner in the school of Christ will cultivate spiritual- 
mindedness, and will avail himself of every means of 
grace; but in this church opportunities and privileges  
have been slighted. One may be able to say but few 
words in public, and to do but little in the vineyard of  
the Lord; but he is in duty bound to say something, and 
to be an interested worker. Every member should help  
to strengthen and sustain the church; but in many cases 
there are one or two who have the spirit of faithfulness  
that characterized Caleb of old, and these are permitted 
to bear the burdens and take the responsibilities, while  
the rest shirk all care.  
Caleb was faithful and steadfast. He was not boast- 
ful, he made no parade of his merits and good deeds;  
but his influence was always on the side of right. And  
what was his reward ? When the Lord denounced judg-
ment 
s against the men who refused to hearken to his  
voice 
, he said: " But my servant Caleb, because he had  
another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully,


60  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and 
his seed shall possess it." While the cowards and mur- 
murers perished in the wilderness, faithful Caleb had a  
hom 
e in the promised Canaan. " Them that honor me  
I will honor," saith the Lord.  
Hanna 
h prayed and trusted; and in her son Samuel  
sh 
e gave to the Israel of God a most precious treas- 
ure,—a useful man, with a well-formed character, one  
who was as firm as a rock where principle was con- 
cerned.  
In Joppa there was a Dorcas, whose skillful fingers  
were more active than her tongue. She knew who 
neede 
d comfortable clothing, and who needed sympathy,  
and she freely ministered to the wants of both classes.  
And when Dorcas died, the church in Joppa realized  
their loss. It is no wonder that they mourned and la-
mented, nor that warm tear-drops fell upon the inani-
mate clay. She was of so great value that by the power 
of God she was brought back from the land of the en- 
emy, that her skill and energy might still be a blessing  
to others.  
Such patient, prayerful, and persevering fidelity as  
was possessed by these saints of God is rare; yet the  
church cannot prosper without it. It is needed in the 
church, in the Sabbath-school, and in society. Many 
come together in church relationship with their natural  
traits of character unsubdued; and in a crisis, when  
strong, hopeful spirits are needed, they give up to dis-
couragement 
, and bring burdens on the church; and  
they do not see that this is wrong. The cause does not  
need such persons, for they are unreliable; but there  
is always a call for steadfast, God-fearing workers, who  
will not faint in the day of adversity.  
There are some in the church in who will cause  
trouble; for their wills have never been brought into 
harmony with the will of Christ. Bro. E will be a 
great hindrance to this church. When he can have the  
supremacy, he is satisfied; but when he cannot stand  
first, he is always upon the wrong side. He moves  
from impulse. He will not draw in even cords, but ques- 

FIDELITY AND PERSEVERANCE  NEEDED. 61  
tions and takes opposite views, because it is his nature  
to be fault-finding and an accuser of his brethren.  
While he claims to be very zealous for the truth, he is 
drawing away from the body; he is not strong in moral 
power, rooted and grounded in the faith. The holy  
principles of truth are not made a part of his nature. 
He cannot be trusted; God is not pleased with him.  
Bro. and Sister E have not regarded the directions  
of God's word in the training of their children. These  
children have been allowed to control at home to a 
very great degree, and have come and gone as they 
pleased. Unless they are placed under entirely differ- 
ent influences, they will be found in the enemy's ranks,  
warring against order, discipline, and subordination. 
Childre 
n thus left to have their own way are not happy;  
and where parental authority is lightly regarded, the  
authority of God will not be respected.  
The work of the parent is solemn and sacred; but  
many do not realize this because their eyes are blinded 
b 
y the enemy of all righteousness. Their children are  
allowed to grow up undisciplined, uncourteous, forward,  
self-confident, unthankful, and unholy, when a firm, de- 
cided, even course, in which justice and mercy are blended  
with patience and self-control, Would produce wonderful 
results.  
Bro. E must have transforming grace. There is no  
safety for him while he retains his natural defects 
of character, and he must war against them continu- 
ally. Unless he will live a watchful, prayerful life, he  
will not be well balanced, and there is danger that the  
truth will be hindered, misrepresented, and brought into 
disrepute, through his influence. Let him be careful,  
lest he awaken in unbelievers prejudices that can never  
be removed.  
There is in human nature a tendency to run to ex- 
tremes, and from one extreme to another entirely op- 
posite. Many are fanatics. They are consumed by a  
fiery zeal which is mistaken for religion; but character 
is the true test of discipleship. Have they the meekness  
of Christ? have they his humility and sweet benevolence?


60  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Is the soul-temple emptied of pride, arrogance, selfish- 
ness, and censoriousness? If not, they know not what  
manner of spirit they are of. They do not realize that 
tru 
e Christianity consists in bearing much fruit to the  
glory of God.  
Others go to an extreme in their conformity to the  
world. There is no clear, distinct line of separation be-
twee 
n them and the worldling. If in one case men are  
driven away from the truth by a harsh, censorious, con- 
demnatory spirit, in this they are led to conclude that  
the professed Christian is destitute of principle, and  
knows nothing of a change of heart or character. " Let 
your light so shine before men that they may see your  
good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven," 
are the words of Christ.  
There are many who have not a correct knowledge  
of what constitutes a Christian character, and their lives 
are a reproach to the cause of truth. If they were  
thoroughly converted, they would not bear briers and 
thorns, but rich clusters of the precious fruits of the  
Spirit,—"love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,  
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." The great dan-
ger is in neglecting a heart-work. Many feel well pleased  
with themselves; they think that a nominal observance 
of the divine law is sufficient, while they are unac- 
quainted with the grace of Christ, and he is not abiding  
in the heart by living faith.  
"Without me," says Christ, "ye can do nothing;"  
but with his divine grace working through our human 
efforts, we can do all things. His patience and meek-
ness will pervade the character, diffusing a precious ra- 
dianc 
e which makes bright and clear the pathway to  
Heaven. By beholding and imitating his life, we shall  
become renewed in his image. The glory of Heaven 
will shine in our lives, and be reflected upon others. 
At the throne of grace we are to find the help we need  
to enable us to live thus. This is genuine sanctifica- 
tion; and what more exalted position can mortals desire  
than to be connected with Christ as a branch is joined  
to the vine?  

FIDELITY AND PERSEVERANCE  NEEDED. 63  
I have seen a device representing a bullock standing  
between a plow and an altar, with the inscription,  
" Ready for either,"—willing to swelter in the weary  
furrow or to bleed on the altar of sacrifice. This 
is the position the child of God should ever be in,— 
willing to go where duty calls, to deny self, and to  
sacrifice for the cause of truth. The Christian church 
was founded upon the principle of sacrifice. "If any 
man will come after me," says Christ, " let him deny  
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."  
He requires the whole heart, the entire affections. The 
exhibitions of zeal, earnestness, and unselfish labor which 
his devoted followers have given to the world, should  
kindle our ardor and lead us to emulate their example.  
Genuine religion gives an earnestness and fixedness of 
purpose which molds the character to the divine im-
age, and enables us to count all things but loss for the  
excellency of Christ. This singleness of purpose will  
prove an element of tremendous power.  
We have a greater and more solemn truth than was *  
ever before committed to mortals, and we are responsi- 
ble for the way we treat that truth. Every one of us  
should be intent on saving souls. We should show the  
power of the truth upon our own hearts and charac-
ters, while doing all we can to win others to love it.  
To bring a sinner to Christ is to elevate, dignify, and  
ennobl 
e his whole character, and make him a blessing  
in the home, in society, and in the church. Is not this 
a work that is worthy of our noblest powers ?  
Persons of little talent, if faithful in keeping their  
hearts in the love of God, may win many souls to Christ.  
Harlan Page was a poor mechanic of ordinary ability 
and limited education; but he made it his chief business  
to seek to advance the cause of God, and his efforts  
were crowned with marked success. He labored for the  
salvation of his fellow-men in private conversation and  
in earnest prayer. He established prayer-meetings, or-
ganize 
d Sunday-schools, and distributed tracts and  
other religious reading. And on his death-bed, with the 
shadow of eternity resting upon his countenance, he was


64  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
able to say, " I know that it is all of God's grace, and 
not through any merit of anything that I have done; 
but I think I have evidence that more than one hundred  
souls have been converted to God through my personal  
instrumentality."  
Every member of the church should be instructed in  
a regular system of labor. All are required to do some-
thing for the Lord. They may interest persons to read;  
they may converse and pray with them. The minister 
who shall educate, discipline, and lead an army of effi-
cient workers, will have glorious conquests here, and a 
rich reward awaits him when he shall meet those saved  
through his influence around the great white throne.  
" Do something, do it soon, with all thy might;  
An angel's wing would droop if long at rest;  
And God himself, inactive, were no longer blest."  
After the church in came to the knowledge of  
the truth, they would have been fruitful in good works, 
and would have had an influence that would make them  
a power on the side of right, had they manifested be-
coming earnestness, zeal, and love. But they have been  
indifferent, and have been growing cold and dead. Some 
have attended social meetings when they have carried  
with them the atmosphere of earth rather than that of 
Heaven. The church has not been ready to respond to  
the efforts that have been made for them. In their pres-
ent state they cannot see or realize the need of co-opera- 
tion on their part; and their lack of earnestness and 
consecration has discouraged the ministers. Instead of  
this carelessness, there should have been a feeling of in- 
dividual responsibility. This church will never prosper  
until the members commence the work of reform in 
their own hearts. Many who profess the faith are easily 
satisfied; if they come up to a few points of self-de-
nial ancl reform, they do not see the necessity of go- 
ing further. Why is there such a resting on the lees?  
There is no halting-place for us this side of Heaven. 
None of us should be content with our present spiritual  
attainments. No one is living up to his opportunities,  
unless he can show continual progress. He must be  

SINFULNESS  OF REPINING.  65  
climbing, still climbing. It is the privilege of every  
Christian to grow up until he shall reach the full stature  
of a man in Christ Jesus.  
How much the dear people in need instruction  
in personal godliness; how much they need pastoral la- 
bor. But they do not do as well as they know. God 
will test you, brethren, and some will prove to be chaff, 
and some precious grains of wheat. Yield not to the  
power of the tempter. He will come as a strong man 
armed; but give him no advantage. Nerve yourselves for 
duty^ and dispute every inch of ground. Instead of re-
treating, advance; instead of becoming weak and nerve- 
less, brace yourselves for the conflict. God calls on you 
t 
o engage with all your powers against sin in every form.  
Pu 
t on the whole armor of God, and keep your eye  
steadily fixed on the Captain of your salvation; for there 
is danger ahead. Follow no false colors, but watch the 
banner of our holy faith, and be found where that 
waves, even though it be in the thickest of the fight. 
Soon the warfare will be over, and the victory won; and 
if you are faithful, you will come off more than con- 
querors through Him that has loved you. The glorious  
prize, the eternal weight of glory, will then bo yours.  
SINFULNESS OF REPINING.  
DEAR FRIENDS: I have been shown that as a family  
you experience much needless unhappiness. God has  
not designed that you should be miserable; but you have  
taken your minds from Jesus, and centered them too  
much upon yourselves. The great sin of your family is  
that of needless repining over God's providences; your  
unsubmissiveness in this respect is indeed alarming. 
You have magnified small difficulties, and have talked  
discouragements too much. You have a habit of drap-
ing everything about you in mourning, and have made  
yourselves unhappy without cause. Your continued  
murmurings are separating you from God.


64  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
You should keep off from Satan's enchanted ground,  
and not allow your minds to be swayed from alle- 
giance to God. Through Christ you may and should be  
happy, and should acquire habits of self-control. Even  
your thoughts must be brought into subjection to the  
will of God, and your feelings under the control of rea- 
son and religion. Your imagination was not given  
you to be allowed to run riot and have its own way,  
without any effort at restraint or discipline. If the  
thoughts are wrong, the feelings will be wrong; and the  
thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral char-
acter 
. When you decide that as Christians you are not  
required to restrain your thoughts and feelings, you are 
brought under the influence of evil angels, and invite  
their presence and their control. If you yield to your 
impressions 
, and allow your thoughts to run in a channel  
of suspicion, doubt, and repining, you will be among the 
most unhappy of mortals, and your lives will prove a  
failure.  
Dear Sister F, you have a diseased imagination; and  
you dishonor God by allowing your feelings to have com-
plete control of your reason and judgment. You have  
a determined will, which causes the mind to react upon 
the bocly, unbalancing the circulation, and producing  
congestion in certain organs; and you are sacrificing 
health to your feelings.  
You are making a mistake, which, if not corrected,  
will not end with wrecking your own happiness merely  
You are doing positive injury, not only to yourself, but to  
the other members of your family, and especially your  
mother. She is very nervous and highly sensitive. If 
one of her children is suffering, she becomes confused  
and almost distracted. Her mind is becoming unbal- 
anced by the frequent fits of hysteria which she is com-
pelled to witness, and great unhappiness is brought upon  
all around you. And yet you are capable of controlling  
your imagination, and overcoming these nervous attacks.  
You have will-power, and you should bring it to your aid. 
Yo 
u have not done this, but have let your highly-wrought  
imagination control reaaon. In this you have grieved  

SINFULNESS  OF REPINING.  67  
the Spirit of God. Had you no power over your feel-
ings, this would not be sin; but it will not answer thus  
to yield to the enemy. Your will needs to be sanctified  
and subdued, instead of being arrayed in opposition to 
that of God.  
My dear friends, instead of taking a course to baffle  
disease, you are petting it and yielding to its power. 
You should avoid the use of drugs, and carefully ob- 
serve the laws of health. If you regard your life, you  
should eat plain food, prepared in the simplest manner, 
and take more physical exercise. Each member of the  
family needs the benefits of health reform. But drug-
ging should be forever abandoned; for while it does not  
cure any malady, it enfeebles the system, making it more  
susceptible to disease.  
Man has been placed in a world of sorrow, care, and  
perplexity. He is placed here to be tested and proved,  
as were Adam and Eve, that he may develop a right  
character, and bring harmony out of discord and confu-
sion 
. There is much for us to do that is essential to our  
own happiness and that of others. And there is much  
for us to enjoy. Through Christ we are brought into  
connection with God. His mercies place us under con-
tinual obligation; feeling unworthy of his favors, we are  
to appreciate even the least of them.  
For all that you have and are, dear friends, you are  
indebted to God. He has given you powers, that, to a  
certain extent, are similar to those which he himself 
possesses; and you should labor earnestly to develop  
these powers, not to please and exalt self, but to glorify 
him. You have not improved your privileges to the  
best advantage. You should educate yourselves to bear  
responsibilities. Intellect must be cultivated; if left to 
rust from inaction, it will become debased.  
This earth is the Lord's. Here it may be seen that  
nature, animate and inanimate, obeys his will. God  
created man a superior beimg; he alone is formed in 
the image of God, and is capable of partaking of the  
divine nature, of co-operating with his Creator and ex- 
ecuting his plans; and he alone is found at war with  
God's purposes. J" "f '1J fi 4 '' Y  
S.D.A. i jg, .1 Seminary  
Tako >a Park


64  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
How wonderfully, with what marvelous beauty, has  
everything in nature been fashioned. Everywhere we  
see the perfect works of the great Master-artist. The  
heavens declare his glory; and the earth,which is formed 
for the happiness of man, speaks to us of his matchless 
love. Its surface is not a monotonous plain; but grand  
old mountains rise to diversify the landscape. There 
are sparkling streams and fertile valleys, beautiful lakes,  
broad rivers, ancl the boundless ocean. Gocl sends the 
dew and the rain to refresh the thirsty earth. The 
breezes, that promote health by purifying and cooling 
the atmosphere, are controlled by his wisdom. He has  
placed the sun in the heavens to mark the periods of 
day ancl night, and by its genial beams give light and 
warmth to the earth, causing vegetation to flourish.  
I call your attention to these blessings from the  
bounteous hand of God. Let the fresh glories of each  
new morning awaken praise in your hearts for these 
tokens of his loving care. But while our kind heavenly  
Father has given us so many things to promote our hap- 
piness 
, he has given us also blessings in disguise. He  
understand 
s the necessities of fallen man; and while he  
has given us advantages on the one hand, on the other 
there are inconveniences which are designed to stimulate  
us to use the ability he has given us. These develop 
patient industry, perseverance, and courage.  
There are evils which man may lessen, but can never  
remove. He is to overcome obstacles, and make his sur- 
rounding 
s instead of being molded by them. He has  
room to exercise his talents in bringing order and har-
mony out of confusion. In this work he may have  
divine aid if he will claim it. He is not left to battle  
wit 
h temptations and trials in his own strength. Help  
ha 
s been laid upon One who is mighty. Jesus left the  
royal courts of Heaven, and suffered and died in a world 
degraded by sin, that he might teach man how to pass  
through the trials of life and overcome its temptations.  
Here is a pattern for us.  
As the benefits conferred upon his creatures by our  
heavenly Father are recounted, do you not feel re- 

SINFULNESS  OF REPINING.  
68  
proved for your ungrateful repinings? For a number 
of years he lent you a daughter and sister, until you be-
gan to regard her as yours, and felt that you had a right 
to this good gift. God heard your murmurings. If 
there was a cloud in sight, you seemed to forget that the 
sun ever shone; and clouds and darkness were ever about 
you. God sent you affliction; he removed your treasure 
from you, that you might discern between prosperity and 
real sorrow. But you did not subdue your hearts before 
him, and repent of the great sin of ingratitude which 
had separated you from his love. Like Job, you felt 
that you had cause for grief, and would not be comforted.  
Wa 
s this  reasonable ? You know that death is a power  
that none can resist; but you have made your lives 
nearly useless by your unavailing grief. Your feelings  
have been little less than rebellion against God. I saw  
you all dwelling upon your bereavement, and giving way  
to your excitable feelings, until your noisy demonstra-
tions of grief caused angels to hide their faces and with-
draw from the scene.  
While thus giving way to your feelings, did you re- 
member that you had a Father in Heaven, who gave 
his only Son to die for us, that death might not be an 
eternal sleep 1 Did you remember that the Lord of life 
an 
d glory passed through the tomb, and brightened it  
with his own presence 1 Said the beloved disciple,  
" Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from  
henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest 
from their labors, and their works do follow them."  
Th 
e apostle well knew what he was talking about when  
he wrote these words; but when you give way to uncon-
trollable grief, is your conduct consistent with the com-
fort which they express 1  
The Lord is gracious, merciful, and true. He has  
permitte 
d the one of your household band who was the  
most innocent and the best prepared, to rest through the  
perils of the last days. Oh! do not shut up your souls  
against melody and joy, mourning as though there were 
to be no resurrection of the dead, but praise God that  
with her there is no more death, no more trial, no more


70  TESTIMONY FOB THE CHURCH.  
sorrow. She rests in Jesus until the Lifegiver shall call  
forth his sleeping saints to a glorious immortality.  
F has a work to do, through the grace of God, to con- 
trol her feelings. She knows that she is not in Heaven,  
but in a world where death reigns, and where our loved 
ones may be removed from us at any moment. She 
should feel that the great burden of life is to prepare for  
a better world. If she has a right hold on eternal life, 
it will not disqualify her for living in this world and 
nobly bearing life's burdens, but it will help her in the 
performance of self-denying, self-sacrificing duties.  
As a family, you have talked darkness and complain- 
ing until you are changed into the same image. You 
seem to work upon one another's sympathies, and to  
arouse nervous excitability, until you have a dark, sad, 
disma 
l time by yourselves. You have held mourning  
services, but these do not attract angels around you. If 
you do not change your course, God will come a little  
closer, and deal with you in judgment. Is it not time 
that you held thanksgiving services in your home, and 
recounted with rejoicing the blessings that have been 
bestowed upon you 1  
The power of the truth should be sufficient to sustain  
and console in every adversity. It is in enabling its 
possessor to triumph over affliction that the religion of  
Christ reveals its true value. It brings the appetites,  
the passions, and the emotions under the control of  
reason and conscience, and disciplines the thoughts to 
flow in a healthful channel. And then the tongue will 
no 
t be left to dishonor God by expressions of sinful re- 
pining.  
Our Creator justly claims the right to do as he chooses  
with the creatures of his hand. He has a right to gov-
ern as he will, and not as man chooses. But he is not a  
severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. He is the very 
fountain of love, the giver of blessings innumerable. It  
should cause you the deepest grief that you have disre- 
garded such love, and have not let gratitude and praise  
well up in your hearts for the marvelous goodness of  
God. We do not deserve all his benefits; but they are  

PRAISE YE THE LORD.  71  
continued to us, notwithstanding our unworthiness and 
cruel ingratitude. Then cease to complain, as though 
you were bond-servants under a hard task-master. Jesus  
is good. Praise him. Praise him who is the health of 
your countenance, and your God.  
" PRAISE YE THE LORD."  
"LET everything that hath breath praise the Lord."  
Have any of us duly considered how much we have 
to be thankful for ? Do we remember that the mercies  
of the Lord are new every morning, and that his faith-
fulness faileth not? Do we acknowledge our depend- 
ence upon him, and express gratitude for all his fa- 
vors? On the contrary, we too often forget that " every  
good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh  
down from the Father of lights."  
How often those who are  in health forget the wonder- 
ful mercies that are continued to them day by day,  
year after year. They render no tribute of praise to 
God for all his benefits. But when sickness comes, God  
is remembered. The strong desire for recovery leads to  
earnest prayer; and this is right. God is our refuge in  
sickness as in health. But many do not leave their cases  
wit 
h him; they encourage weakness and disease by wor- 
rying about themselves. If they would cease repining,  
and rise above depression and gloom, their recovery 
would be more sure. They should remember with grati- 
tude how long they enjoyed the blessing of health; and  
should this precious boon be restored to them, they  
should not forget that they are under renewed obliga-
tions to their Creator. When the ten lepers were healed,  
only one returned to find Jesus and give him glory.  
Let us not be like the unthinking nine, whose hearts  
were untouched by the mercy of God.  
God is love. He has a care for the creatures he has  
formed. " Like as a father pitieth his children, so the  
Lord pitieth them that fear him." " Behold, what man-


72  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
ner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we 
should be called the sons of God." What a precious  
privilege is this, that we may be sons and daughters of  
the Most High, heirs of God and joint-heirs witlfo Jesus  
Christ. Then let us not mourn and grieve because in  
this life we are not free from disappointments and afflic-
tions. If in the providence of God we are called upon  
to endure trials, let us accept the cross, and drink the  
bitter cup, remembering that it is a Father's hand that 
holds it to our lips. Let us trust him in the darkness 
as well as in the day. Can we not believe that he will  
give us everything that is for our good ? " He that  
spare 
d not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,  
ho 
w shall he not with him also freely give us all things ?"  
Even in the night of affliction, how can we refuse to  
lif 
t heart and voice in grateful praise, when we remem- 
ber the love to us expressed by the cross of Calvary ?  
What a theme for meditation is the sacrifice that Je- 
sus made for lost sinners ! " He was wounded for our 
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the 
chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his 
stripes we are healed." How shall we estimate the  
blessings thus brought within our reach 1 Could J esus 
have suffered more? Could he have purchased for us 
richer blessings ? Should it not melt the hardest heart,  
when we remember that for our sakes he left the hap- 
piness and glory of Heaven, and suffered poverty and  
shame, cruel affliction and a terrible death? Had he  
not, by his death and resurrection, opened for us the 
door of hope, we should have known nothing but the 
horrors of darkness and the miseries of despair. In our 
present state, favored and blessed as we are, we cannot 
realize from what depths we have been rescued. We  
cannot measure how much deeper our afflictions would  
have been, how much greater our woes, had not Jesus  
encircled us with his human arm of sympathy and love, 
an 
d lifted us up.  
We may rejoice in hope. Our Advocate is in the  
heavenly sanctuary, pleading in our behalf. Through  
his merits we have pardon and peace. He died that he  

PRAISE YE THE LORD.  73  
might wash away our sins, clothe us with his righteous- 
ness, and fit us for the society of Heaven, where we may  
dwell in light forever. Dear brother, dear sister, when 
Satan would fill your mind with despondency, gloom,  
and doubt, resist his suggestions. Tell him of the blood  
of Jesus, that cleanses from all sin. You cannot save  
yourself from the tempter's power; but he trembles and 
flees when the merits of that precious blood are  
urged. Then will you not gratefully accept the bless- 
ings Jesus bestows? Will you not take the cup of  
salvation that he presents, and call on the name of 
the Lord? Do not show distrust of Him who has 
called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Do 
not for a moment pain the heart of the pitying Saviour  
by your unbelief. He watches with the most intense  
interest your progress in the heavenly way; he sees your  
earnest efforts; he notes your declensions and your re- 
coveries, your hopes and your fears, your conflicts and 
your victories.  
Shall all our devotional exercises consist in asking and  
receiving? Shall we be always thinking of our wants,  
and never of the benefits we receive? Shall we be re-
cipient 
s of his mercies, and never express our gratitude  
to God, never praise him for what he has done for us?  
We do not pray any too much, but we are too sparing  
of giving thanks. If the loving-kindness of God called  
forth more thanksgiving and praise, we would have far 
more power in prayer. We would abound more and more  
in the love of God, and have more bestowed to praise him 
for. You who complain that God does not hear your  
prayers, change the present order, and mingle praise  
with your petitions. When you consider his goodness 
and mercies, you will find that he will consider your 
wants.  
Pray, pray earnestly and without ceasing, but do not  
forget to praise. It becomes every child of God to vin- 
dicate his character. You can magnify the Lord; you  
can show the power of sustaining grace. There are  
multitudes who do not appreciate the great love of God  
nor the divine compassion of Jesus, Thousands even


74  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
regard with disdain the matchless grace shown in the  
plan of redemption. All who are partakers of this 
great salvation are not clear in this matter. They do 
not cultivate grateful hearts. But the theme of redemp-
tio 
n is one that the angels desire to look into; it will be  
the science and the song of the ransomed throughout  
the ceaseless ages of eternity. Is it not worthy of care-
ful thought and study now? Should we not praise God 
with heart and soul and voice for his " wonderful works  
to the children of men " ?  
Praise the Lord in the congregation of his people.  
When the word of the Lord was spoken to the Hebrews  
anciently, the command was, " And let all the people say,  
Amen." When the ark of the covenant Avas brought 
into the city of David, and a psalm of joy and triumph  
wa 
s chanted, all the people said, " Amen, and praised  
the Lord." This fervent response was an evidence that  
they understood the word spoken, and joined in the 
worship of God.  
There is too much formality in our religious services.  
The Lord would have his ministers who preach the word  
energized by his Holy Spirit; and the people who hear  
should not sit in drowsy indifference, or stare vacantly 
about, making no responses to what is said. The im- 
pression that is thus given to the unbeliever is anything 
but favorable for the religion of Christ. These dull,  
careless professed Christians are not destitute of ambi-
tion and zeal when engaged in worldly business; but  
things of eternal importance do not move them deeply.  
The voice of God through his messengers may be a  
pleasant song; but its sacred warnings, reproofs, and en- 
couragements are all unheeded. The spirit of the world 
has paralyzed them. The truths of God's word are spoken  
to leaden ears and hard, unimpressible hearts. There  
should be wide-awake, active churches to encourage and  
uphold the ministers of Christ, and to aid them in the 
work of saving souls. Where the church is walking in  
th 
e light, there will ever be cheerful, hearty responses  
and words of joyful praise.  
Our God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth,  

PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.  75  
declares: "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me." All  
Heaven unite in praising God. Let us learn the song 
of the angels now, that we may sing it when we join 
their shining ranks. Let us say with the psalmist,  
" While I live, will I praise the Lord; I will sing praises  
unt 
o my God while I have any being." " Let the people  
praise thee, 0 God; let all the people  praise thee."  
PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.  
PABENTS are in a great degree responsible for the  
mold given to the characters of their children. They  
should aim at symmetry and proportion. There are few  
well-balanced minds, because parents are wickedly neg-
ligent of their duty to stimulate weak traits and re- 
press wrong ones. They do not remember that they are  
under the most solemn obligation to watch the tenden-
cies of each child; that it is their duty to train their  
children to right habits and right ways of thinking.  
Sometimes parents wait for the Lord to do the very  
work that he has given them to do. Instead of restraining  
and controlling their children as they should, they pet  
and indulge them, and gratify their whims and desires.  
When these children go out from their early homes, it 
i 
s with characters deformed by selfishness, with ungov- 
erned appetites, with strong self-will; they are destitute  
of courtesy or respect for their parents, and do not  
love religious truth or the worship of God. They have  
grown up with traits that are a life-long curse to them- 
selves and to others. Home is made anything but 
happy if the evil weeds of dissension, selfishness, envy,  
passion 
, and sullen stubbornness are left to flourish in  
the neglected garden of the soul.  
Parents should show no partiality, but should treat  
all their children with tenderness, remembering that  
they are the purchase of Christ's blood. Children im-
itate their parents; hence great care should be taken to  
give them correct models. Parents who are kind and


76  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
polite at home, while at the same time they are firm and  
decided, will see the same traits manifested in their chil-
dren. If they are upright, honest, and honorable, their  
children will be quite likely to resemble them in these  
particulars. If they reverence and worship God, their 
children, trained in the same way, will not forget to  
serv 
e him also.  
It is often the case that parents are not careful to  
surround their children with right influences. In choos- 
ing a home, they think more of their worldly interests 
than of the moral and social atmosphere; and the chil- 
dren form associations that are unfavorable to the de-
velopment of piety and the formation of right charac- 
ters. Then parents allow the world to engross their time,  
strength, and thought; and when the Sabbath comes, it 
finds them so utterly exhausted that they have naught to  
rende 
r to God on his holy day, no sweet piety to grace the  
home, and make the Sabbath a delight to their children.  
They are seldom visited by a minister, for they have  
placed themselves out of the reach of religious privi-
leges. An apathy steals over the soul. The children 
are contaminated by evil communications, and the tender-
ness of soul that they once felt dies away and is forgotten.  
Parents who denounce the Canaanites for offering their  
children to Moloch, what are you doing1? You are mak-
ing a most costly offering to your mammon god; and  
then, when your children grow up unloved and unlovely 
in character, when they show decided impiety and 
a tendency to infidelity, you blame the faith you profess 
because it was unable to save them. You are reaping that  
which you have sowm,—the result of your selfish love of 
the world and neglect of the means of grace. You  
moved your families into places of temptation, and the 
ark of God, your glory and defense, you did not con-
sider essential; and the Lord has not worked a miracle 
to deliver your children from temptation.  
You who profess to love God, take Jesus with you  
wherever you go; and, like the patriarchs of old, erect  
an altar to the Lord wherever you pitch your tent. A  
reformation in this respect is needed,—a reformation  

PARENTAL  RESPONSIBILITY.  77  
that shall be deep and broad. Parents need to reform ; 
ministers need to reform. They need God in their 
households 
. They need to build the waste places of  
Zion; to set up her gates, and make strong her walls 
for a defense of the people.  
There is earnest work to be clone in this age, and par- 
ents should educate their children to share in it. The  
words of Mordecai to Esther may apply to the men and 
youth of to-day: " Who knoweth whether thou art come 
to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Young men  
should be gaining solidity of character, that they may  
be fitted for usefulness. Daniel and Joseph were youth 
of firm principle, whom God could use to carry out his 
purposes. Mark their history, and see how God wrought 
for them. Joseph met with a variety of experiences,  
—experiences that tested his courage and uprightness 
to the fullest extent. After being sold into Egypt, h«  
was at first favored, and intrusted with great responsi-
bilities; but suddenly, without any fault 011 his part, he  
wa 
s unjustly accused and cast into prison. But he is  
not discouraged. He trusts in God; and the purpose of 
his heart, the purity of his motive, is made manifest.  
The eye of God is upon him, a divine hand leads him,  
and soon we see him come forth from prison to share  
the throne of Egypt.  
Joseph's checkered life was not an accident; it was or- 
dered of Providence. But how was he enabled to make  
such a record of firmness of character, uprightness, and 
wisdom? It was the result of careful training in his 
early years. He had consulted duty rather than incli- 
nation; and the purity and simple trust of the boy bore 
fruit in the deeds of the man. The most brilliant tal- 
ents are of no value unless they are improved; indus-
trious habits and force of character must be gained by  
cultivation. A high moral character and fine mental 
qualities are not the result of accident. God gives op- 
portunities; success depends upon the use made of them. 
The openings of Providence must be quickly discerned 
and eagerly seized upon.  
Young men, if you would be strong, if you would


78  TESTIMONY FOB THE CHURCH.  
have the integrity and wisdom of a Joseph or a Daniel,  
study the Scriptures. Parents, if you would educate 
your children to serve God and do good in the world,  
make the Bible your text-book. It exposes the wiles of  
Satan. It is the great elevator of the race, the reprover 
and corrector of moral evils, the detector which enables 
us to distinguish between the true and the false. What- 
ever else is taught in the home or at school, the Bible,  
as the great educator, should stand first. If it is given  
this place, God is honored, and he will work for you in  
the conversion of your children. There is a rich mine 
of truth and beauty in this holy book, and parents have  
themselves to blame if they do not make it intensely in- 
teresting to their children.  
T 
o many, education means a knowledge of books; but  
" the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The  
true object of education is to restore the image of God  
in the soul. The first and most precious knowledge is  
the knowledge of Christ; and wise parents will keep this  
fact ever before the minds of(their children. Should a  
limb be broken or fractured, parents will try every  
means that love or wisdom can suggest to restore the 
affected member to comeliness and soundness. This is  
right, it is their duty; but the Lord requires that still  
greater tact, patience, and persevering effort be employed  
to remedy blemishes of the soul. That father is un- 
worthy of the name who is not to his children a Chris- 
tian teacher, ruler, and friend, binding them to his heart  
by the strong ties of sanctified love,—a love which has  
its foundation in duty faithfully performed.  
Parents have a great and responsible work to do, and  
they may well inquire, "Who is sufficient for these  
things ?" But God has promised to give wisdom to those 
that ask in faith, and he will do just as he said he  
would. He is pleased with the faith that takes him at  
his word. The mother of Augustine prayed for her son's  
conversion. She saw no evidence that the Spirit of God  
was impressing his heart, but she was not discouraged.  
She laid her finger upon the texts, presenting before God 
his own words, and pleaded as only a mother can. Her  

THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN.  79  
deep humiliation, her earnest importunities, her unwa-
vering faith, prevailed, and the Lord gave her the de-
sire of her heart. To-day he is just as ready to listen 
to the petitions of his people. " His hand is not short- 
ened that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it  
cannot hear;" and if Christian parents seek him ear-
nestly, he will fill their mouths with arguments, and, 
for his name's sake, will work mightily in their behalf 
in the conversion of their children.  
THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN.  
DEAR BRO. AND SISTER G: I am troubled in reference  
to your case. I see dangers that you seem never  
to have realized. Have you thoughtfully and prayer- 
fully considered your duty to the children you have 
take 
n the responsibility of bringing into the world?  
Have you thought whether these children are receiving  
from you an education and discipline that will lead them  
to honor their Creator in the days of their youth? 
Have  you considered that if you fail to teach them to  
respect you, their father and mother, and to yield to 
your authority, you are educating them to dishonor God?  
Every time you allow them to trample on your authority,  
and their will to control yours, you are fostering a de-
fect which will be carried with them into all their ex-
perience should they become religiously inclined, and  
will teach them to disregard and trample upon divine 
authority.  
The question to be settled by you is, "Am I raising  
a family of children to strengthen the influence and  
swell the ranks of the powers of darkness, or am I bring-
ing up children for Christ ?" If you do not govern your 
children, and mold their characters to meet the require- 
ments of God, then the fewer children there are to suf-
fer from your defective training, the better it will be for 
you, their parents, and the better it will be for society.  
Unless children can be trained and disciplined from their


80  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
babyhood by a wise and judicious mother, who is con-
scientious and intelligent, and who rules her household in 
the fear of the Lord, molding and shaping their char-
acters to meet the standard of righteousness, it is a sin 
to increase your family. God has given you reason, and 
he requires you to use it.  
You should feel under obligation, by patient, pains- 
taking effort and by earnest, fervent prayer, to so form the  
characters of your children as to make them a blessing  
in the home, a blessing in the church, and a blessing in  
society 
. You will receive no credit for your work if you  
allow your children to be controlled by the enemy of all  
righteousness; the reward is promised for conscientiously 
forming their characters after the divine Pattern. If  
you neglect this work, which is so far-reaching in its re- 
sults 
, because for the present it is more agreeable for you  
to do so, and your children grow up morally deformed,  
their feet in the broad road to death, can God pronounce 
your work well done? Those who cannot inform them-
selves, and work intelligently with all their powers to  
bring their children to Jesus, should decide not to take 
upon themselves the responsibility of becoming parents.  
Mothers must be willing and even anxious to qualify  
themselves for their important work of developing the 
characters of their children, guiding, instructing, and 
restraining their tender charge. Fathers and mothers  
should be united in this work. Weakness in requiring  
obedience, and false love and sympathy,—the false notion  
that to indulge and not to restrain is wisdom,—constitute 
a system of training that grieves angels; but it delights  
Satan, for it brings hundreds and thousands of children  
into his ranks. This is why he blinds the eyes of parents,  
benumbs their sensibilities, and confuses their minds.  
They see that their sons and daughters are not pleasant, 
lovely, obedient, and care-taking; yet children accumu-
late in their homes, to poison their lives, fill their hearts  
with grief, and add to the number whom Satan is using to 
allure souls to destruction.  
Oh! when will parents be wise? When will they see  
and realize the character of their work in neglecting to  

THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN.  81  
require obedience and respect according to the instruc- 
tions of God's word 1 The results of this lax training 
are seen in the children as they go out into the world, 
and take their place at the head of families of their own. 
The 
y perpetuate the mistakes of their parents. Their  
defective traits have full scope; and they transmit to 
others the wrong tastes, habits, and tempers that were per- 
mitted to develop in their own characters. Thus they 
become a curse instead of a blessing to society.  
Because men and women do not obey God, but choose  
their own way and follow their own perverted imagina-
tion, Satan is permitted to set up his hellish banner in  
their families, and make his power felt through babes, 
children, and youth. His voice and will are expressed 
in the unsubdued wills and warped characters of the 
children, and through them he exerts a controlling power 
and carries out his plans. God is dishonored by the ex-
hibition of perverse tempers, which exclude reverence 
for him, and induce obedience to Satan's suggestions. 
The sin committed by parents in thus permitting Satan 
to bear sway is beyond conception. They are sowing  
seed which will produce briers and thorns, and choke out 
every plant of heavenly growth; and the harvest that  
will be gathered, the Judgment alone will reveal. But  
how sad is the thought that when life and its mis-
takes are viewed in the light of eternity, it will be too 
lat 
e for this aftersight to be of any avail.  
The utter neglect of training children for God has  
perpetuated evil, and thrown into the ranks of the enemy  
many who with judicious care might have been co-labor-
ers with Christ. False ideas and a foolish, misdirected 
affection have nurtured traits which have made the 
children unlovely and unhappy, have embittered the lives 
of the parents, and have extended their baleful influence 
from generation to generation. Any child that is per- 
mitted to have his own way will dishonor God and bring  
his father and mother to shame. Light has been shining  
from the word of God and the testimonies of his Spirit,  
so that none need err in regard to their duty. God re- 
quires parents to bring up their children to know him  
6


80  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
and to respect his claims; they are to train their little  
ones, as the younger members of the Lord's family, 
to have beautiful characters and lovely tempers, that  
they may be fitted to shine in the heavenly courts. By  
neglecting their duty and indulging their children in  
wrong, parents close to them the gates of the city of  
God.  
These facts must be pressed home upon parents; they  
must arouse, and take up their long-neglected work.  
Parents who profess to love God are not doing his will.  
Becaus 
e they do not properly restrain and direct their  
children, thousands are coming up with deformed char- 
acters, with lax morals, ancl with little education in the  
practica 
l duties of life. They are left to do as they  
please with their impulses, their time, ancl their mental 
powers. The loss to the cause of God in these neglected 
talents lies at the door of fathers and mothers; ancl what  
excuse will they render to Him whose stewards they are, 
intrusted with the sacred duty of fitting the souls under  
their charge to improve all their powers to the glory of 
their Creator?  
My dear brother and sister, may the Lord open your  
eyes and quicken your minds, that you may see and re- 
deem your failures. You are neither of you living with 
an eye single to the glory of God. You show but little  
power to stand up for Jesus and in defense of the faith 
once delivered to the saints. You have neglected your  
duty in the family, and have proved that youth intrusted  
to your care are not safe. Thus God looks upon your  
work in the home; thus it stands registered in the books  
of Heaven. You might have brought many to Jesus; 
but your want of moral courage has made you unfaithful 
in every position.  
The errors in your lax system of family government  
are revealed in the characters of your children. You  
have not educated yourselves to follow the instructions  
given in the word of God. The evils resulting from your  
failures in duty are becoming serious and deep. Sister 
G does not have the right influence. She has yielded to 
the strong wills of her wrong-minded children, and has  

THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN.  
82  
indulged them to their hurt. Both of you should have 
taught your children from their very babyhood that they 
could not control you, but that your will was to be 
obeyed. Had Sister G received the proper training in 
her childhood, had she been disciplined ancl educated ac-
cording to the word of God, she would have a different  
mold of character herself, and would better understand 
the duties that devolve upon her. She would know how 
t 
o train her children so as to make their ways pleasing  
to God. But the defects that have resulted from her  
own wrong training are reproduced in her children; and  
what will be the nature of their work, should they ever 
stand at the head of families of their own? The oldest 
may have some knowledge of domestic duties, but further 
than this, she is a mere novice.  
With wise, firm government, these children might have  
been useful members of society; as it is, they are a curse, 
a reproach to our faith. They are vain, frivolous, will- 
ful 
, extravagant. They have but little reverence for  
their parents, ancl their consciences are far from sensitive.  
They have had their own way, ancl their wishes have  
governed their parents, until it is almost impossible to 
arouse their moral sensibilities. The natural tendencies  
of the parents, particularly those that are objectionable, 
are strongly developed in the children. The whole 
family, parents and children, are under divine censure; 
and none of them can hope to enter the peaceful abodes 
of bliss unless they will take up their long-neglected  
duties, and, in the spirit of Christ, build up characters  
that God can approve.  
Parents are responsible for the work coming from their  
hands. They should have wisdom and firmness to do 
their work faithfully and in the right spirit. They are 
to train their children for usefulness by developing their 
Go 
d -given talents. A failure to do this should not be  
winked at, but should be made a matter of church disci-
pline; for it will bring the curse of God on the parents, 
and a reproach and grievous trials and difficulties on the 
church. A moral leprosy that is contagious, polluting 
the bodies and souls of the youth, often results from a


84  TESTIMONY FOE THE CHURCH.  
failure to discipline and restrain the young; and it is  
time that something was done to check its ravages.  
The Bible gives explicit directions concerning the im- 
portant work of educating children: "Hear, O Israel:  
The Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the  
Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul,  
and with all thy might. And these words, which I com- 
mand thee this day, shall be in thine heart." The parents  
are themselves to be connected with God; they are to  
have his fear before them, and to have a knowledge of  
hi 
s will. Then comes their work: "And thou shalt  
teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk  
of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when  
thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and  
when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a  
sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets be-
tween thine eyes. Ancl thou shalt write them upon the  
posts of thy house, ancl on thy gates."  
The Lord commanded Israel not to make marriages  
with the idolatrous nations around them. " Thy daugh-
te 
r thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter  
shal 
t thou take unto thy son. For they will turn  
away thy son from following me, that they may serve 
othe 
r gods; so will the anger of the Lord be kindled  
against you, and destroy thee suddenly." "For thou art  
a holy people unto the Lord thy God; the Lord thy God 
hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself,  
above all people that are upon the face of the earth.  
The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you,  
because ye were more in number than any people, for ye  
were the fewest of all people; but because the Lord 
loved you, ancl because he would keep the oath which he  
hacl sworn unto your fathers."  
Here are positive directions that reach down to our  
time. Gocl is speaking to us in these last days, and he  
will be understood ancl obeyed. God spoke to Israel 
through his servants: "This-book of the law shall not de- 
part out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein  
clay and night, that thou mayst observe to do according  
to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make  

THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN.  85  
thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good suc-
cess." "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the 
soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the  
simple." "The entrance of thy words giveth light: it  
giveth understanding unto the simple." " Thy word is  
a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."  
Her 
e the duties of parents are clearly set forth. The  
word of God is to be their daily monitor. It gives such  
instruction that parents need not err in regard to the 
education of their children; but it admits of no indiffer-
ence or negligence. The law of God is to be kept before 
the minds of the children as the great moral standard.  
When they rise up, ancl when they sit down, when they 
go out, and when they come in, this law is to be taught 
them as the great rule of life, and its principles are to  
be interwoven with all their experience. They are to be 
taught to be honest, truthful, temperate, economical, and 
industrious, and to love God with the whole heart.  
This is bringing them up in the nurture and admonition 
of the Lord. This is setting their feet in the path of 
duty and safety.  
Youth are ignorant and inexperienced, and the love of  
the Bible and its sacred truths will not come naturally.  
Unless great pains is taken to builcl up around them 
barriers to shield them from Satan's devices, they are  
subjec 
t to his temptations, and are led captive by him at  
his will. In their early years, children are to be taught  
the claims of God's law, and faith in Jesus our Bedeemer  
to cleanse from the stains of sin. This faith must be  
taught day by clay, by precept and example.  
A solemn responsibility rests upon parents, and how  
can the Lord bless them in the positive neglect of their 
duty? Children can be molded when they are young.  
But years pass when their hearts are tender and  
susceptible to the impressions of truth, and but lit-
tle time is devoted to their moral culture. The pre- 
cious lessons of truth and duty should be instilled into 
their hearts daily. They should have a knowledge of 
God in his created works; this will be of greater value  
to them than any knowledge of books.


86  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word  
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," are the words 
of our Saviour. Errors in doctrine are multiplying,  
and twining themselves with serpent-like subtlety around 
the affections of the people. There is not a doctrine of  
the Bible that has not been denied. The great truths of  
prophecy, showing our position in the history of the 
world, have been shorn of their beauty and power by the 
clergy, who seek to make these all-important truths dark 
and incomprehensible. In many cases the children are 
drifting away from the old landmarks. The Lord com- 
manded his people Israel: "When thy sonasketh thee in  
time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the  
statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God  
hath commanded you? then thou shalt say unto thy son,  
We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord 
brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; and the  
Lord showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon  
Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before  
our eyes; and he brought us out from thence, that he 
might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto  
our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these  
"statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always,  
that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. 
And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do  
all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he  
hath commanded us."  
Here are principles that we are not to regard with  
indifference. Those who have seen the truth aud felt its 
importance, and have had an experience in the things of  
God, are to teach sound doctrine to their children.  
They should make them acquainted with the great pillars 
o 
f our faith, the reasons why we are Seventh-day Ad- 
ventists,—why we are called, as were the children of  
Israel, to be a peculiar people, a holy nation, separate  
and distinct from all other people on the face of the  
earth. These things should be explained to the children 
in simple language, easy to be understood; and as they  
grow in years, the lessons imparted should be suited to  
their increasing capacity, until the foundations of truth 
have been laid broad and deep. v  

CHRISTIAN FORBEARANCE.  87  
Parents, you profess to be children of God; are you  
obedient children] Are you doing the will of your  
heavenly Father? Are you following his directions, or  
are you walking in the light of sparks of your own kin- 
dling? Are you daily working to outgeneral the enemy,  
and save your children from his devices? Are you open- 
in 
g to them the precious truths of the word of God, ex- 
plainin 
g to them the reasons of our faith, that their young  
feet may be planted on the platform of truth ?  
The Bible with its precious gems of truth was not  
written for the scholar alone. On the contrary, it was  
designed for the common people; and the interpretation 
given by the common people, when aided by the Holy  
Spirit, accords best with the truth as it is in Jesus. The 
great truths necessary for salvation are made clear as 
the noon-day; and none will mistake and lose their way  
except those who follow their own judgment instead of 
the plainly revealed will of God.  
CHRISTIAN FORBEARANCE.  
DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER II: In regard to your pres- 
ent relations with the church, I would advise that you 
do all that can be done on your part to come into har- 
mony with your brethren. Cultivate a kind, concilia-
tory  spirit, and let no feeling of retaliation come into  
your minds and hearts. We have but a little time in  
this world, and let us work for time and for eternity.  
Be diligent to make your calling and election sure. See  
that you make no mistake in regard to your title to a 
home in Christ's kingdom. If your name is registered  
in the Lamb's book of life, then all will be well with  
you. Be ready and anxious to confess your faults and  
forsake them, that your mistakes and sins may go before- 
hand to judgment, and be blotted out.  
I believe that you are making improvement; but let  
the work be deeper, more thorough, more earnest.  
Leave nothing undone that you can do. Walk humbly


88  TESTIMONY FOB THE CHUBCH.  
with God, set your heart in order, overcome self, and 
watch to avoid every device of Satan. When the heart 
is in harmony with Jesus, when in words, in spirit,  
and in deportment, you copy the Pattern, the manners  
will be refined and elevated, convincing all that there 
has been in you a radical change. You will then be 
numbered among the virtuous, God-fearing followers of  
Jesus.  
My brother, you have a very spotted record. God  
and your own soul know this. But no one will be more  
rejoiced than myself to see you setting your feet in the 
way that Christ has walked, and to meet you in the 
kingdo 
m of God. It is difficult for us to understand  
ourselves, to have a correct knowledge of our own char- 
acters. The word of God is plain; but often there is 
an error in applying it to one's self. There is liability  
to self-deception, and to think its warnings and reproofs  
do not mean me. "The heart is deceitful above all things, 
and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Self-flattery 
may be construed into Christian emotion and zeal. Self- 
love and confidence may give us assurance that we are 
right, when we are far from meeting the requirements of  
God's word.  
The Bible is full, clear, and explicit; the character of  
the true disciple of Christ is marked out with exactness.  
We must search the Scriptures with humble hearts,  
trembling at the word of the Lord, if we would not be 
in any way deceived in regard to our true character.  
There must be persevering effort to overcome selfishness 
and self-confidence. Self-examination must be thorough,  
that there be no danger of self-deception. A little cate- 
chising of self on special occasions is not sufficient. 
Daily examine the foundation of vour hope, and see  
whether you are indeed in the love of Christ. Deal  
truly with your own hearts; for you cannot afford to 
run any risk here. Count the cost of being a whole- 
hearted Christian, and then gird on the armor. Study  
the Pattern; look to Jesus, and be like him. Your peace  
of mind, your hope of eternal salvation, depends on  
faithfulness in this work. As Christians, we are less  

CHBISTIAN FOBBEABANCE.  89  
thorough in self-examination than in anything else; it is  
no wonder, then, that we make such slow advancement 
in understanding self.  
I am writing these things to you because I want you  
to be saved. I do not want to discourage you, but to  
urge you to more earnest, vigorous effort. Self-love 
will prompt you to make a superficial work of self-exam-
ination; but let no vain confidence cheat you out of 
eternal life. Do not build yourself up on the mistakes 
an 
d errors of others, but between God and your own  
soul settle the important question upon which hangs  
your eternal destiny. .  
"Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the  
Lord looketh on the heart,"—the human heart, with its  
conflicting emotions of joy and sorrow,—the wandering,  
wayward heart, which is the abode of so much impurity  
and deceit. He knows its motives, its very intents and 
purposes 
. Go to him with your soul all stained as it  is.  
Like the psalmist, throw its chambers open to the all- 
seeing Eye, exclaiming, "Search me, 0 God, and know  
my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if 
there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way 
everlasting." Submit your heart to be refined and puri- 
fied; then you will become a partaker of the divine  
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the  
world through lust. Then you will "be ready always to 
give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of  
the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." The  
peace of Christ will be yours. Your name will stand 
registered in the book of life; your title to the heavenly  
inheritance will bear the royal signet, which none on earth  
dare question. No one can bar your way to the portals  
of the city of God, but you will have free access to the  
royal presence, and to the temple of God on high.  
A few words more press upon my mind. I want  
you to be united with the church, not because I regard  
all the church members perfect, nor because I regard  
you perfect. God has precious ones in his church;  
there are also men and women who are as tares among 
the wheat. But the Lord does not give you or any one


90  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
else the office of saying who are tares and who are wdieat.  
We may see and condemn the faults of others, while we  
have greater faults which we have never realized, but 
which are distinctly seen by others. God requires you 
to give to the world and the church a good example, a  
life that represents Jesus. There are duties to be per- 
formed and responsibilities to be borne. The world has  
not enough true Christians; the church has need of 
them; society cannot spare them. Christ's prayer for  
his disciples was, " I pray not that thou shouldst take 
them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep 
them from the evil." Jesus knows we are in the world,  
exposed to its temptations; but he loves us, and will 
give us grace to triumph over its corrupting influences.  
He would have us perfect in character, that our way- 
wardness may not occasion moral deformity in others.  
You see that your brethren do not come up to the  
Bible standard, that there are defects in them; and you  
dwell upon these defects. You feed upon them instead  
of feeding upon Christ; and by beholding, you become  
changed into the same image. But criticise no one; do  
not contrast your own exact course with the deficiencies 
of others. You may be in danger of wanting to correct 
others, and make them feel their wrongs. Do not do 
this. This is not the work God lias given you to do.  
He has not made you a church-tinker. There are many  
things which you view in the light of the Bible. But 
though you may be in the right on some points, do not 
get the impression that your positions are always correct;  
for on many points your ideas are distorted, and will  
not bear criticism.  
Do not seek to exalt self, but learn in the school of  
Christ meekness and lowliness of heart. You know  
wha 
t Peter's character was, how strikingly his pe- 
culia 
r traits were developed. Before his great fall  
h 
e was always forward  and dictatorial, speaking un- 
advisedly from the impulse of the moment. He was 
always ready to correct others, and to express his mind,  
before he had a clear comprehension of himself or of  
what he had to say. But Peter was converted, and the  

CHRISTIAN FORBEARANCE.  91  
converted Peter was very different from the rash, impet-
uous Peter. While he retained his former fervor, the  
grace of Christ regulated his zeal. Instead of being  
impetuous, self-confident, and self-exalted, he was calm, 
self-possessed, and teachable. He could then feed the 
lambs as well as the sheep of Christ's flock.  
You, my brother, have a great work to do for your- 
self day by day. You must make constant effort to 
curb bad tempers and evil propensities. These have  
grown with your growth, and Jesus alone can strengthen  
you to fully overcome them. You should regard yourself 
as a servant of Christ, and seek to be like him in charac- 
ter. Try to make yourself agreeable to others. Even  
in your business relations, be courteous, kind, and for-
bearing, showing the meekness of Jesus, and that his 
spirit is ruling you. You are related to humanity, 
and you must be patient, kind, and pitiful. You need 
to cherish thoughtfulness and subdue selfishness. Let 
your inquiry be, " What can I do to bless others?" If 
your heart is yearning to do them good, even at incon- 
venience to yourself, you will have the blessing of God.  
Love, lifted out of the realm of passion and impulse, be- 
comes spiritualized, and is revealed in words and acts.  
A Christian must have a sanctified tenderness and love,  
in which there is no impatience or fretfulness; the rude,  
harsh manners must be softened by the grace of Christ.  
0 my brother, my sister, educate yourselves in the  
school of Christ. Let the spirit of controversy cease, at 
home and in the church. Let your hearts be drawn out 
in love for the people of God Hearts that are filled  
with the love of Christ can never get very far apart. 
Religion is love; and a Christian home is one where love 
reigns, and finds expression in words and acts of thought-
ful kindness and gentle courtesy Let no harsh words 
he spoken. Let the family worship be made pleasant 
and interesting. Be a Christian gentleman, my brother;  
for the very same principles that characterize the home  
life will be carried into the church. A lack of courtesy, 
a moment of petulance, a single rough, thoughtless word,  
will mar your reputation, and may close  the door to hearts  
so that you can never reach them.


92  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Now X have set before you your clangers, and I tell  
you there are precious victories that you may gain. We  
can never see the kingdom of Heaven unless we have the 
min 
d and spirit of Christ. Then copy the Pattern at  
home, at your work, and in the church. Do not try to  
teach others nor to see how widely you can differ from  
your brethren; but try to see how near you can come to  
them, how fully you can be in harmony with them. 
While doing all that you can on your part to perfect  
Christian character, give your heart to God, for him to 
mold according to his pleasure. He will help you; I 
know he will. May God bless you and your dear chil-
dren; and may I meet you all around the great white  
throne, is my prayer.  
WORLDLY AMBITION.  
MY DEAR BRO. I: Since meeting you at the Maine  
camp-meeting, I have felt that it was not too late for 
you to set your heart and house in order. I know that 
you have been impressed by the Spirit of God: and now  
the question is, Will you, in response to this invitation 
to repent, gladly suiTender your heart to God? Your  
case has been presented to me in vision; but while you 
were so completely under  the control of the enemy of  
souls, I had 110 courage to send you the message given 
me of the Lord. I feared that you would make light of  
it, and that the Holy Spirit would be grieved away for 
the last time. But now I feel urged to send you this  
testimony 
, which will prove to you a savor of life unto  
life or of death unto death.  
Do not read this if you are decided to choose dark- 
ness rather than light, to serve mammon rather than  
Christ. But if you really want to do the will of God,  
and are willing to be saved in his own appointed way, 
then read the testimony; but do not read it to cavil, nor  
to pervert, ridicule, and despise it; for in that case it 
will be to you a savor of death unto death, and will wit- 
ness against you in the Judgment. Before reading  

WORLDLY AMBITION.  93  
this warning message, go alone before God, and ask  
him to remove from you the spirit of defiance, rebellion,  
an 
d unbelief, and to melt and subdue your stony heart.  
• We do not understand the greatness and majesty of  
God, nor remember the immeasurable distance between 
the Creator and the creatures formed by his hand. He  
who sitteth in the heavens, swaying the scepter of the  
universe, does not judge according to our finite stand- 
ard, nor reckon according to our computation. WTe are  
in error if we think that that which is great to us must  
be great to God, and that which is small to us must be 
smal 
l to him. He would be no more exalted than our- 
selves if he possessed only the same faculties.  
God does not regard all sins as of equal magnitude;  
there are degrees of guilt in his estimation as well as  
in that of finite man. But however trifling this or that  
wrong in their course may seem in the eyes of men, no  
sin is small in the sight of God. The sins which man is 
disposed to look upon as small may be the very ones 
whic 
h God accounts as great crimes. The drunkard is  
despised, and is told that his sin will exclude him from  
Heaven, while pride, selfishness, and covetousness go un- 
rebuked. But these are sins that are especially offen- 
siv 
e to God. He " resisteth the proud;" and Paul tells  
us that covetousness is idolatry. Those who are famil- 
iar with the denunciations against idolatry in the word  
of God, will at once see how grave an offense this sin is.  
God speaks through his prophet: "Let the wicked for- 
sake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;  
and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have  
mercy upon him;  and to our God, for he will abun- 
dantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts,  
neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as  
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways 
higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your 
thoughts." We need clear discernment, that we may  
measure sin by the Lord's standard, and not by our own.  
Let us take for our rule, not human opinions, but the  
divine word.  
We are on the great battle field of life, and let it


94  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
never be forgotten that we are individually responsible  
for the issue of the struggle; that though Noah, Job,  
and. Daniel were in the land, yet should they deliver  
neithe 
r son or daughter by their righteousness. You,  
my brother, have not thought of this. But you have  
justified your own course because you thought that your  
brethren did not do right. Sometimes you have acted 
like a petted, spoiled child, and have talked unbelief and  
doubt to spite others; but will it pay? Is there any- 
thing in your family, in the church, or in the world to  
justify your indifference to the claims of God? Will  
any of your excuses avail when you stand face to face  
with the Judge of all the earth ? How foolish and sin- 
ful will your selfish, avaricious course then appear.  
How unaccountable it will seem to you that you could  
let worldly opinions and worldly gain eclipse the re- 
ward to be given to the faithful,—an eternity of bliss  
in the Paradise of God.  
When you were in great physical suffering, and there  
was no hope for you in human skill, the Lord pitied you,  
and mercifully removed disease from you. Satan has 
sought to afflict and ruin you, and even to take your 
life; but your Saviour has shielded you again and again, 
lest you should be cut down when your heart was filled  
with a Satanic frenzy, your tongue uttering words of  
bitterness and unbelief against the Bible and against the  
truth you once advocated. When Satan has clamored  
for you, claiming you as his own, Christ has repulsed your  
cruel and malignant foe with the words: "I have not 
yet withdrawn my Spirit from him. He has two more 
steps to take before he "will pass the boundary of my  
mercy and love. Souls are the purchase of my blood. 
The Lord rebuke thee, 0 Satan; the Lord rebuke thee."  
I was then carried back in your  life, and you were  
show 
n to me when the truth found a response in your  
heart. The Spirit of God convicted you of the course 
you should pursue, and you had quite a struggle with  
self. You had been a sharp, scheming man. You had 
not done by others as you would wish them to do by 
you, but had taken advantage of them whenever you  

WORLDLY AMBITION.  95  
could. You had a close, stern battle to fight to subdue 
self and mortify pride; and it was only through the  
grace of God that this work could be accomplished. In-
stead of effecting a thorough reformation, you joined the  
truth to a patched-up character, which would not stand 
the test of temptation. You did not begin by seeking 
God with a broken and contrite heart, and making  
Wrongs right. Had you done this, you would not have 
stumbled, and fallen into the snare of the enemy. There  
was a mixture of selfishness in your motives, which 
you yourself did not clearly see. Arguments drawn  
from worldly interest, social position, and comparative 
respectability, influenced you, and decided you not to  
make earnest, thorough work before God and men.  
Reaching after the worldly standard marred the sin-
cerity and purity of your Christian character; and you  
failed to bring forth fruits meet for repentance.  
Zacchaeus declared, " If I have taken anything from  
any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold."  
You could at least have made efforts to coi'rect your acts 
of injustice to your fellowr-men. You cannot make every  
case right; for some whom you have injured have gone  
into their graves, and the account stands registered  
against you. In these cases the best you can do is to 
bring a trespass offering to the altar of the Lord, and he 
will accept and pardon you. But where you can, you  
should make reparation to the wronged ones.  
Had the unbelievers with whom you have associated  
seen in you the transforming power of the truth, they  
would have had an argument in favor of Christianity 
which they could not controvert. You might thus have 
reflected a clear, sharp light to the world; but instead  
of this you have mingled with the world, and imbibed its  
spirit. My brother, you must be born again. A mere  
form of Christianity is not of the least value. It is desti- 
tute of saving power, having in it no reformative energy. 
A religion which is confined to Sabbath worship emits 
no rays of light to others. I entreat you to examine 
your own heart closely. You have a combative, conten- 
tious spirit, and you are cultivating instead of repressing


96  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
that spirit. You should make a decided change, and  
cultivate meekness, faith, humility, and love. Your  
soul is in peril; you will surely be subject to the strong 
delusions of Satan, unless you stop where you are, and  
press against the current of worldliness and ambition.  
Your relations with the world must be changed, and a 
decided separation must take place. The positions 
which you occupy, which are continually opening to you  
doors of temptation, must be given up. Avoid politics; 
shun contention. Keep clear of every office which would 
encourage those traits in your character that need to 
be battled down and overcome.  
My brother, you must make a strong, decided effort,  
or you will never be able to cast off the works of dark- 
ness. Satan looks upon you as his own. When you 
listen to the testimonies of God's servants, as at the late  
camp-meeting, you are deeply convicted. But you do 
not respond to the impressions of the Spirit of God, and  
a 
s you mingle with worldlings, you drink in their spirit,  
and are borne down by the worldly current, having no  
moral power to resist its influence. You become one 
with the world-loving, and your spirit is worse than  
theirs, for your choice is voluntary. You love the praise  
of men, and you love worldly possessions above Jesus. 
The love of mammon has been woven into every fiber of 
your being, and has become all-absorbing. To eradicate 
it will be like plucking out the right eye or cutting off 
the right arm. But I speak to you as one who knows:  
unless you overcome this intense love of money, it will  
cost you your soul's salvation, and then it would have 
been better for you, had you never been born.  
"Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Just as far as  
you love and cherish the spirit of the world, you will  
have a spirit of defiance, and will question and find  
fault with those who bring you the message of truth. 
You will deride the truth, and will become a false wit-
ness, an accuser of the brethren. The talents given you  
of God to be improved to his glory, will be actively em-
ployed against his work and cause. There is no concord 
betwee 
n Christ and Belial. You have already chosen  

LOVE AMONG BRETHREN.  97  
the friendship of the world; therefore you are decid-
edly on the side of Satan. The natural heart is at en- 
mity against God, and will resist the clearest evidence  
of truth. The wicked will not endure the light that con-
demns their wrong course of action.  
You have opened your heart to doubt and skepticism;  
but you will never be able to be an honest infidel. You 
may boast that you do not believe the Bible; but you  
wil 
l be perjuring yourself all the time, for you know  
better 
.  
I entreat you to make earnest work for eternal life.  
Break the snare of Satan; work against his devices. Let  
this be the language of your soul: " There is nothing in 
the universe that I fear so much as that I shall not  
know all my duty, or that, knowing, I shall fail to do it."  
"Stand up for Jesus" were the words of a dying saint.  
Yes, Bro. I, stand up for Jesus. It will take all to do  
this. You may have to change your position in the  
world; but a name, distinction, office, are to you a snare, 
imperiling your soul. A calculating, worldly wisdom is 
continually seeking to turn you away from the Saviour.  
A 
 bold, defiant, blasphemous infidelity will attempt to  
crush his gospel, not only out of your own soul, but out 
of the world. But stand up for Jesus. In the presence  
of your relatives and friends, in all your business rela- 
tions, in your associations with the world,—anywhere 
and everywhere, under all circumstances, stand up for 
J esus.  
LOVE AMONG BRETHREN.  
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS IN : My mind has  
been exceedingly troubled in regard to your condi- 
tion 
. I have not been able to sleep, and I arise at  
twelve o'clock to write to J, and to you as a church.  
I do not know what might have been the condition of  
J at the present time had you pursued a righteous, 
Christian course toward him,—such a course as every 
child of God should pursue in such a case. Some of you  
7


98  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
will not be able to comprehend my words; for your own  
course bas placed you where you have not sanctified dis- 
cernment 
. You have allowed strong, hard feelings  
ao-ainst him to come into your hearts, and have justified  
yourselves in treating him with indifference, and even  
contempt. You have reasoned that by his unbelief and  
his wrong course he was certainly injuring the church  
an 
d endangering souls, and you must have no fellowship  
with him. But will you, in the light of God's great  
standard of righteousness, critically examine every word  
and act of your own that you can call to mind, and com- 
par 
e these with the life of Christ ? If you have been  
doing the will of God, then his light and his approval 
will second your efforts, and prosperity will attend you. I  
wish the members of this once prosperous church would  
each begin to build over against his own house. When  
they see their course in its true light, they will know  
that they have made a very great mistake in allowing  
their own critical, Pharisaical spirit to control their  
tongue 
s and develop itself in their treatment of their  
brethren. This unchristian harshness has excluded Jesus  
from the church, and has brought in a spirit of dissen- 
sion. It has fostered a disposition to judge and con- 
demn, a hatred of those who do not see things as you  
see them. Even if your brethren say and do many 
things that really injure you, will you push them one  
side, and say, " I am holier than thou " ?  
" By their fruits ye shall know them." Christ has not  
been revealed in your deportment toward some who were  
much nearer the kingdom of Heaven than yourselves.  
The Lord has opened before you your wrong toward bis  
children; your want of mercy and love, your determma. 
tion to control minds and make them see things just as  
you see them. And when light came to you, what  
course did you take?  Did you merely admit that you  
were wrong, or did you heartily confess your error, and  
humble your proud hearts before God? Did you cast 
aside your ways, and accept God's teachings? Did you  
go to the very ones you had bruised and wounded, and  
say, " I have been wrong; I have sinned against you.  

LOVE AMONG BRETHREN.  99  
Forgive me. I have failed; I have worked in my own  
spirit. I had a zeal, but not according to knowledge. It  
was the spirit of Jehu, rather than the meekness and  
lowliness of Christ. The word of God directs, 1 Confess 
your faults one to another, and pray one for another, 
that ye may be healed.' Will you pray for me that God  
will forgive me for the distress and anguish I have  
cause 
d you ?"  
If you who have engaged in this work of bruising and  
condemning have not heartily repented, then light, 
peace, and joy will not come into your souls. When you 
are careful, kind, and tender to your brethren in the 
same degree that you have been hard, unforgiving, and 
oppressive, you will confess your faults, and make res-
titution as far as possible; and when  you have done all  
on your part, you  may ask the Lord to do that which it  
is impossible for you to do,—heal the wounds you have 
made, forgive you, and blot out your transgression. 
When there is so great reluctance to confess a wrong 
which is laid open and plain before the erring, it shows  
that they are controlled by their own untamable, unsanc- 
tified natures rather than by the spirit of the gospel of  
Christ.  
If God has ever spoken by me, you have most ear- 
nest work to do in zealous repentance for showing to  
the erring the Satanic element in your character not  
in coldness and indifference merely, but in neglect and  
contempt. If they are indeed in darkness, and do- 
ing things that imperil their souls, you should manifest  
the greater interest in them. Show them that while you  
will be true to principle, and will not swerve from the  
® right, you love their souls. Let them know by your  
words and actions that you have not a spirit of revenge 
and retaliation, but that for their sakes you will sacrifice 
feeling and subdue self. Represent Jesus, our pattern;  
manifest his spirit at all times and under all circum-
stances, and let that mind be in you which was in Christ 
Jesus. Your ways have not been God's ways; your  
will has not been God's will. The precious plant of love  
has not been cultivated, and watered by the dews of


100  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
grace. Self-love, self-righteousness, self-complacency,  
hav 
e exerted a controlling power.  
What has Jesus done for you, ancl what is he contin- 
ually doing for us individually 1 WThat have you that  
you have not received 1 Said Christ: " I am the vine, 
ye are the branches." "Every branch in me that  
beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that  
bearet 
h fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth  
more fruit." The branches do not sustain the vine, but  
the vine supports ancl nourishes the branches. The  
church does not support Christ, but Christ, by his vital  
power, supports the church. It is not enough to be a  
branch; we are to be fruitful branches. "He that  
abideth in me," said Jesus, " and I in him, the same  
bringeth forth much fruit." But if the fruit produced  
be that of the thorn-bush, it is evident that we are not  
branches of the Living Vine.  
Life is disciplinary. While in the world, the Chris- 
tia 
n will meet with adverse influences. There will be  
provocations to test the temper; and it is by meeting  
these in a right spirit that the Christian graces are de-
veloped. If injuries ancl insults are meekly borne, if in- 
sulting words are responded to by gentle answers, and  
oppressive acts by kindness, this is evidence that the  
Spirit of Christ dwells in the heart, that sap from the  
Living Yine is flowing to the branches. We are in the  
school of Christ in this life, where we are to learn to be 
meek and lowly of heart; and in the clay of final accounts  
we shall see that all the obstacles we meet, all the hard- 
ships ancl annoyances that we are called to bear, are  
practical lessons in the application of principles of Chris-
tian life. If well endured, they develop the Christlike  
in the character, and distinguish the Christian from the 
worldling.  
There is a high standard to which we are to attain if  
we would be children of God, noble, pure, holy, and un- 
defiled; and a pruning process is necessary if we would  
reach this standard. How would this pruning be ac- 
complished if there were no difficulties to meet, no ob- 
stacles to surmount, nothing to call out patience and  

LOVE AMONG BRETHREN.  101  
endurance 1 These trials are not the smallest blessings 
in our experience. They are designed to nerve us to 
determination to succeed. We are to use them as God's 
means to gain decided victories over self, instead of 
allowing them to hinder, oppress, and destroy us.  
Character will be tested. Christ will be revealed in  
us if we are indeed branches of the Living Yine. We 
shall be patient, kind, and forbearing, cheerful amicl frets  
and irritations. Day by day and year by year we shall 
conquer self and grow into a noble heroism. This is our  
allotted task; but it cannot be accomplished without  
continual help from Jesus, resolute decision, unwavering 
purpose, continual watchfulness, and unceasing prayer.  
Each one has a personal battle to fight. Each must win  
his own way through struggles and discouragements. 
Those who decline the struggle lose the strength and  
joy of  victory. No one, not even God, can carry us to  
Heave 
n unless we make the necessary eftort on our part.  
We must put features of beauty into our lives. We  
must expel the unlovely natural traits that make us un-
like Jesus. While God works in us to will and to do of 
his own good pleasure, we must work in harmony with  
him. The religion of Christ transforms the heart. It 
makes the worldly-minded man heavenly-minded. Under  
its influence the selfish man becomes unselfish, because 
this is the character of Christ. The dishonest, scheming  
man becomes upright, so that it is second nature to him  
to do unto others as he would have others do unto him. 
The profligate is changed from impurity to purity. He  
forms correct habits; for the gospel of Christ has become  
to him a savor of life unto life.  
Now, while probation lingers, it does not become one  
to pronounce sentence upon others, and look to himself 
as a model man. Christ is our model; imitate him, plant  
your feet in his steps. You may professedly believe 
every point of present truth, but unless you practice  
these truths it will avail you nothing. We are not to  
condemn others; this is not our work; but w-e should love  
one another and pray for one another. When we see  
one err from the truth, then we may weep over him as  
Center for Advenfet Research  
Andrews University


102  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Christ wept over Jerusalem. Let us see what our  
heavenl 
y Father, in his word, says about the erring: " If  
a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual re- 
store such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering  
thyself, lest thou also be tempted." " If any of you do 
err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know 
that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his  
way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a mul- 
titude of sins." What a great missionary work is this!  
how much more Christlike than for poor, fallible mortals  
to be ever accusing and condemning those who do not  
exactly meet their minds. Let us remember that Jesus  
knows us individually, and is touched with the feeling of  
our infirmities. He knows the wants of each of his  
creatures, and reads the hidden, unspoken grief of every  
heart. If one of the little ones for whom he died is in- 
jured, he sees it, and calls the offender to account. Jesus  
is the Good Shepherd. He cares for his feeble, sickly,  
wandering sheep. He knows them all by name. The  
distress of every sheep and every lamb of his flock 
touches his heart of sympathizing love, and the cry for  
aid reaches his ear. One of the greatest sins of the shep- 
herds of Israel is thus pointed out by the prophet: " The 
diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye  
healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up  
that which was broken, neither have ye brought again  
that which was driven away, neither have ye sought  
tha 
t which was lost; but with force and with cruelty  
have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because  
there is no shepherd; and they became meat to all the  
beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My  
sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon  
every high hill; yea, my flock was scattered upon all the  
face of the earth, and none did search or seek after  
them."  
Jesus cares for each one as though there were not  
another individual on the face of the earth. As Deity,  
he exerts mighty power in our behalf, while as our  
Elder Brother he feels for all. our woes. The Majesty of  
Heaven held not himself aloof from degraded, sinful  

LOVE AMONG BRETHREN.  103  
humanity. We have not a high priest who is so high,  
so lifted up,-that he cannot notice us or sympathize 
with us, but one who was in all points tempted like 
as we are, yet without sin.  
How different from this spirit is the feeling of indif- 
ference and contempt that has been manifested by some 
in toward J and those who have been affected by  
his influence. If ever the transforming grace of God 
was needed, it is needed in this church. In judging  
and condemning a brother, they have undertaken to do  
a work that God never put into their hands. A hard-
ness of heart, a censorious, condemnatory spirit that 
would destroy individuality and independence, has been 
woven into their Christian experience, and they have 
lost the love of Jesus out of their hearts. Make haste,  
brethren, to get these things off your soul before it shall 
be said in Heaven, " He that is unjust, let him be un- 
jus 
t still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still;  
and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and  
he that is holy, let him be holy still."  
You will have many perplexities to meet in your  
Christian life in connection with the church; but do not 
try too hard to mold your brethren. If you see that  
they do not meet the requirements of God's word, do  
not condemn; if they provoke, do not retaliate. When  
things are said that would exasperate, quietly keep your  
soul from fretting. You see many things which appear  
wrong in others, and you want to correct these wrongs.  
You commence in your own strength to work for a re-
form; but you do not go about it in the right way. You 
must labor for the erring with a heart subdued, softened  
by the Spirit of God, and let the Lord work through you,  
the agent. Roll your burden on Jesus. You feel that 
the Lord must take up the case, where Satan is striving  
for the mastery over some soul; but you are to do what 
you can in humility and meekness, and put the tangled 
work, the complicated matters, into the hands of God.  
Follow the directions in his word, and leave the outcome  
of the matter to his wisdom. Having done all you can 
to save your brother, cease worrying, and go calmly about


104  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
other pressing duties. It is no longer your matter, but  
God's.  
Do not, through impatience, cut the knot of difficulty,  
making matters hopeless. Let God untangle the snarled- 
up threads for you. He is wise enough to manage the  
complications of our lives. He has skill and tact. We 
cannot always see his plans; we must wait patiently 
their unfolding, and not mar and destroy them. He 
will reveal them to us in his own good time. Seek for  
unity; cultivate love and conformity to Christ in all  
things. He is the source of unity and strength; but 
you have not sought for Christian unity, that you might  
kni 
t hearts together in love.  
There is work for you to do in the church and out of  
the church. "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye 
hear much fruit." The fruit we bear is the only test of  
the character of the tree before the world. This is the  
proof of  our discipleship. If our works are of such a  
character that as branches of the Living Vine we bear  
rich clusters of precious fruit, then we wear before the  
world God's own badge as his sons and daughters. We 
are living epistles, known and read of all men.  
Now, I fear that you will fail in doing the work you  
must do to redeem the past and become living, fruit- 
bearing branches. If you do as God would have you, 
his blessing will come into the church. You have not  
yet been humble enough to make thorough work and  
meet the mind of the Spirit of God. There has been 
self-justification, self-pleasing, self-vindication, when there 
should have been humiliation, contrition, and repentance. 
You should remove every stumbling-block, and make  
" straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be  
turned out of the way." It is not too late for wrongs  
to be righted; but you must not feel that you are whole,  
and have no need of a physician, for you need help.  
When you come to Jesus with a broken heart, he will 
help and bless you, and you will go forth in the Master's  
wor 
k with courage and energy. The best evidence that  
you are in Christ is the fruit you bear. If you are not 
trul 
y united to him, your light and privileges will con- 
demn and ruin you.  

REDEEMING THE TIME.  105  
REDEEMING THE TIME.  
DEAR BRO. J: I have arisen  at twelve o'clock to write  
to you, because my mind is burdened. I am troubled on 
your account; for I know that we are near the close of 
earth's history, and your life-record is not such a one as 
you will be pleased to meet in the great day when every 
man will receive as his works have been.  
You may feel that others have done wrong; and I  
know as well as you do that a Christlike spirit has not  
been manifested in the church. But will this avail you 
in the Judgment? Will two wrongs make one right?  
Though one, two,  or three in the church have done wrong,  
this will not blot out or excuse your sin. Whatever  
course others may take, your work is to set your own 
heart in order. God has claims upon you which no cir-
cumstances should lead you to forget or neglect; for 
every soul is precious in his sight.  
My heart is drawn out after those who have stumbled  
on the dark mountains of unbelief, and I want to help 
them 
. There is good material in the church in ;  
but the members have not been transformed by the 
Spirit of God, and brought into a position where they 
can let their light shine to the world. Some, with the  
best of motives, and possessing capabilities for great use- 
fulness, utterly fail in times of trial in the church, for 
want of the love and mercy that dwelt so richly in the  
heart of Christ. They see one in error; and instead of  
helping him they hold themselves aloof. They are in- 
clined to make unpleasant allusions, and to touch sensi- 
tive spots when they might avoid them. Self comes up  
and bears sway, and they give pain and stir up wrong 
feelings. However pure their intentions, their efforts to 
do good nearly always result in failure, if not in actual 
harm, because the tenderness and compassion of Christ 
are wanting. They would make very good surgeons, but 
they are poor nurses. They have not the tact that is  
born of love. If they had this, they would know how  
to speak the right word and do the right thing at the


106  TESTIMONY FOE THE CHURCH.  
right time and in the right place. Others may have no 
more sincere desires to do right, no deeper interest in the  
cause of God; they may be no more true and loyal, their  
sympathies no deeper, their love 110 warmer; yet because  
of their gentleness and tact they are far more successful  
in winning back the erring.  
The Lord would be pleased to have his people more  
considerate than they now are, more merciful and more 
helpful to one another. When the love of Christ is in  
th 
e heart, each will be tenderly regardful-of the interests of  
others. Brother will not take advantage of brother in 
business transactions. One will not charge exorbitant in- 
terest because he sees Ms brother in a close place, where he  
must have help. Those who will take advantage of the 
necessities of another, prove conclusively that they are  
not governed by the principles of the gospel of Christ.  
Their course is recorded in the books of Heaven as fraud 
and dishonesty; and wherever these principles rule, the  
blessing of the Lord will not come into the heart. Such 
persons are receiving the impress of the great adversary  
rather than that of the Spirit of God. But those who  
shall finally inherit the heavenly kingdom must be trans-
formed by divine grace. They must be pure in heart  
and life, and possess symmetrical characters.  
I regard you, my brother, as in great peril. Your  
treasure is laid up on the earth, and your heart is upon 
your treasure. But all the means you may accumulate,  
even though it should be millions, will not be suffi- 
cient to pay a ransom for your soul. Then do not 
remain in impenitence and unbelief, and in your case de- 
feat the gracious purposes of God; do not force from his 
reluctant hand destruction of your property or affliction  
of your person.  
How many there are who are now taking a course  
which must erelong lead to just such visitations of judg- 
ment. They live on day by day, week by week, year by  
year, for their own selfish interest. Their influence and  
' means, accumulated through God-given skill and tact,  
are used upon themselves and their families, without 
thought of their gracious Benefactor. Nothing is al- 

REDEEMIN6 THE TIME.  107  
lowed to flow back to the Giver. Indeed, they come to 
regard life and its intrusted talents as their own; and if  
they render back to God that portion which he justly  
claims 
, they think that they have placed their Creator  
under obligation to them. At last his patience with 
these unfaithful stewards is exhausted; and he brings all 
their selfish, worldly schemes to an abrupt termination, 
showing them that as they have gathered for their own 
glory, he can scatter, and they are helpless to resist his  
power.  
Bro. J, I address you to-day as a prisoner of hope.  
But will you consider that your sun passed its meridian 
gome time ago, and is now rapidly declining? The  
evening has come. Do you not discern the lengthening  
shadows? You have but a little time left in which to  
work for yourself, for humanity, and for your Master.  
There is a special work to be done for your own soul if 
you are ever to be numbered with the overcomers. How 
stand 
s your life-record? Is Jesus pleading in your be- 
half in vain? Shall he be disappointed in you? Some  
of your companions, who stood side by side with you, 
have already been summoned away. Eternity will re- 
veal whether they were bankrupt in faith and failed to 
secure eternal life, or whether they were rich toward  
God, and heirs of the "far more exceeding and eternal  
weight of glory." Will you not consider that the long 
forbearance of God toward you calls for repentance and 
humiliation of soul before him ?  
Ther 
e are other weighty considerations aside from  
your own personal salvation, which demand your atten- 
tion. Late as it now is, with your sun about to sink be-
hind the western hills, you have still a great work to do  
for your children, who have allowed the love of the  
world to separate them from God. You have also un-
saved relatives, neighbors, and friends. Had your ex- 
ample been consistent with the light given you; had you 
been as diligent to save these precious souls as you have  
bee 
n to gather earthly treasure; had you used your  
means and influence, your wisdom and tact, in an effort  
to gather these straying ones into the fold of Christ,—


108  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
had this been your life-work, you would have secured a  
harvest of souls, and would have insured a rich reward 
in the clay of God. You would thus have been building  
upon the true foundation valuable and imperishable  
material; but instead of this you have been building 
wood, hay, and stubble, to be consumed when every 
man's work shall be tried, of what sort it is.  
Your life has been a failure. You have been a stum- 
bling-block to sinners. They have saicl of you, "If the 
religion which this man professes is indeed genuine, why  
is he so eager after this world? Why does he not in his 
own conduct show the spirit of Christ?" Hasten, my 
brother, before it is forever too late, to remove this  
stumbling-block from the way of sinners. Can you look 
with pleasure upon your life or upon the influence you  
have exerted? Will you now consider your ways? Will  
you now make efforts to come into right relations with  
God? I do not believe your heart is unimpressible, and  
I 
 know that the loving-kindness and tender mercy of  
God are marvelous. You have a little time of proba-
tion, will you improve it now, while Jesus is pleading his  
blood before the Father? He has graciously spared your  
life; but it has been like the barren fig-tree, upon which 
year after year there appeared no fruit, nothing but  
leaves. How long will you continue to disappoint the 
Master? Will you compel him to say, "Let no fruit  
gro 
w on thee henceforward forever;" or, "Cut it down;  
why cumbereth it the ground?" Oh, wait not for the  
Lord to put his hand against you, and scatter the prop- 
erty which you have accumulated. Remember that all  
your wealth will not give you one moment of sweet as-
surance and peace upon your dying bed.  
I earnestly urge upon you the necessity of returning  
to the Lord at once. I entreat you to disappoint the  
enemy. Break from off you his cruel power. Seek, 
during the remainder of your life, to make an entirely 
different record in Heaven, one of which you will not 
be ashamed when the books shall be opened, and the 
Judg 
e shall pronounce sentence upon those who have  
neglected this great salvation.  

REDEEMING THE TIME.  109  
Paul exhorts his Ephesian brethren to redeem the  
time, because the days are evil. This exhortation is  
very applicable to you. In one sense it is impossible to  
redeem the time; for once gone, it is gone forever. But 
you are called upon to reform, to be zealous of good  
works in the same degree that you have been negligent 
of duty. Turn square about. Double your diligence to  
make your calling and election sure. Keep God's com- 
mandments, and live, and his law as the apple of your  
eye. Tax every moment to the utmost in laboring for  
your own eternal interest and for the salvation of souls  
around you. By so doing you may save both yourself  
and those who are more or less controlled by your ex- 
ample. These are motives which should be duly consid-
ered.  
Wake up! wake up! You have work to do, and your  
sun is fast hastening to its setting. Your powers are be- 
coming enfeebled; but all there is of you, every particle  
of your ability, belongs to God, and should be used 
earnestl 
y and disinterestedly in his service. Work while  
the sun still lingers in the heavens; for the "night  
cometh, when no man can work."  
Come, my brother, come just as you are, sinful and  
polluted.  Lay your burden of guilt on Jesus, and by  
faith claim his merits. Come now, while mercy lingers; 
come with confession, come with contrition of soul, and  
God will abundantly pardon. Do not dare to slight 
another opportunity. Listen to the voice of mercy that  
now pleads with you to arise from the dead that Christ  
may give you light. Every moment now seems to con-
nect itself directly with the destinies of the unseen  
world. Then let not your pride and unbelief lead you 
to still further reject offered mercy. If you do, you wall  
be left to lament at the last, "The harvest is past, the  
summer is ended, and we are not saved."  
Wait in deep humiliation before God. From this hour,  
resolve to be the Lord's, doing your whole duty, trusting  
implicitly in the great atonement. Do this, and you  
will have nothing to fear. The remainder of your life- 
journe 
y will be tranquil and happy, and you will secure


110  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
to yourself that life which shall continue as long as God  
shall live.  
I have written this because I felt urged to do so by the  
Spirit of*God, -and because I have a deep interest for you.  
Do not for one moment let your feelings rise against me; 
for I have been influenced by love for your soul. We  
have enjoyed many precious seasons in worshiping God, 
when our hearts were made joyful by his sweet blessing.  
Are these seasons forever past1? We may never meet  
again in this life; but shall we not meet when the ran- 
somed are gathered around the great white throne'!  
THE MANUFACTURE OF WINE AND CIDER.  
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS OF THE CHURCH AT  
: I have been shown that as a church you are not  
growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.  
There is not that consecration to God, that devotion to  
his service, and that disinterested labor for the upbuild- 
ing of his cause, which would make you a prosperous and 
healthy church. You are not subject one to another.  
There are too many among you who have their own ideas 
to maintain, and their own selfish plans to carry out;  
and some who occupy prominent places in the church  
are of this number.  
Bro. K has not an eye single to the glory of God; he  
doe 
s not view things from a right stand-point. He is  
giving heed to suggestions of Satan, and taking counsel  
o 
f his own unsanctified judgment; and he grasps at every  
word that can be framed into a justification of his wrong  
course. He is self-deceived; he does not see that he is  
shutting himself away from the Spirit of God. When  
he entered upon this path, he did not know its dangers, 
nor realize where it would lead him. All who are walk- 
ing in the same way would do well to turn their feet at  
once into the path of safety.  
We are living in an age of intemperance, and catering  
t 
o the appetite of the cider-bibber is an offense against  

MANUFACTURE OF WINE AND CIDER. ILL  
God. With others, you have engaged in this work be- 
cause you have not followed the light. Had you stood  
in the light, you would not, you could not, have done  
this. Every one of you who has acted a part in this 
work will come under the condemnation of God, unless 
you make an entire change in your business. You need 
to be in earnest. You need to commence the work at  
once to clear your souls from condemnation.  
Some of you in developed wonderful zeal in de- 
nouncing the red-ribbon clubs. So far as you were actu- 
ated by a desire to condemn the evil in these societies,  
you were right; but when you acted as though it were a  
crim 
e to speak at all in their favor, or to show them the  
least good will, you carried matters to extremes. You  
should be consistent in all things. You have cher- 
ished a hatred for the very name "red-ribbon club" 
that savors not of the Spirit of Christ; and your feel-
ings of bitterness have not helped you or any one else.  
You have taken the Testimonies given in reference to  
our people mingling with the temperance societies to the  
detriment of their spiritual interest, and by perverting  
them have used them to oppress and burden souls. By  
this treatment of the light given, you have brought my  
work into disrepute. There was not the least necessity 
for this, and some of you have a work to do to make 
this matter right. You would make an iron bedstead for  
others 
; if too short, they must be stretched; if too long,  
they must be cut off. "Judge not, that ye be not  
judged."  
After you had taken a decided stand in opposition to  
active participation in the work of the temperance socie-
ties, you might still have retained an influence over oth- 
ers for good, had you acted conscientiously in accordance 
with the holy faith which you profess; but by engaging  
in the manufacture of cider, you have hurt your influ- 
enc 
e very much; and what is worse, you have brought  
reproach upon the truth, and your own souls have been  
injured. You have been building up a barrier between  
yourselves and the temperance cause. Your course led  
unbelievers to question your principles. You are not


112  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
making straight paths for your feet; and the lame are  
halting and stumbling over you to perdition.  
I cannot see how, in the light of the law of God,  
Christians can conscientiously engage in the raising of  
hops or in the manufacture of wine or cider for the 
market. All these articles may be put to a good use, and  
prove a blessing; or they may be put to a wrong use, 
and prove a temptation and a curse. Cider and wine  
may be canned when fresh, and kept sweet a long time; 
and if used in an unfermented state, they will not de- 
thron 
e reason. But those who manufacture apples into  
cide 
r for the market are not careful as to the condition  
of the fruit used, and in many cases the juice of decayed  
apples is expressed. Those who would not think of 
using the poisonous rotten apples in any other way, will  
drink the cider made from them, and call it a luxury;  
but the microscope would reveal the fact that this pleas-
ant beverage is often unfit for the human stomach, even  
when fresh from the press. If it is boiled, and care is  
taken to remove the impurities, it is less objectionable.  
I have often heard people say, " Oh! this is only sweet  
cider; it is perfectly harmless, and even healthful.' 
Several quarts, perhaps gallons, are carried home. For  
a few days it is sweet; then fermentation begins. The  
sharp flavor makes it all the more acceptable to many  
palates, and the lover of sweet wine or cider is loth to 
admit that his favorite beverage ever becomes hard and  
sour. Persons may become just as really intoxicated on  
wine and cider as on stronger drinks, and the worst kind  
of inebriation is produced by these so-called milder drinks.  
The passions are more perverse; the transformation of 
character is greater, more determined and obstinate. A  
few quarts of cider or wine may awaken a taste for  
stronger drinks, and in many cases those who have be- 
come confirmed drunkards have thus laid the foundation  
of the drinking habit. For some persons it is by no  
means safe to have wine or cider in the house. They  
have inherited an appetite for stimulants, which Satan is 
continually soliciting them to indulge. If they yield to  
his temptations, they do not stop; appetite clamors for  

MANUFACTURE  OF WINE AND CIDER.  113  
indulgence, and is gratified to their rum. The brain is  
benumbe 
d and clouded; reason no longer holds the reins,  
but they are laid on the neck of lust. Licentiousness,  
adultery, and vices of almost every type, are committed 
as the result of indulging the appetite for wine and cider. 
A professor of religion who loves these stimulants, and  
accustoms himself to their use, never grows in grace.  
He becomes gross and sensual; the animal passions con- 
trol the higher powers of the mind, and virtue is not  
cherished.  
Moderate drinking is the school in which men are re- 
ceiving an education for the drunkard's career. So grad- 
ually does Satan lead away from the strongholds of tem-
perance, so insidiously do the harmless wine and cider 
exert their influence upon the taste, that the highway to 
drunkenness is entered upon all unsuspectingly. The  
taste for stimulants is cultivated; the nervous system is  
disordered; Satan keeps the mind in a fever of unrest;  
and the poor victim, imagining himself perfectly secure, 
goes on and on, until every barrier is broken down, every  
principle sacrificed. The strongest resolutions are under-
mined; and eternal interests are not strong enough to 
keep the debased appetite under the control of reason.  
Some are never really drunk, but are always under the  
influence of cider or fermented wine. They are feverish,  
unbalanced in mind, not really delirious, but in fully as  
bad a condition; for all the noble powers of the mind are  
perverted. A tendency to disease of various kinds, as  
dropsy, liver complaint, trembling nerves,  and a deter- 
mination of blood to the head, results from the habitual  
use of sour cider. By its use many bring upon them- 
selves permanent disease. Some die of consumption or  
fall under the power of apoplexy from this cause alone.  
Som 
e suffer from dyspepsia. Every vital function is dead- 
ened and the physicians tell them that they have liver  
complaint, when if they would break open the cider  
barrel, and never replace it, their abused life-forces would  
recover their vigor.  
Cider-drinking leads to the use of stronger drinks.  
The stomach loses its natural vigor, and something


114  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
stronger is needed to arouse it to action. On one occa-
sion, when my husband and myself were traveling, we  
were obliged to spend several hours waiting for the train  
While we were in the depot, a red-faced, bloated farmer 
came into the restaurant connected with it, and in a 
loud, rough voice asked, " Have you first-class brandy?"  
He was answered in the affirmative, and ordered half a 
tumbler. "Have you pepper sauce?" "Yes," was the 
answer. "Well, put in two large spoonfuls." He  
next ordered two spoonfuls of alcohol added, and con- 
cluded by calling for "a good dose of black pepper.*  
The man who was preparing it asked, "What will you 
do with such a mixture?" He replied, "I guess that wili  
take hold," and placing the full glass to his lips, drank  
the whole of this fiery compound. That man had used  
stimulants until he had deadened the tender coats of the 
stomach.  
Many, as they read this, will laugh at the warning ot  
danger. They will say, " Surely the little wine or cider  
that I use cannot hurt me." Satan has marked such as  
his prey; he leads them on step by step, and they per-
ceive it not until the chains of habit and appetite are too  
strong to be broken. We see the power that appetite  
for strong drink has over men; we see how many of 
all professions and of heavy responsibilities, men of ex- 
alted station, of eminent talents, of great attainments,  
of fine feeling, of strong nerves, and of good reasoning 
powers, sacrifice everything for the indulgence of appe- 
tite, until they are reduced to the level of the brutes;  
and in very many cases their downward course com- 
menced with the use of wine or cider.  
When intelligent men and women who are professedly  
Christians 
, plead that there is 110 harm in making wine  
or cider for the market, because when unfermentccl it  
will not intoxicate, I feel sad at heart. I know there w 
another side to this subject that they refuse to look upon:,  
for selfishness has closed their eyes to the terrible evi?a  
that may result from the use of these stimulants. I d -> 
not see how our brethren can abstain from all appear-
ance of evil, and engage largely in the business of hop- 

MANUFACTURE  OF WINE AND CIDER. 115  
raising, knowing to what use the hops are put. Those 
who help to produce these beverages that encourage and 
educate the appetite for stronger stimulants, will be re- 
warded as their works have been. They are transgressors 
of the law of God; and they will be punished for the sins  
whic 
h they commit,  and for those which they have influ- 
enced others to commit through the temptations which  
they have placed in their way.  
Let all who profess to believe the truth for this time,  
and to be reformers, act in accordance with their faith  
If one whose name is on the church book manufactures  
wine or cider for the market, he should be faithfully 
labored with, and if he continues the practice, he should 
be placed under censure of the church. Those who will  
not be dissuaded from doing this work are unworthy of a 
place and a name among the people of God. We are to  
be followers of Christ, to set our hearts and our influence  
against every evil practice. How should we feel in the 
day when God's judgments are poured out, to meet men 
who have become drunkards through our influence ? We  
are living in the antitypical day of atonement, and our  
case 
s must soon come in review before God. How shall  
w 
e stand in the courts of Heaven, if our course of action  
has encouraged the use of stimulants that pervert reason,  
and are destructive of virtue, purity, and the love of  
God?  
The lawyer asked Christ, " Master, what shall I do to  
inherit eternal life ? He said unto him, What is written  
in the law ? how readest thou ? And he answering said. 
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and  
with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all 
thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said 
unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou 
shalt live." Eternal life is the prize at stake, and Christ 
tells us how we may gain it. He directs us to the writ-
ten word, "How readest thou?" The way is there 
pointed out; we are to love God supremely and our 
neighbor as ourselves. But if we love our neighbor as 
ourselves 
, we shall not throw upon the market anything  
that will be a snare to him.


116  TESTIMONY FOB THE CHUBCH.  
To love God ancl man is the Christian's whole duty.  
The law of love is written upon the tablets of the soul, 
the Spirit of Christ dwells in him, and his character ap- 
pears in good works. Jesus became poor, that through  
his poverty we might be made rich. What sacrifices are  
we willing to make for his sake 1 Have we his love en- 
shrined in our hearts? Do we love our neighbor as  
Christ loved us 1 If we have this love for souls, it will  
lead us to consider carefully whether by our words, our  
acts, our influence in any way, we are placing temp- 
tation before those who have little moral power. We  
shall not censure the weak and suffering, as the Phar- 
isees were continually doing, but we shall endeavor to  
remov 
e every stone of stumbling from our brother's path,  
lest the lame be turned out of the way.  
As a people, we profess to be reformers, to be light- 
bearers in the world, to be faithful sentinels for God,  
guarding every avenue whereby Satan could come in with 
his temptations to pervert the appetite. Our example 
ancl influence must be a power on the side of reform.  
We must abstain from any practice which will blunt the  
conscience or encourage temptation. We must open no  
door that will give Satan access to the mind of one 
human being formed in the image of God. If all would  
be vigilant and faithful in guarding the little openings  
made by the moderate use of the so-called harmless wine  
ancl cicler, the highway to drunkenness would be closed  
up. What is needed in every community is firm purpose,  
and a will to touch not, taste not, handle not; then the  
temperance reformation will be strong, permanent, and  
thorough.  
The love of money will lead men to violate conscience.  
Perhap 
s that very money may be brought to the Lord's  
treasury; but he will not accept any such offering, it is  
an offense to him. It was obtained by transgressing his  
law, which requires that a man love his neighbor as him- 
self. It is no excuse for the transgressor to say that if  
he had not made wine or cider, somebody else would,  
and his neighbor might have become a drunkard just the  
same. Because some will place the bottle to their neigh- 

MARRIAGE WITH UNBELIEVEES.  117  
bor's lips, will Christians venture to stain their garments  
with the blood of souls,—to incur the curse pronounced 
upon these who place this temptation in the way of err-
ing men 1 Jesus calls upon his followers to stand under  
his banner, and aicl in destroying the works of the devil.  
The world's Redeemer, who knows well the state of  
society in the last clays, represents eating and drinking 
as the sins that condemn this age. He tells us that as 
it was in the clays of Noah, so shall it be when the Son 
of man is revealed. " They were eating and drinking,  
marrying and giving in marriage, until the clay that Noah 
entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, 
and took them all away." Just such a state of things  
will exist in the last days, and those who believe these 
warnings will use the utmost caution not to take a course 
that will bring them under condemnation.  
Brethren, let us look at this matter in the light of the  
Scriptures, and exert a decided influence on the side of  
temperance in all things. Apples and grapes are God's  
gifts; they may be put to excellent use as healthful 
articles of food, or they may be abused by being put to a  
wrong use. Already God is blighting the grape vine and 
the apple crop because of men's sinful practices. We 
stand before the world as reformers; let us give no occa- 
sion for infidels or unbelievers to reproach our faith. 
Said Christ, "Ye are the salt of the earth," "the light of  
the world." Let us showr that our hearts ancl consciences  
are under the transforming influence of divine grace, and 
tha 
t our lives are governed by the pure principles of the  
law of God, even though these principles may require the 
sacrifice of temporal interests.  
MARRIAGE WITH UNBELIEVERS.  
DEAB SISTEB L: I have learned of your contemplated  
marriage with one who is not united with you in relig- 
ious faith, and I fear that you have not carefully weighed 
this important matter. Before taking a step which is to


118  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
exert an influence upon all your future life, I urge you  
to give the subject careful and prayerful deliberation. 
Will this new relationship prove a source of true happi-
ness ? Will it be a help to you in the Christian life ?  
Will it be pleasing to God ? Will your example be a  
safe one for others to follow ?  
Before giving her hand in marriage, every woman  
should inquire whether he with whom she is about to  
unite her destiny is worthy. What has been his past  
record? Is his life pure? Is the love which he ex-,  
presses of a noble, elevated character, or is it a mere  
emotional fondness? Has he the traits of character that 
will make her happy? Can she find true peace and joy  
in his affection? Will she be allowed to preserve her 
individuality, or must her judgment and conscience be  
surrendered to the control of her husband? As a dis- 
ciple of Christ, she is not her own; she has been bought 
with a price. Can she honor the Saviour's claims as su- 
preme? Will body and soul, thoughts ancl purposes, be 
preserved pure ancl holy? These questions have a vital  
bearin 
g upon the well-being of every woman who enters  
the marriage relation.  
Beligion is needed in the home. Only this can pre- 
ven 
t the grievous wrongs which so often imbitter mar- 
ried life. Only where Christ reigns, can there be deep,  
true, unselfish love. Then soul will be knit with soul,  
and the two lives will blend in harmony. Angels of God  
will be guests in the home, ancl their holy vigils will hal-
lo 
w the marriage chamber. Debasing sensuality will  
be banished. Upward to God will the thoughts be di- 
rected; to him will the heart's devotion ascend.  
The heart yearns for human love, but this love is not  
strong enough, or pure enough, or precious enough, to  
supply the place of the love of Jesus. Only in her Sav-
iour can the wife find wisdom, strength, and grace to  
meet the cares, responsibilities, and sorrows of life. She 
shoul 
d make him her strength and her guide. Let.  
woman give herself to Christ before giving herself to any  
earthly friend, and enter into no relation which shall  
conflict with this. Those who would find true happiness,  

MARRIAGE WITH UNBELIEVERS.  119  
must have the blessing of Heaven upon all that they 
possess, and all that they do. It is disobedience to God 
that fills so many hearts and homes with misery. My  
sister, unless you would have a home where the shad- 
ows are never lifted, do not unite yourself with one  
who is an enemy of God.  
As one who expects to meet these words in the Judg- 
iuent, I entreat you to ponder the step you contemplate  
taking 
. Ask yourself, "Will not an unbelieving hus- 
band lead my thoughts away from Jesus? He is a lover  
of pleasure more than a lover of God; will he not lead 
me to enjoy the things that he enjoys?" The path to  
eterna 
l life is steep and rugged. Take no additional  
weights to retard your progress. You have too little  
spiritual strength, and you need help instead of hin-
drance.  
The Lord commanded ancient Israel not to intermarry  
with the idolatrous nations around them: "Neither shalt  
thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt 
not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take 
unto thy son." The reason is given. Infinite Wisdom,  
foreseeing the result of such unions, declares: " For they  
will turn away thy son from following me, that they  
may serve other gods; so will the anger of the Lord be  
kindled against you, ancl destroy thee suddenly." " For 
thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God; the Lord  
thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto 
himself, above all people that are upon the face of the  
earth." " Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is  
God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and  
mercy with them that love him and keep his command-
ments to a thousand generations; and repayeth them 
that hate him to their face, to destroy them. He will not 
be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to  
bis face."  
In the New Testament are similar prohibitions con- 
cerning the marriage of Christians with the ungodly  
The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, 
declares: " The wife is bound by the law as long as her 
husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at


120  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the  
Lord." Again, in his second epistle, he writes: " Be ye  
not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for  
what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteous-
ness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 
and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part  
hath he that believeth with an intidel? and what agree-
ment hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the  
temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell 
in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and  
they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from 
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and  
touch not the unclean; and I will receive you, and will  
be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and 
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."  
My sister, dare you disregard these plain and positive  
directions? As a child of God, a subject of Christ's 
kingdom, the purchase of his blood, how can you connect  
yourself with one who does not acknowledge his claims, 
who is not controlled by his Spirit? The commands I 
hav 
e quoted are not the word of man, but of God.  
Though the companion of your choice were in all other 
respects worthy (which he is not), yet he has not accepted  
the truth for this time; he is an unbeliever, and you are  
forbidden of Heaven to unite yourself with him. You  
cannot, without peril to your soul, disregard this divine 
injunction.  
I would warn you of your danger before it shall be too  
late. You listen to smooth, pleasant words, and are led  
to believe that all will be well; but you do not read the 
motives that prompt these fair speeches. You cannot  
see the depths of wickedness hidden in the heart. You  
cannot look behind the scenes, and discern the snares  
that Satan is laying for your soul. He would lead you  
to pursue such a course that he can obtain easy access, 
to aim his shafts of temptation against you. Do not  
give him the least advantage. While God moves upon 
th 
e minds of his servants, Satan works through the chil- 
dren of disobedience. There is no concord between  
Christ and Belial. The two cannot harmonize. To con- 

MARRIAGE WITH UNBELIEVERS.  121  
nect with an unbeliever is to place yourself on Satan's  
ground. You grieve the Spirit of God and forfeit his  
protection. Can you afford to have such terrible odds 
against you in fighting the battle for everlasting life?  
You may say, " But I have given my promise, and  
shall I now retract it?" I answer, If you have made a 
promise contrary to the Scriptures, by all means retract  
it without delay, and in humility before God repent of 
the infatuation that led you to make so rash a pledge.  
Far better take back such a promise, in the fear of God, 
than keep it, and thereby dishonor your Maker.  
Remember, you have a Heaven to gain, an open path  
to perdition to shun. God means what he says. When  
he prohibited our first parents from eating the fruit of 
the tree of knowledge, their disobedience opened the  
floodgates 
 of woe to the whole world. If we walk con- 
trary to God, he will walk contrary to us. Our only  
safe course is to render obedience to all his requirements, 
at whatever cost. All are founded in infinite love and 
wisdom.  
The spirit of intense worldliness that now exists, the  
disposition to acknowledge no higher claim than that of 
self-gratification, constitutes one of the signs of the last  
days. "As it was in the days of Noah," said Christ,  
" so shall it be also in the clays of the Son of man. They  
did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given 
in marriage, until the clay that Noah entered into the  
ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." The 
people of this generation are marrying and giving in  
marriage with the same reckless disregard of God's re-
quirements as was manifested in the days of Noah.  
There is in the Christian world an astonishing, alarm-
ing indifference to the teaching of God's word in regard  
to the marriage of Christians with unbelievers. Many  
who profess to love and fear God choose to follow the 
bent of their own minds rather than take counsel of In- 
finite Wisdom. In a matter which vitally concerns the  
happiness and well-being of both parties, for this world  
and the next, reason, judgment, and the fear of God are  
set aside, and blind impulse, stubborn determination, is


118  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
allowed to control. Men and women who are otherwise 
sensible and conscientious close their ears to counsel;  
they are deaf to the appeals and entreaties of friends and  
kindred and of the servants of God. The expression of 
a caution, or warning is regarded as impertinent med- 
dling, and the friend who is faithful enough to utter a  
remonstrance is treated as an enemy. All this is as Sa-
tan would have it. He weaves his spell about the soul, 
and it becomes bewitched, infatuated. Reason lets fall 
the reins of self-control upon the neck of lust, unsancti- 
fied passion bears sway, until, too late, the victim 
awakens to a life of misery and bondage. This is not a  
picture drawn by the imagination, but a recital of facts. 
God' 
s sanction is not given to unions which he has ex- 
pressly forbidden. For years I have been receiving let- 
ter 
s from different persons who have formed unhappy  
marriages, and the revolting histories opened before me  
are enough to make the heart ache. It is no easy thing  
to decide what advice can be given to these unfortunate  
ones 
, or how their hard lot can be lightened; but their  
sad experience should be a warning to others.  
In this age of the world, as the scenes of earth's his- 
tory are soon to close, and we are about to enter upon 
the time of trouble such as never was, the fewer the  
marriages contracted, the better for all, both men and 
women. Above all, when Satan is working with all de-
ceivablenes 
s of unrighteousness in them that perish, let  
Christians beware of connecting themselves with unbe- 
lievers. God has spoken. All who fear him will sub-
mit to his wise injunctions. Our feelings, impulses, and  
affections must flow Heavenward, not earthward, not in  
the low, base channel of sensual thought and indulgence.  
It is time now that every soul should stand as in the  
sight of the heart-searching God.  
My dear sister, as a disciple of J esus you should in- 
quire what will be the influence of the step you are  
abou 
t to take, not only upon yourself, but upon others.  
The followers of Christ are to be co-workers with their  
Master; they must be " blameless and harmless, the sons  
o 
f God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and  

MARRIAGE WITH UNBELIEVERS.  122  
perverse nation, among whom," says Paul, "ye shine as  
lights in the world." We are to receive the bright  
beams from the Sun of Righteousness, and by our good  
works let them shine forth to others in clear, steady 
rays, never fitful, never growing dim. We cannot be 
sure that we are doing 110 harm to those about us, unless  
we are exerting a positive influence to lead them Heav- 
enward.  
" Ye are my witnesses," said Jesus, and in each act of  
our lives we should inquire, How will our course affect 
the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom ? If you are in-
deed Christ's disciple, you will choose to walk in his 
footsteps, however painful this may be to your natural  
feelings. Said Paul, " God forbid that I should glory, 
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, "by whom the  
world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." You,  
Siste 
r L, need to sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of  
him, as did Mary of old. God requires of you an entire 
surrender of your will, your plans and purposes. Jesus 
is your leader; to him you must look, in him you must 
trust, and you must permit nothing to deter you from  
the life of consecration which you owe to God. Your 
conversation must be in Heaven, from whence you look  
for the Saviour. Your piety must be of a character to  
make itself felt, by all within the sphere of your influ- 
ence. God requires you in every act of life to shun the 
very appearance of evil. Are you doing this? You  
are under the most sacred obligation not to belittle or  
compromise your holy faith by uniting with the Lord's  
enemies. If you are tempted to disregard the injunc-
tions of his word because others have done so, remember 
that your example also will exert an influence. Others  
will do as you- do, and thus the evil will be extended.  
While you profess to be a child of God, a departure on 
your part from his requirements will result in infinite 
harm to those who look to you for guidance.  
The salvation of souls will be the constant aim of  
those-who are abiding in Christ. But what have you 
done to show forth the praises of Him who has called 
you out of darkness? " Awake, thou that sleepest, and


124  TESTIMONY FOB THE CHURCH.  
arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."  
Shake off this fatal infatuation that benumbs your senses 
and palsies the energies of the soul.  
The very strongest incentives to faithfulness are set  
before us, the highest motives, the most glorious rewards. 
Christians are to be Christ's representatives, sons and 
daughters of God. They are his jewels, his peculiar  
treasures. Of all who will maintain their steadfast- 
ness he declares, "They shall walk with me in white;  
for they are worthy." Those who reach the portals of  
eternal bliss will not count that any sacrifice which they  
have made was too great.  
May God help you to stand the test, and preserve  
your integrity. Cling by faith to Jesus. Disappoint 
not your Redeemer.  
JSt. Helena, Gal, Feb. 13, 1885.  
THE SUPPORT OF CITY MISSIONS.  
DEAR BRO. M: A few clays ago I received a letter  
written by you to Eld. N, in which you raise very serious  
objections to leaving the mission to be supported by 
your Conference, and say that other Conferences all over 
the field should have an equal interest in this mission.  
But if these Conferences do not now have important  
missions to sustain in cities in their own borders, are 
there not places where such missions should be estab- 
lished? If your Conference is asked to take the  
mission under its care, and carry it on under the super-
vision of the General Conference, the responsible men  
should feel that this is an evidence that their brethren  
have confidence in them, and they should say, "Yes; we 
accept the sacred trust. We will do  all in our power to  
mak 
e the mission a success, and to show that the con- 
fidence of our brethren is not misplaced. We will ask 
wisdom of God, and will practice self-denial and rigid 
economy if necessary." God will sustain you in the  
cheerful performance of this duty, and will make it a  

THE SUPPORT OF CITY MISSIONS.  125  
blessing to you, rather than a burden, a hindrance to  
the cause in your State.  
That great city is in darkness and error, and we have  
left it so thus long. Will God pardon this negligence on  
our part? What account shall we give for the men and 
women who have died without hearing the sound of pres- 
ent truth, who would have received it had the light been  
brought to them ? My spirit is stirred that the work in  
has been delayed so long. The work that is now  
being clone there might have been done years ago, and  
could then have been accomplished with far less expen-
diture of money, time, and labor. Nevertheless, it must 
not be left undone now. A small beginning has been 
made on a very economical plan, and much more has 
been accomplished than could have been expected con- 
sidering the facilities that have been provided. But 
better facilities must be furnished. There must be a 
place where people can hear the truth. There must 
be means to support the workers in this mission field, 
not in ease and luxury, but in a plain, comfortable man- 
ner. They are God's instruments, and nothing should 
be said or done to discourage them. On the contrary,  
let their hands be strengthened, and their hearts encour-
aged.  
There is enough wealth in your Conference to carry  
forward this work successfully; and shall the prince of  
darkness be left in undisputed possession of our great 
cities because it costs something to sustain missions?  
Let those who would follow Christ fully come up to the  
work, even if it be over the heads of ministers ancl pres-
ident. Those who in such a work as this will say, " I  
pray thee have me excused," should beware lest they re-
ceive their discharge for time and for eternity. Let Chris- 
tians who love duty lift every ounce they can, and then 
look to God for further strength. He will work through  
the efforts of thorough-going men and women, ancl will  
do what they cannot do. New light and power will be  
given them as they use what they have. New fervor 
ancl zeal will stir the church as they see something ac- 
complished.


127  
TESTIMONY FOB THE CHUSCII.  
We rejoice in spirit as we contemplate what may be  
done; but we blush before our Maker at the thought of 
the little that has been accomplished. Shepherds have 
neglected their God-given responsibilities; they have be- 
come narrow and faithless, and have encouraged unpar- 
donable cowardice, slolhfulness, ancl covetousness. They 
have not realized the magnitude and importance of the  
work. Men are wanted whose  eyes are anointed to see  
and understand Heaven's designs. Then the standard of 
piety will be raised, and there will be real missionaries,  
who will be ready to sacrifice for the truth's sake. There 
is no room in the church of Gocl for the selfish and ease- 
loving; but men and women are called for who will make 
exertions to plant the standard of truth in our large 
cities, in the great thoroughfares of travel.  
A world is to be warned, and in humility we should  
work as God has given us ability. Let every State come 
up to the work. What right have those with narrow and 
unconsecrated ideas to say what their Conference will do 
and what it will not do? The mission will not be left  
wholly to your State; but if your Conference had a heart 
to work, it could sustain two such missions, ancl not feel 
the burden. Come, brethren, arouse to action. Time  
lost through your unbelief and want of courage is lost  
forever. Let the ministers act as though something were  
to be done, and the large-hearted men who love Gocl and 
keep his commandments will come up to the help of the  
Lord. In this way the church will be disciplined for 
future efforts; for their beneficence is never to cease.  
Eld. M, as president of the Conference, you have  
shown by your general management that you are unwor- 
thy of the trust reposed in you. You have shown that  
you are conservative, and that your ideas are narrow.  
You have not done one-half what you might have done  
had you hacl the true spirit of the work. You might  
hav 
e been far more capable and experienced than you  
now are; you might have been far better prepared to 
manage successfully this sacred and important mission,— 
a work which would have given you the strongest claim 
to the general confidence of our people. But, like the  

THE SUPPORT OF CITY MISSIONS.  139  
other ministering brethren in your State, you have failed 
to advance with the opening providence of God; you 
have not shown that the Holy Spirit was deeply impress-
ing your heart, so that God could speak through you to his 
people. If in this crisis you do anything to strengthen 
doubt ancl distrust in the churches of your State, any-
thing that will prevent the people from engaging heartily 
in this work, God will hold you responsible. Has God 
given you unmistakable evidence that the brethren of 
your State are excused from the responsibility of putting  
thei 
r arms about the city of as Christ has put his  
arms about them? If you were standing in the light, you  
would encourage this mission by your faith.  
You need to drink deep of the streams of grace and  
salvation before you can lead others to the Fountain of 
living waters. Holding the office of president of a Con-
ference, with the experience ancl influence that this office  
gives, instead of discouraging the people, you should  
have urged them to new exertion, to bear weightier re-
sponsibilities. There are special duties devolving upon 
men in responsible positions; there are laborious efforts  
to be made which it would be convenient to neglect. 
But when the shepherds are negligent of duty, may the 
Lord pity the poor sheep.  
You 
r work, my brother, does not show that you have  
realized that your obligations are sacred and weighty.  
I have been shown that you are capable of doing much  
bette 
r work than you have clone, and that God requires  
more and better work at your hands. He requires in- 
tegrity and faithfulness. The work of saving souls is the 
highest ancl noblest ever intrusted to mortal man; and  
you should allow nothing to come in between you and 
this sacred work to absorb your mincl and confuse your  
judgment. One standing'in the responsible position that  
you occupy should make eternal interests first, ancl tem-
poral matters of secondary importance. You are an 
ambassado 
r for Christ; and you should encourage those  
under your charge to seek for higher spiritual attain- 
ments, to live holier ancl purer lives. In your efforts to 
save souls from perdition and to build up the church in


128  TESTIMONY FOB THE CHUSCII.  
truth and righteousness, you should use tact, wisdom,  
and the power that it is your privilege to have through 
constant communion with God. God requires this of  
you, and of every other minister engaged in his work. 
You should show your loyalty to your crucified Re- 
deemer by acting as though you realized that you have  
a 
 solemn charge to present every man perfect in Christ  
Jesus, wanting in nothing.  
In your case very much more might have been ac- 
complished by holy living, by fervent prayer, and by a  
careful, painstaking discharge of every duty. You 
might have done much by faithful warnings and re- 
proofs and by affectionate appeals. It is not brain 
power alone that is needed, but heart power. The truth  
presented as it is in Jesus will have an effect. You lack 
ardent, active home religion. Selfish interests have  
clouded your mind and perverted your judgment, and  
the claims of God have not been realized. You need to  
unburden your soul of worldly cares and business, and to  
have an eye single to the glory of God.  
Th 
e eternal destiny of all is soon to be decided.  
From Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and other Conferences, 
scores of ministers should go forth with burning zeal to 
proclaim the last message of warning. And at such a 
time as this, will the presidents of our Conferences lie  
back in the harness, and refuse to draw the heavy load?  
Will they by voice or pen exert an influence to dis-
courage those who have a mind to work 1 Any course 
on their part that would encourage indolence and unbe- 
lief is criminal in the highest degree. They should en- 
courage the people to diligence in the cause of God, to 
make every exertion for the salvation of souls; but they  
should never leave even the slightest impression on  
their minds that they are Sacrificing too much for 
the cause of God, or that more is required of them 
than is reasonable. In the heavenly warfare, something  
must be ventured. Now is our time to work, to en- 
counter difficulties and dangers. The providence of God 
says, " Go forward," not back into Egypt; and instead  
of framing a testimony to please the people, ministers  
should seek to arouse those, who are asleep.  

THE SUPPORT OF CITY MISSIONS.  139  
1 discern in your letter, Eld. M, a vein of unbelief, a  
lack of judgment and discernment. Your position con  
Hrm 
s the testimony I have had that you are giving th6  
Conference a narrow mold, and have stood in the way of  
its advancement, because you have not elevated the  
standard of truth. I will here quote a few paragraphs  
fro 
m this testimony, which was written during the Gen- 
eral Conference at Battle Creek, in November, 1883:—  
"Our conversation in regard to the mission  
has left a disagreeable impression on my mind. Do not 
think me severe in my remarks in regard to this mis- 
sion. You spoke with great satisfaction of the way this 
work had been carried forward. You said that Bro. 0 
and those associated with him were willing to do any 
way to get along; that they had a small room in a loft, 
where they prepared their food; and that they were do-
ing a good work in the most economical way. Your 
ideas on this subject are not correct. The light which 
Gocl has given us, precious above the price of silver and  
gold, is to go forth in a way to give character to the  
work. The brethren connected with this mission are  
not free from the infirmities of humanity; and unless at-
tention is given to their health, their work must be  
greatly embarrassed. Those who stand at the head of  
the work in the Conference, should not permit such a 
state of things to exist. They should educate the peo-
ple to give of their means, that no pinched want may be 
experienced by the workers. As the stewards of God,  
the responsibility rests upon them to see that one or two 
do not have all the sacrificing to do, while others are  
taking their ease, eating, drinking, and dressing, without 
a thought of our sacred missions, or of their duty with 
reference to them.  
"I have been shown, Eld M, that you do not take  
a correct view of the work, that you clo not realize its  
importance. You have failed to educate the people  
in the true spirit of self-sacrifice and devotion. You  
hav 
e feared to urge duty upon wealthy men; and when  
you have made a feeble effort in the right direction, and  
they have begun to make excuses and to find a little


130  TESTIMONY FOB THE CHUSCII.  
fault with some one in regard to the management of the  
work, you have thought perhaps they were right; this  
subterfuge, which has developed in them doubt and un-
belief, has taken effect in your own heart, and they have  
turned this to account, and have learned just how to  
treat your efforts. When they have encouraged doubt  
in regard to the Testimonies, you have not done what  
you should to uproot this feeling. You should have  
shown them that Satan is always picking flaws, question- 
ing 
, accusing, and laying reproach upon the brethren,  
and that it is unsafe to be in any such position."  
« My brother, you have not taken a course to encour- 
age men to give themselves to the ministry. Instead of  
bringing the expense of the work down to a low figure,  
it is°your duty to bring the minds of the people to un- 
derstand that the 'laborer is worthy of his hire."'  
" The churches need to be impressed with the fact that  
it is their duty to deal honestly with the cause of God,  
not allowing the guilt of the worst kind of robbery to  
rest upon them, that of robbing God in tithes and offer- 
ings. When settlements are made with the laborers 111  
his cause, they should not be forced to accept small re- 
muneration because there is a lack of money in the  
treasury. Many have been defrauded of their just dues  
in this way, and it is just as criminal in the sight of  
God as for one to keep back the wages of those who are  
employed in any other regular business.  
" There are men of ability who would like to go out and  
labor in our several Conferences; but they have no cour-
age, for they must have means to support their families.  
It is the worst kind of generalship to allow a Confer- 
ence to stand still, or to fail to settle its honest debts.  
There is a great deal of this done; and whenever it is  
done, God is displeased.  
" If the presidents and other laborers in our Confer- 
ences impress upon the minds of the people the charac- 
ter of the crime of robbing God, and if they have a true  
spirit of devotion and a burden of the work, God will  
make their labors a blessing to the people, and fruit will  
be seen as the result of their efforts. Ministers have  

THE SUPPORT OF CITY MISSIONS.  139  
failed greatly in their duty to so labor with the churches. 
There is important work to be done aside from that of  
preaching. Had this been clone, as God designed it 
shoul 
d be, there would have been many more laborers in  
the field than there now are. And had the ministers 
done their duty in educating every member, whether  
rich or poor, to give as God has prospered him, there 
would be a full treasury from which to pay the honest  
debts to the workers; and this would greatly advance 
missionary work in all their borders. God has shown me 
that many souls are in danger of eternal ruin through  
selfishness and worldliness; and the watchmen are guilty,  
for they have neglected their duty. This is a state of  
things that Satan exults to see."  
"All branches of the work belong to the ministers.  
It is not God's order that some one should follow after  
them, and bind off their unfinished work. It is not the 
duty of the Conference to be at the expense of employing 
other laborers to follow after, and pick up the stitches  
dropped by negligent workers. It is the duty of the  
president of the Conference to have an oversight of the 
laborers and their work, and to teach them to be faith-
ful in these things; for no church can prosper that is 
robbing God. The spiritual dearth in our churches is 
frequently the result of an alarming prevalence of self- 
ishness. Selfish, worldly pursuits and schemes interpose  
betwee 
n the soul and God. Men cling to the world,  
seeming to fear that should they let go their hold upon 
it, God would not care for them. And so they attempt 
to take care of themselves; they are anxious, troubled, 
distressed, holding on to their large farms, and adding to 
their possessions."  
"The word of God speaks of the 'hire of the laborers,  
which is by you kept back by fraud.' This is generally 
understood to apply to wealthy men who employ serv- 
ants and do not pay them for their labor; but it has a  
broader meaning than this. It applies with great force 
to those who have been enlightened by the Spirit of God, 
and yet in any degree work upon the same principle that  
these men do in hiring servants, grinding them down to 
the lowest price."


132  TESTIMONY FOB THE CHUSCII.  
I solemnly warn you not to stand in an attitude sim- 
ilar to that of the unfaithful spies, who went up to view  
the land of promise. When these spies returned from  
their search, the congregation of Israel were cherish- 
ing high hopes and were waiting in eager expectancy.  
The news of their return is carried from tribe to tribe,  
and is bailed with rejoicing. The people rush out to  
meet the messengers, who have endured the fatigue oi 
travel in the dusty highways and under a burning sun.  
These messengers bring specimens of the fruit, showing 
the fertility of the soil. The congregation rejoice that  
they are to come into possession of so goodly a land;  
and they listen intently as the report is brought to  
Moses 
, that not a word shall escape them. " We came  
unto the land whither thou sentest us," the spies begin,  
" and surely it iioweth with milk and honey; and this is  
th 
e fruit of it." The people are enthusiastic; they would  
eagerly obey the voice of the Lord, and go up at once to  
possess the land.  
But the spies continue: " Nevertheless the people be  
strong that dwell in the land, ancl the cities are walled, 
ancl very great; ancl moreover we saw the children of  
Anak there." Now the scene changes. Hope and cour-
age give place to cowardly despair, as the spies utter the  
sentiments of their unbelieving hearts, which are filled 
with discouragement prompted by Satan. Their unbelief  
casts a gloomy shadow over the congregation, and the  
might 
y power of Gocl, so often manifested in behalf of  
the chosen nation, is forgotten.  
The people are desperate in their disappointment and  
despair. A wail of agony arises, ancl mingles with the  
confused murmur of voices. Caleb comprehends the  
situation, and, bold to stand in defense of the word of  
Gocl, does all in his power to counteract the evil influ- 
ence of his unfaithful associates. For an instant the peo- 
ple are stilled to listen to his words of hope and courage  
respecting the goodly land. He does not contradict what  
has already been said; the walls are high, and the Ca- 
naanites strong. " Let us go up at once, and possess it,"  
he urges; " for we are well able to overcome it." But  

THE SUPPORT OF CITY MISSIONS.  139  
the ten interrupt him, and picture the obstacles in darker  
colors than at first. " We be not able to go up against  
the people," they declare; " for they are stronger than  
we." "All the people that we saw in it are men of  
a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons  
of Anak, which come of the giants; and we were in our  
own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."  
" And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and  
cried; and the people wept that night." The men who  
have so long borne with the perversity of Israel know  
too well what the next scene will be. Revolt and open  
mutiny quickly follow; for Satan has had full sway, and  
the people seem bereft of reason. They curse Moses and  
Aaron, forgetting that God hears their wicked speeches,  
and that, enshrouded in the cloudy pillar, the Angel of  
his presence is witnessing their terrible outburst of  
wrath. In bitterness they cry out, " Would God that  
we had died in the land of Egypt! or would Gocl we had  
died in this wilderness! And wherefore bath the Lord  
brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our  
wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not 
better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one 
to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into 
Egypt."  
In humiliation and distress, Moses and Aaron fall on  
" their faces before all the assembly of the congregation  
of the children of Israel," not knowing what to do to  
turn them from their rash and passionate purpose.  
Caleb and Joshua attempt to quiet the tumult. With  
their garments rent in token of grief and indignation, 
the 
y rush in among the people, ancl their ringing voices  
are heard above the tempest of lamentation and rebell-
ious grief: "The land, which we passed through to  
search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord de-
light in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give 
it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only re- 
bel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people  
of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is 
departed from them, and the Lord is with us; fear them  
not."


135  
TESTIMONY FOB THE CHUSCII.  
The false report of the unfaithful spies was fully ac- 
cepted, and through it the whole congregation were de- 
luded, just as Satan meant that they should be; and the  
voice of God through his faithful servants was disre-
garded. The traitors had done their work. All the as- 
sembly, as with one voice, cried out in favor of stoning  
Caleb and Joshua.  
And now the mighty God reveals himself to the con- 
fusion of his disobedient, murmuring people. " And the 
glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the con- 
gregation before all the children of Israel." What a  
burden was brought upon Moses and Aaron, and how  
earnest were their entreaties that God would not destroy 
his people! Moses pleads before the Lord the wonderful  
manifestations of divine power that have made the name  
of Israel's God a terror to their enemies, and entreats  
that the enemies of God and of his people may have no  
occasion to triumph, saying, Because the Lord was not  
able to bring this people into the land which he sware  
unto them, therefore he- hath slain them in the wilder- 
ness. 
" The Lord hearkened unto the prayer of Moses;  
but he declarod that those who had rebelled against him 
after having witnessed bis power and glory, should fall  
i 
n the wilderness; they should never see the land which  
was their promised inheritance. But of Caleb he said,  
" My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with  
him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into  
the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall pos- 
sess it."  
It was Caleb's faith in God that gave him courage;  
that kept him from the fear of man, even the mighty  
giants, the sons of Anak, and enabled him to stand  
boldly and unflinchingly in defense of the right. From 
th 
e same exalted source, the mighty General of the  
armies of Heaven, every true soldier of the cross of  
Christ must receive strength and courage to overcome  
obstacles that often seem insurmountable. The law of  
God is made void; and those who would do their duty  
must be ever ready to speak the words that God gives 
them, and not the words of doubt, discouragement, and  
despair.  

THE SUPPORT OF CITY MISSIONS.  139  
Eld. M, although you may be sustained by many, as  
were the unfaithful spies, yet the sentiments of your 
letter are not prompted by the Spirit of the Lord. Be- 
ware lest your words and your spirit be like theirs, and  
your work of the same baleful character. At such a  
time as this, we must not harbor a thought nor breathe 
a word of unbelief, nor encourage an act of self-serving. 
This has been done in the U. C. ancl N. P. Conferences;  
and while there we felt in some measure the sorrow,  
mortification, ancl discouragement that Moses and Aaron, 
Caleb and J oshua, experienced. We tried to set the cur- 
rent flowing in an opposite direction; but it was at the 
cost of much severe labor and great anxiety ancl distress  
of mind. Ancl the work of reform in these Conferences 
has but just commenced. It is the work of time to  
overcome the unbelief, distrust, and suspicion of years.  
Sata 
n has been to a great extent successful in carrying  
out his purposes in these Conferences, because he has  
found persons whom he could use as his agents.  
Fo 
r Christ's sake and the truth's sake, Bro. M, do not  
leave the work in your Conference in such a shape that 
it will be impossible for the one that succeeds you to  
set things in order. The people have received narrow 
and limited views of the work; selfishness has been en- 
couraged, and worldliness has been unrebuked. I call  
upon you to do all in your power to efface the wrong  
mol 
d you have given to this Conference, to remedy tjie  
sacl effects of your neglect of duty, and thus to prepare 
the field for another laborer. Unless you do this, may 
God pity the workman who shall follow you.  
Presidents of Conferences should be men who can be  
fully trusted with God's work. They should be men of  
integrity, unselfish, devoted, working Christians. If they 
are deficient in these respects, the churches under their  
care will not prosper. They, even more than other min-
isters of Christ, should set an example of holy living, 
and of unselfish devotion to the interests of God's cause,  
that those looking to them for an example may not be  
misled. But in some instances they are trying to serve 
both God and mammon. They are not self-denying; they


136  TESTIMONY FOB THE CHUSCII.  
do not carry a burden for souls. Their consciences are  
not sensitive; when the cause of God is wounded, they 
are not bruised in spirit. In their hearts they question 
and doubt the Testimonies of the Spirit of God. They  
do not themselves bear the cross of Christ; they know  
no 
t the fervent love of Jesus. And they are not faith- 
ful shepherds of the flock over which they have been 
made overseers; their record is not one that they will  
rejoice to meet in the clay of God.  
How much is required of the minister in his work of  
watchin 
g for souls as they that must give an account!  
What devotion, what singleness of purpose, what elevated  
piety 
, should be seen in his life and character! How  
much is lost through a want of tact and skill in present 
ing the truth to others,—how much through a careless-
ness of deportment, a roughness of speech, and a worldli- 
ness that in no way represents Jesus or savors of Heaven.  
Our work is about to close up. Soon it will be said in  
Heaven: " He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and 
he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is  
righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, 
let him be holy still." At this solemn time the church  
i 
s called upon to be vigilant, because of the intense ac- 
tivity of Satan. His agency is seen on every hand; and  
yet ministers and people act as though they were ignorant 
of his devices and paralyzed by his power. Let each  
member of the church awake. Let each laborer remem- 
ber that the vineyard he tills is not his own, but belongs  
t 
o his Lord, who has gone on a long journey, and in his  
absence has commissioned his servants to look after his 
interests; and let him remember that if he is unfaithful  
to his trust, he must give an account to his Lord when  
he shall return.  
While the doubting ones talk of impossibilities, while  
they tremble at the thought of high walls and strong  
giants, let the faithful Calebs, who have "another spirit,"  
come to the front. The truth of God,  which bringeth  
salvation, will go forth to the people, if ministers and 
professed believers will not hedge up its way, as did the  
unfaithful spies. Our work is aggressive. Something  

THE SUPPORT OF CITY MISSIONS. 139  
must be done to warn the world; and let no voice be  
heard that will encourage selfish interests to the neglect  
of missionary fields. We must engage in the work with 
heart and soul and voice; both mental and physical pow-
ers must be aroused. All Heaven is interested in our 
work 
, and angels of God are ashamed of our weak efforts.  
I am alarmed at the indifference of our churches.  
Like Meroz, they have failed to come up to the help of  
the Lord. The laymen have been at ease. They have 
folded their hands, feeling that the responsibility rested 
upon the ministers. But to every man God has appointed 
his work; not work in his fields of corn and wheat, but 
earnest, persevering work for the salvation of souls. God  
forbid, Eld. M, that you or any other minister should  
quench one particle of the spirit of labor that now ex-
ists. Will you not rather stimulate it by your words of 
burning zeal? The Lord has made us the depositaries of  
his law; he has committed to us sacred and eternal truth, 
which is to be given to others in faithful warnings, re- 
proofs, and encouragement. By means of railroads and  
steamboat lines we are connected with every part of the 
world, and given access to every nation with our message  
of truth. Let us sow the seed of gospel truth beside all  
waters; for we know not which shall prosper, this or that,  
or whether both shall be alike fruitful. Paul may plant,  
and Apollos water; but it is God who giveth the increase.  
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may  
se 
e your good works, and glorify your Father which is in  
Heaven." Do not put your light under a bushel, but on  
a candlestick, that it may give light to all that are in 
the house. "Ye are not your own; ye are bought with 
a price," even the precious blood of the Son of God.  
We have no right to live to ourselves. Every minister  
should be a consecrated missionary; every layman a  
worker, using his talents of influence and means in his  
Lord's service; for active benevolence is a vital principle  
of Christianity. It is the exercise of this principle that 
is to bring sheaves to the Lord of the harvest, while a 
want of it hinders the work of God, and bars the way 
for the salvation of souls.


138  TESTIMONY FOB THE CHUSCII.  
Ministers have neglected to enforce gospel beneficence.  
The subject of tithes and offerings has not been dwelt  
upon as it should have been. Men are not naturally in-
clined to be benevolent, but to be sordid and avaricious, 
and to live for self. And Satan is ever ready to present  
the advantages to be gained by using all their means for 
selfish, worldly purposes; he is glad when he can influ- 
ence them to shirk duty, and rob God in tithes and offer-
ings. But not one is excused in this matter. "Let  
every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath pros- 
pered him." The poor and the rich, the young men and  
the young women who earn wages,—all are to lay by a 
a portion; for God claims it. The spiritual prosperity  
of every member of the church depends on personal ef- 
fort and strict fidelity to God. Says the apostle Paul:  
" Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be  
not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the 
living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that  
they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to  
distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for 
themselves a good foundation against the time to come,  
that they may lay hold on eternal life." All are re- 
quired to show a deep interest in the cause of God in its  
various branches; and close and unexpected tests will be  
brought to bear upon them to see who are worthy to re-
ceive the seal of the living God.  
All should feel that they are not proprietors, but  
stewards, and that the time is coming when they must  
give an account for the use they have made of their  
Lord's money. Means will be needed in the cause of 
God. With David they should say, "All things come of 
Thee, and of thine own have we given Thee." Schools  
are to be established in various places, publications are  
to be multiplied, churches are to be built in the large  
cities, and laborers are to be sent forth, not only into the  
cities, but into the highways and hedges. And now, my  
brethren who believe the truth, is your opportunity.  
We are standing, as it were, on the borders of the eternal 
world. We are looking for the glorious appearing of  
our Lord; the night is far spent; the day is at hand.  

THE SUPPORT OF CITY MISSIONS.  139  
When we realize the greatness of the plan of redemp* 
tion, we shall be far more courageous, self-sacrificing, and  
devotional than we now are.  
There is a great work for us to do before success will  
crown our efforts. There must be decided reforms in our 
homes and in our churches. Parents must labor for the  
salvation of their children. God will work with our 
efforts, when we do on our part all that he has enjoined  
upo 
n us and qualified us to do; but because of our un- 
belief, worldliness, and indolence, blood-bought souls in  
the very shadow of our homes are dying in their sins,  
and dying unwarned. Is Satan always thus to triumph?  
Oh, no ! The light reflected from the cross of Calvary 
indicates that a greater work is to be done than our eyes  
have yet witnessed.  
The third angel, flying in the midst of heaven, and  
heralding the commandments of God and the testimony  
of Jesus, represents our work. The message loses none  
of its force in the angel's onward flight; for John sees  
it increasing in strength and power until the whole earth 
is lightened with its glory. The course of God's com- 
mandment-keeping people is onward, ever onward. Tht 
message of truth that we bear must go to nations, 
tongues, and peoples. Soon it will go with a loud voice,' 
and the earth will be lightened with its glory. Are we, 
preparing for this great outpouring of the Spirit of God?  
Human agencies are to be employed in this work.  
Zeal and energy must be intensified; talents that are  
rusting from inaction must be pressed into service. The 
voice that would say, "Wait; do not allow yourself to 
have burdens imposed upon you," is the voice of the 
cowardly spies. We want Calebs now, who will press to  
the front,—chieftains in Israel who with courageous 
words will make a strong report in favor of immediate  
action. When the selfish, ease-loving, panic-stricken 
people, fearing tall giants and inaccessible walls, clamor  
for retreat, let the voice of the Calebs be heard, even  
though the cowardly ones stand with stones in their 
hands, ready to beat them down for their faithful tes- 
timony.


140  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Can we not discern the signs of the times? Caai we  
not see how earnestly Satan is at work binding the tares 
in bundles, uniting the elements of his kingdom, that he  
may gain control of the world? This work of binding up 
th 
e tares is going forward far more rapidly than we  
imagine. Satan is opposing every obstacle to the ad- 
vancement of the truth. He is seeking to create diver-
sity of opinion, and to encourage worldliness and avarice.  
He works with the subtlety of  the serpent, and when he  
sees it will do, with the ferocity of the lion. The ruin of  
souls is his only delight, their destruction his only em- 
ployment; and shall we act as though we were paralyzed? 
Will those who profess to believe the truth listen to the 
temptations of the wily foe, and allow themselves to be- 
com 
e selfish and narrow, and their worldly interests to  
interfere with efforts for the salvation of souls ?  
All who ever enter Heaven's gates will enter as con- 
querors. When the redeemed throng surround the throne 
of God, with palm branches in their hands and crowns  
on their heads, it will be known what victories have 
been won. It will be seen how Satan's power has been  
exercised over minds,—how he has linked with himself  
souls who flattered themselves that they were doing God's 
will. It will then be seen that his power and subtlety  
could not have been successfully resisted had not divine  
power been combined with human effort. Man mu: t  
also be victor over himself; his temper, inclinations, and  
spirit must be brought into subjection to the will of God.  
But the righteousness and strength of Christ avail for  
all who will claim his merits.  
Then let earnest and determined effort be made to  
beat back the terrible foe. We want on the whole armor 
of righteousness. Time is passing, and we are fast ap- 
proaching the close of our probation. Will our names  
stand registered in the Lamb's book of life, or shall we  
be found with the unfaithful? Are we of the number 
who shall gather around the great white throne, singing  
the song of the redeemed? There are no cold, formal  
ones in that throng. Every soul is in earnest, every heart  
full of thanksgiving for the marvelous love of God, and  

THE TRUE MISSIONARY SPIRIT.  141  
the overcoming grace that has enabled his people to con-
quer in the warfare against sin. And with a loud voice 
they swell the song, "Salvation to our God which sitteth  
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."  
THE TRUE MISSIONARY SPIRIT.  
THE true missionary spirit is the spirit of Christ. The  
world's Redeemer was the great model m issionary. Many  
of his followers have labored earnestly antl unselfishly in  
the cause of human salvation; but no man's labor can  
bear comparison with the self-denial, the sacrifice, the 
benevolence, of our Exemplar.  
The love which Christ has evinced for us is without a  
parallel. How earnestly he labored! How often was 
he alone in fervent prayer, on the mountain side or in  
the retirement of the garden, pouring out his supplica-
tions with strong crying and tears. How perseveringly 
he urged his petitions in behalf of sinners ! Even on the  
cross, he forgot his own sufferings in his deep love for  
those whom he came to save. How cold our love, how  
feeble our interest, when compared with the love and 
interest manifested by our Saviour ! Jesus gave himself 
to redeem our race; and yet how ready are we to excuse  
ourselves from giving all that we have for Jesus. Our  
Saviour submitted to wearing labor, ignominy, and suffer- 
ing. He was repulsed, mocked, derided, while engaged 
in the great work which he came to earth to do.  
Do you, my brethren and sisters, inquire, What model  
shall we copy? I do not point you to great and good 
men, but to the world's Redeemer. If we would have  
the true missionary spirit, we must be imbued with the 
love of Christ; we must look to the Author and Finisher  
of our faith, study his character, cultivate his spirit of  
meekness and humility, and walk in his footsteps.  
Many suppose that the missionary spirit, the qualifica- 
tion for missionary work, is a special gift or endowment 
bestowed upon the ministers and a few members of the


142  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
church, and that all others are to be mere spectators.  
Never was there a greater mistake. Every true Chris- 
tian will possess a missionary spirit; for to be a Christian 
is to be Christlike. No man liveth to himself, and  
" if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of  
his." Every one who has tasted of the powers of the  
world to come, whether he be young or old, learned or  
unlearned, will be stirred with the spirit which actuated  
Christ. The very first impulse of the renewed heart is 
to bring others also to the Saviour. Those who do not  
possess this desire, give evidence that they have lost 
their first love; they should closely examine their own  
hearts in the light of God's word, and earnestly seek a  
fresh baptism of the Spirit of Christ; they should pray  
for a deeper comprehension of that wondrous love which  
Jesus manifested for us in leaving the realms of glory,  
and coming to a fallen world to save the perishing.  
There is work for every one of us in the vineyard of  
the Lord. We are not to seek that position which will  
yield us the most enjoyment or the greatest gain. True  
religion is free from selfishness. The missionary spirit  
is a spirit of personal sacrifice. We are to work any- 
where and everywhere, to the utmost of our ability, for 
the cause of our Master,  
Just as soon as a person is really converted to the  
truth, there springs up in his heart an earnest desire to  
go and tell some friend or neighbor of the precious light  
shining forth from the sacred pages. In his unself-
ish labor to save others, he is a living epistle, known and  
read of all men. His life shows that he has been con- 
verted to Christ, and has become a co-laborer with him.  
As a class, Seventh-day Adventists are a generous and  
warm-hearted people. In the proclamation of the truth  
for this time, we can rely upon their strong and ready  
sympathy. When a proper object for their liberality is  
presented, appealing to their judgment and conscience,  
it calls forth a hearty response. Their gifts in support  
of the cause testify that they believe it to be the cause  
o 
f truth. There are, indeed, exceptions among us. Not  
all who profess to accept the faith are earnest and true- 

THE TRUE MISSIONARY SPIRIT.  143  
hearted believers. But the same was true in the days of  
Christ. Even among the apostles there was a Judas;  
but that did not prove all to be of the same character.  
We have no reason for discouragement while we know 
that there are so many who are devoted to the cause of  
truth, and are ready to make noble sacrifices for its ad-
vancement. But there is still a great lack, a great need  
among us. There is too little of the true missionary 
spirit. All missionary workers should possess that deep  
interest for the souls of their fellow-men that will unite 
heart to heart, in sympathy, and in  the love of Jesus.  
They should plead earnestly for divine aid, and should  
work wisely to win souls to Christ. A cold, spiritless 
effort will accomplish nothing. There is need that the 
spirit of Christ fall upon the sons of the prophets. Then 
will they manifest such love for the souls of men as Jesus  
exemplified in his life.  
The reason why there is no deeper religious fervor,  
and no more earnest love for one another in the church 
is, the missionary spirit has been dying out. Little is 
now said concerning Christ's coming, which was once the  
theme of thought and of conversation. There is an un- 
accountable reluctance, a growing disrelish for religious  
conversation; ancl in its stead, idle, frivolous chit-chat is  
indulged in, even by the professed followers of Christ.  
My brethren and sisters, do you desire to break the  
spell that holds you ? Would you arouse from this slug- 
gishness that resembles the torpor of death 1 Go to work,  
whether you feel like it or not. Engage in personal 
effort to bring souls to Jesus and the knowledge of the 
truth. In such labor you will find both a stimulus and 
a tonic; it will both arouse and strengthen. By exercise 
your spiritual powers will become more vigorous, so that 
you can, with better success, work out your own salva-
tion. The stupor of death is upon many who profess  
Christ. Make every effort to arouse them. Warn en- 
treat, expostulate. Pray that the melting love of God 
may warm and soften their ice-bound natures. Though 
they may refuse to hear, your labor will not be lost. In 
the effort to bless others, your own souls will be blessed,


144  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
We have the theory of the truth, and now we need to  
seek most earnestly for its sanctifying power. 1 dare 
not hold my peace in this time of peril. It is a time of  
temptation, of despondency. Every one is beset by the  
wile 
s of Satan, and we should press together to resist his  
power. We should be of one mind, speaking the same  
things, and with one mouth glorifying God. Then may  
we successfully enlarge our plans, and by vigilant mis-
sionary effort,"take advantage of every talent we can use  
in the various departments of the work.  
The light of truth is shedding its bright beams upon  
the world through missionary effort. The press is an  
instrumentality by which many are reached whom it  
would be impossible to reach by ministerial effort. A  
great work can be done by presenting to the people the  
Bible just as it reads. Carry the word of God to every 
man's door, urge its plain statements upon every man's  
conscience, repeat to all the Saviour's command, " Search 
the Scriptures." Admonish them to take the Bible as it  
is, to implore divine enlightenment, and then, when the  
light shines, to gladly accept each precious ray, and fear- 
lessly abide the consequences.  
The down-trodden law of Gocl is to be exalted before  
the people; as soon as they turn with earnestness and  
reverence to the holy Scriptures, light from Heaven will  
reveal to them wondrous things out of God's law. Great 
truths that have long been obscured by superstition ancl  
false doctrine, will blaze forth from the illuminated  
pages of the sacred word. The living oracles pour forth  
their treasures new and old, bringing light and joy to all 
who will receive them. Many are roused from their  
slumber. They rise as it were from the dead, and re- 
ceive the light and life which Christ alone can give. 
Truths which have proved an overmatch for giant intel- 
lects are understood by babes in Christ. To these is  
plainly revealed that which has clouded the spiritual  
peiception of the most learned expositors of the word,  
because, like the Sadducees of old, they were ignorant of  
the Scriptures and of the power of God.  
Thos 
e who study the Bible with a sincere desire to  

THE TRUE MISSIONARY SPIRIT.  145  
know and clo the will of God* will become wise unto sal-
vation. The Sabbath-school is an important branch of 
the missionary work, not only because it gives to young 
and old a knowledge of God's word, but because it awak- 
ens in them a love for its sacred truths, and a desire to 
study it for themselves; above all, it teaches them to reg-
ulate their lives by its holy teachings.  
All who take the word of God as their rule of life are  
brought into close relationship with one another. The 
Bible is their bond of union. But their companionship 
wil 
l not be sought or desired by those who do not bow  
to the sacred word as the one unerring guide. They will 
be at variance, both in faith and practice. There can be 
no harmony between them; they are unreconcilable. As 
Seventh-day Adventists, we appeal from custom and tra-
dition to the plain " Thus saith the Lord;" ancl for this 
reason we are not, and we cannot be, in harmony with 
the multitudes who teach and follow the doctrines and  
commandments of men.  
All who are born of God will become co-workers with  
Christ 
. Such are the salt of the earth. "But if the  
salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?"  
If the religion we profess fails to renew our hearts and  
sanctify our lives, how shall it exert a saving power  
upon unbelievers ? " It is thenceforth good for nothing,  
but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."  
That religion which will not exert a regenerating power 
upon the world, is of no value. We cannot trust it 
for our own salvation. The sooner we cast it away the  
better : for it is powerless and spurious.  
We are to serve under our great Leader, to press  
against every opposing influence, to be laborers together  
with God. The work appointed us is to sow the gospel  
seed beside all waters. In this work every one must act 
a part. The manifold grace of Christ imparted to us 
constitutes us stewards of talents which we must in-
crease by putting them out to the exchangers, that when 
the Master calls for them, he may receive his own with 
usury.  
10


146 TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
YOUNG MEN AS MISSIONARIES.  
YOUNG men who desire to enter the field as ministers,  
colporters, or canvassers, should first receive a suitable  
degree of mental training, as well as a special preparation  
for their calling. Those who are uneducated, untrained,  
and unrefined are not prepared to enter a field in which 
the powerful influences of talent and education combat  
the truths of God's word. Neither can they success- 
fully meet the strange forms of error, religious and phil-
osophical combined, to expose which requires a knowl- 
edge of scientific as well as Scriptural truth.  
Those especially who have the ministry in view,  
should feel the importance of the Scriptural method of  
ministeria 
l training. They should enter heartily into  
the work, and while they study in the schools, they  
should learn of the Great Teacher the meekness and hu- 
mility of Christ. A covenant-keeping God has prom-
ised that in answer to prayer his Spirit shall be poured  
out upon these learners in the school of Christ, that they  
may become ministers of righteousness.  
There is hard work to be done in dislodging error and  
false doctrine from the head, that Bible truth and Bible 
religion may find a place in the heart. It was as a  
means ordained of God to educate young men and  
women for the various departments of missionary labor 
that colleges were established among us. It is God's  
will that they send forth not merely a few, but many 
laborers. But Satan, determined to overthrow this pur- 
pose, has often secured the very ones whom God would  
qualify for places of usefulness in his work. There are 
many who would work if urged into service, and who  
woul 
d save their souls by thus working. The church  
should feel her great responsibility in shutting up the 
light of truth, and restraining the grace of God within 
her own narrow limits, when money and influence should  
be freely employed in bringing competent persons into  
th 
e missionary field.  
Hundreds of young men should have been preparing  

YOUNG MEN AS MISSIONARIES.  147  
to act a part in the work of scattering the seeds of truth  
beside all waters. We want men who will push the 
triumph 
s of the cross; men who will persevere under dis- 
couragements and privations; who will have the zeal and 
resolution and faith that are indispensable in the mis- 
sionary field.  
Our churches are called upon to take hold of this work  
with far greater earnestness than has yet been mani- 
fested. Every church should make special provision  
fo 
r the training of its missionaries, thus aiding the ful- 
fillment 
 of the great command, "Go ye into all the  
world, and preach the gospel to every creature." My  
brethren, Ave have erred and sinned in attempting too 
little. There should be more laborers in the foreign 
missionary field. There are among us those who, with-
ou 
t the toil and delay of learning a foreign language,  
might qualify themselves to proclaim the truth to other 
nations. In the primitive church, missionaries were 
miraculously endowed with a knowledge of the lan- 
guages in which they were called to preach the un- 
searchable riches of Christ. And if God was willing 
thus to help his servants then, can we doubt that his  
blessing will rest upon our efforts to qualify those who 
naturally possess a knowledge of foreign tongues, and 
who with proper encouragement would bear to their own 
countrymen the message of truth? We might have had 
more laborers in foreign missionary fields, had those who  
entered these fields availed themselves of every talent 
within their reach. But some have had a disposition to re-
fuse help if it did not come just according to their ideas  
and plans. And what is the result? If our mission- 
aries were to be removed by sickness or death from  
their fields of labor, where are the men whom they have 
educated to fill their places?  
Not one of our missionaries has secured the co-opera- 
tion of eVery available talent. Much time has thus been 
lost. We rejoice in the good work which has been done 
in foreign lands; but had different plans of labor been  
adopted, ten-fold, yes, twenty-fold more might have  
been accomplished; an acceptable offering would have


148  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
been presented to Jesus, in many souls rescued from the  
bondage of error.  
Every one who receives the light of truth should be  
taught to bear the light to others. Our missionaries in  
foreign lands should gratefully accept every help, every  
facility, offered them. They must be willing to run  
some risk, to venture something. It is not pleasing to  
God that we defer present opportunities for doing good,  
in hope of accomplishing a greater work in the future.  
Each should follow the leadings of Providence, not con-
sulting self-interest, and not trusting wholly to his own  
judgment. Some may be so constituted as to see failure  
where God intends success; they may see only giants 
and walled cities, where others, with clearer vision, see  
also God and angels, ready to give victory to his truth.  
It may in some cases be necessary that young men  
learn foreign languages. This they can do with most  
success by associating with the people, at the same time  
devotin 
g a portion of each day to studying the lan- 
guage. This should be done, however, only as a neces- 
sary step preparatory to educating such as are found in 
the missionary fields themselves, and who with proper  
training can become workers. It is essential that those  
be urged into the service who can speak in their mother  
tongu 
e to the people of different nations. It is a great  
undertaking for a man of middle age to learn a foreign  
language; and with all his efforts it will be next to im-
possible for him to speak it so readily and correctly as to  
render him an efficient laborer.  
We cannot afford to deprive our home missions of the  
influence of middle-aged and aged ministers to send  
them into distant fields, to engage in a work for which 
they are not qualified, and to which no amount of train- 
ing will enable them to adapt themselves. The men  
thus sent out leave vacancies which inexperienced labor- 
ers cannot supply. •  
But the church may inquire whether young men can  
be trusted with the grave responsibilities involved in es- 
tablishing and superintending a foreign mission. I an- 
swer, God designed that they should be so trained in  

YOUNG MEN AS MISSIONARIES.  149  
our colleges and by association in labor with men of ex-
perience 
, that they would be prepared for departments  
of usefulness in this cause. We must manifest confi-
dence in our young men. They should be pioneers in  
every enterprise involving toil and sacrifice, while the 
overtaxed servants of Christ should be cherished as  
counselors, to encourage and bless those who strike the  
heaviest blows for God. Providence thrust these expe-
rienced fathers into trying, responsible positions at an 
early age, when neither physical nor intellectual powers  
were fully developed. The magnitude of the trust com-
mitted to them aroused their energies, and their active 
labor in the work aided both mental and physical devel- 
opment.  
Young men are wanted. God calls them to mission- 
ary fields. Being comparatively free from care and re-
sponsibilities, they are more favorably situated to en-
gage in the work than are those who must provide for 
the training and support of a large family. Further-
more, young men can more readily adapt themselves to 
new climates and new society, and can better endure in- 
conveniences and hardships. By tact and perseverance, 
they can reach the people where they are.  
Strength comes by exercise. All who put to use the  
ability which God has given them, will have increased  
ability to devote to his service. Those who do nothing  
in the cause of God, will fail to grow in grace and in the  
knowledge of the truth. A man who would lie down  
and refuse to exercise his limbs, would soon lose all 
power to use them. Thus the Christian who will not  
exercise his God-given powers, not only fails to grow up  
into Christ, but he loses the strength which he already  
had; he becomes a spiritual paralytic. It is those who,  
with love for God and their follow-men, are striving to 
help others, that become established, strengthened, set-
tled, in the truth. The true Christian works for God, 
not from impulse, but from principle; not for a day or a 
month, but during the entire period of life.  
How is our light to shine forth to the world, unless it  
be by our consistent Christian life? How is the world


150  TESTIMONY FOE THE CHURCH.  
to know that we belong to Christ, if we do nothing for  
him? Said our Saviour, "Ye shall know them by their 
fruits." And again: " He that is not with me is against 
me." There is no neutral ground between those who  
work to the utmost of their ability for Christ, and those  
who work for the adversary of souls. Every one who 
stands as an idler in the vineyard of the Lord is not 
merely doing nothing himself, but he is a hindrance to 
those who are trying to work. Satan finds employment  
for all who are not earnestly striving to secure their own 
salvation and the salvation of others.  
The church of Christ may be fitly compared to an  
army. The life of every soldier is one of toil, hardship,  
and danger. On every hand are vigilant foes, led on by 
the prince of the powers of darkness, who never slum- 
bers and never deserts his post. Whenever a Christian  
is off his guard, this powerful adversary makes a sudden  
ancl violent attack. Unless the members of the church 
are active and vigilant, they will be overcome by his de- 
vices.  
What if half the soldiers in an army were idling or  
asleep when ordered to be on duty; the result would be  
defeat, captivity, or death. Should any escape from the 
hands of the enemy, would they be thought worthy of a 
reward? No; they would speedily receive the sentence of 
death. And is the church of Christ careless or unfaith- 
ful, far more important consequences are involved.  
A sleeping army of Christian soldiers—what could be 
more terrible! What advance could be made against the 
world, who are under the control of the prince of dark-
ness? Those who stand back indifferently in the day of  
battle, as though they had no interest and felt no respon-
sibilit 
y as to the issue of the contest, might better change  
their course or leave the ranks at once.  
The Master calls for gospel workers. Who will re- 
spond?  All who enter the army are not to be generals,  
captains, sergeants, or even corporals. All have not the 
care and responsibility of leaders. There is hard work 
of other kinds to be done. Some must dig trenches and 
buil 
d fortifications; some are to stand as sentinels, some  

YOUNG MEN AS MISSIONARIES.  151  
to carry messages. While there are but few officers, it  
requires many soldiers to form the rank and file of the  
army; yet its success depends upon the fidelity of every  
soldier. One man's cowardice or treachery may bring 
disaster upon the entire army.  
There is earnest work to be done by us individually if  
we would fight the good fight of faith. Eternal inter-
ests are at stake. We must put on the whole armor of  
righteousness, we must resist the devil, and we have the  
sure promise that he will be put to flight. The church  
is to conduct an aggressive warfare, to make conquests 
for Christ, to rescue souls from the power of the enemy.  
God and holy angels are engaged in this warfare. Let  
us please Him who has called us to be soldiers.  
All can do something in the work. None will be pro- 
nounced guiltless before God, unless they have worked 
earnestly and unselfishly for the salvation of souls.  
The church should teach the youth, both by precept and 
example, to be workers for Christ. There are many who  
complain of their doubts, who lament that they have no  
assurance of their connection with God. This is  often  
attributable to the fact that they are doing nothing in  
God's cause. Let them seek earnestly to help and bless  
others, and their doubts and despondency will disappear.  
Many who profess to be followers of Christ speak and  
act as though their names were a great honor to the  
cause of God, while they bear no burdens and win no 
souls to the truth. Such persons live as though God  
had no claims upon them. If they continue in this 
course, they will find at last that they have no claims  
upon God.  
He who has appointed " to every man his work," ac- 
cording to his ability, will never let the faithful perform- 
ance of duty go unrewarded. Every act of loyalty and  
faith will be crowned with special tokens of God's favor  
and approbation. To every worker is given the promise,  
"He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious  
seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing  
his sheaves with him."


152  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
IMPORTANCE OF THE CANVASSING WORK.  
VERY much more efficient work can be done in the  
canvassin 
g field than has yet been done. The canvasser  
should not rest satisfied unless he is constantly im- 
proving. He should make thorough preparation, but 
should not be content with a set form of words; he 
should give the Lord a chance to work with his efforts  
and impress his mind. The love of Jesus abiding in his 
hear 
t will enable him to devise means to gain access to  
individuals and families.  
Canvassers need self-culture and polished manners, not  
the affected and artificial manners of the world, but the  
agreeable manners that are the natural result of kind-
ness of heart and a desire to copy the example of Christ.  
They should cultivate thoughtful, care-taking habits,—  
habits of industry and discretion,—and should seek to 
honor God by making of themselves all that it is possi- 
ble for them to become. Jesus made an infinite sacrifice  
to place them in right relations to God and to their fel- 
low-men, and divine aid combined with human effort will 
enable them to reach a high standard of excellence. The 
canvasser should be chaste like Joseph, meek like Moses, 
and temperate like Daniel; then a power will attend him  
wherever he goes.  
If the canvasser pursues a wrong course, if he utters  
falsehood or practices deception, he loses his own self- 
respect. He may not be conscious that God sees him, 
and is acquainted with every business transaction, that  
holy angels are weighing his motives and listening to his 
words, and that his reward will be according to his works; 
but if it were possible to conceal his wrong-doing from  
human and divine inspection, the fact that he himself 
knows it, is degrading to his mind and character. One  
act does not determine the character, but it breaks down  
the barrier, and the next temptation is more readily en-
tertained, until finally a habit of prevarication and dis-
honesty in business is formed, and the man cannot be 
trusted.  

IMPORTANCE OF THE CANVASSING WORK. 153  
There are too many in families and in the church who  
make little account of glaring inconsistencies. There 
are young men who appear what they are not. They 
seem honest and true; but they are like whited sepul-
chers, fair without, but corrupt to the core. The heart 
is spotted, stained with sin; and thus the record stands 
in the heavenly courts. A process has been going on in 
the mind that has made them callous, past feeling. But 
if their characters, weighed in the balances of the sanct-
uary, are pronounced wanting in the great day of God,  
it will be a calamity that they do not now comprehend. 
Truth, precious, untarnished truth, is to be a part of the 
character.  
Whatever way is chosen, the path of life is beset with  
perils 
. If the workers in any branch of the cause be- 
come careless and inattentive to their eternal interests, 
they are meeting with great loss. The tempter will find 
access to them. He will spread nets for their feet, and  
will lead them in uncertain paths. Those only are safe  
whose hearts are garrisoned with pure principles. Like  
David they will pray, " Hold up my goings in Thy paths,  
that my footsteps slip not." A constant battle must be  
kept up with the selfishness and corruption of the human 
heart. Often the wicked seem to be prospered in their 
way; but those who forget God, even for an hour or a 
moment, are in a dangerous path. They may not realize 
its perils; but ere they are aware, habit, like an iron  
band, holds them in subjection to the evil with which  
they have tampered. God despises their course, and his 
blessing will not attend them.  
I 
 have seen that young men undertake this work with- 
out connecting themselves with Heaven. They place 
themselves in the way of temptation to show their 
bravery. They laugh at the folly of others. They know 
the right way; they know how to conduct themselves.  
How easily they can resist temptation! how vain to 
think of their falling! But they make not God their de-
fense. Satan has an insidious snare prepared for them, 
and they themselves become the sport of fools.  
Our great adversary has agents that are constantly


152  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
hunting for an opportunity to destroy souls, as a lion  
hunts his prey Shun them, young man; for while they 
appear to be your friends, they will slyly introduce evil  
ways and practices They flatter you with their lips,  
and offer to help and guide you; but their steps take hold  
on hell. If you listen to their counsel, it may be the 
turning-point in your life. One safeguard removed from  
conscience, the indulgence of one evil habit, a single neg-
lect of the high claims of duty, may be the beginning of 
a 
 course of deception that will pass you into the ranks  
of those who are serving Satan, while you are all the 
time professing to love God and his cause. A moment  
of thoughtlessness, a single misstep, may turn  the whole  
current of your lives in the wrong direction. And you  
may never know what caused your ruin until the sen-
tence is pronounced, "Depart from me, ye that work  
iniquity."  
Some young men know that what I have said fairly  
describes their course. Their ways are not hidden from  
the Lord, although they may be hidden from their best  
friends, even their father and mother. I have little hope 
that some of these will ever change their course of hypoc- 
risy and deception. Others who have erred are seeking 
to redeem themselves. May the dear Jesus help them  
to set their faces as a flint against all falsehoods, and the  
flatteries of those who would weaken their purpose to do  
right, or who would insinuate doubts or infidel sentiments  
to shake their faith in the truth. Young friends, do 
not spend an hour in the company of those who would  
unfit you for the pure and sacred work of God. Do 
nothing before strangers that you would not do before  
your father and mother, or that you would be ashamed  
of before Christ and the holy angels.  
Some may think these cautions are not needed by  
Sabbath-keepers; but  those to whom they apply know  
what I mean. I tell you, young men, to beware; for  
you can do nothing that is not open to the eyes of an- 
gels and of God. You cannot do an evil work, and 
others not be affected by it. While your course of ac- 
tion reveals what kind of material is used in your own  

IMPORTANCE OF THE CANVASSING WORK. 155  
character-building, it also has a powerful influence over 
others. Never lose sight of the fact that you belong to  
God, that he has bought you with a price, and you must  
render an account to him for all his intrusted talents.  
No one should have any part in the work of the can-
vasser or colporter whose hand is defiled with sin, ot 
whose heart is not right with God; for such persons will 
surely dishonor the cause of truth. Those who are work-
ers in the missionary field need God to guide them.  
The 
y should be careful to start right, and then keep  
quietly and firmly on in the path of rectitude. They 
should be decided; for Satan is determined and persever- 
ing in his efforts to overthrow them.  
A mistake has been made in soliciting subscriptions  
for our periodicals for only a few weeks, when by a proper 
effort much longer subscriptions might have been ob- 
tained. One yearly subscription is of more value than 
many for a short time. When the paper is taken for 
only a few months, the interest often ends with the short  
subscription. Few renew their subscriptions for a longer  
period, and thus there is a large outlay of time that 
brings small returns, when with a little more tact and  
perseverance, yearly subscriptions might have been ob- 
tained. You strike too low, brethren; you are too nar- 
ro 
w in your plans. You do not put into your work all  
the tact and perseverance that it deserves. There are 
more difficulties in this work than in some other branches 
of business; but the lessons that will be learned, the tact 
and discipline that will be acquired, will fit you for 
other fields of usefulness, where you may minister to  
souls. Those who poorly learn their lesson, and are  
careless and abrupt in approaching persons, would show 
the same defects of manner, the same want of tact and  
skill in dealing with minds, should they enter the min- 
istry.  
While short subscriptions are accepted, some will not  
mak 
e the effort necessary to obtain them for a longer  
time. Canvassers should not go over the ground in a  
careless 
, unconcerned manner. They should feel that  
they are God's workmen, and the love of souls should


152  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
lead them to make every effort to enlighten men and  
women in regard to the truth. Providence and grace,  
means and ends, are closely connected. When his labor- 
ers do the very best they can, God does for them that 
which they cannot do themselves; but no one need ex-
pect to succeed independently and by his own exertions.  
Ther 
e must be activity united with firm trust in God.  
Economy is needed in every department of the Lord's  
work. The natural turn of youth in this age is to neg- 
lect and despise economy, and to confound it with stingi- 
nes 
s and narrowness. But economy is consistent with  
the most broad and liberal views and feelings; there can 
be no true generosity where it is not practiced. No one  
should think it beneath him to study economy, and the 
best means of taking care of the fragments. Said  
Christ 
, after he had performed a notable miracle,  
"Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing  
be lost."  
Quite a sum may be expended in hotel bills that are  
not at all necessary. The cause of God lay so near the  
heart of the pioneers in this message, that they seldom 
took a meal at a hotel, even though the cost was but 
twenty-five cents each. But young men and women 
generally are not educated to economize, and waste fol- 
lows waste everywhere. In some families there is  
a wicked waste of enough to support another family if  
reasonable economy were used. If, while traveling, our 
youth will keep an exact account of the money they ex-
pend, item by item, their eyes will be opened to see 
the leaks. While they may not be called upon to de- 
prive themselves of warm meals, as the early workers 
did in their itinerant life, they may learn to supply their  
real wants with less expense than they now think neces-
sary. There are persons who practice self-denial in 
order to give means to the cause of God; then let the 
workers in the  cause also practice self-denial by limiting  
their expenses as far as possible. It would be well for 
all our workers to study the history of the Waldensian 
missionaries, and to imitate their example of sacrifice and 
self-denial.  

IMPORTANCE OF THE CANVASSING WORK. 156  
We have a grand work to do for the Master, to open  
the word of God to those who are in the darkness of er- 
ror. Young friends, act as though you had a sacred 
charge. You should be Bible students, ever ready to 
give to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope  
that is in you. By your true Christian dignity, give ev- 
idence that you know you have a truth that it is for the 
interest of the people to hear. If this truth is in- 
wrought in the soul, it will manifest itself in the counte-
nance and demeanor, in a calm, noble self-possession and  
peace which the Christian alone can possess.  
Those who have genuine humility, and whose minds  
have been expanded by the truths unfolded in the gos- 
pel, will have an influence that will be felt. They will 
make an impression upon minds and hearts, and they  
will be respected by the larger number, even of those  
who have no sympathy with their faith. With the 
truths of the Bible, and our valuable papers, they will 
have success; for the Lord will open the way before  
them 
. But to urge our papers upon the people by  
means of gifts and premiums does not have a perma- 
nen 
t influence for good. If our workers would go forth  
relying upon the truths of the Bible, with the love 
of Christ and souls in their hearts, they would accom- 
plish more in obtaining permanent subscribers than by 
depending upon premiums or low prices. The promi-
nence given to these inducements to take the paper, 
gives the impression that it cannot possess real merit in  
itself. The results would be better if the paper were  
mad 
e prominent, and the money spent for premiums  
wer 
e reserved to distribute a few copies free. When  
premiums are offered, some may be induced to take the  
paper who otherwise would not, but others will refuse 
to subscribe because they think it a speculation. If the 
canvasser would present the merits of the paper itself, 
wit 
h his heart uplifted to God for success, and would  
depend less upon premiums, more would be accom- 
plished.  
In this age the trivial is praised and magnified. There  
is a call for anything that will create a sensation and


152  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
make sales. The country is flooded with utterly worth-
less publications, which were written for the sake of 
makin 
g money, while really valuable books are unsold  
and unread. Those who handle this sensational litera- 
ture because by so doing they can make higher wages, 
are missing a precious opportunity to do good. There 
are battles to be fought to arrest the attention of men 
and women, and interest them in really valuable books  
that have the Bible for their foundation, and it will be a  
still greater task to find conscientious, God-fearing work-
ers who will enter the field to canvass for these books 
for the purpose of diffusing light.  
The worker who has the cause of God at heart will  
no 
t insist on receiving the highest wages. He will not  
plead, as  some of our youth have done, that unless he  
can make a stylish and elegant appearance, and board at 
the best hotels, he will not be patronized. What the can- 
vasser needs is not the faultless apparel, or the address 
of the dandy or the clown, but that honesty and integ- 
rity of character which is reflected in the countenance.  
Kindness and gentleness leave their impress upon the 
face, and the practiced eye sees no deception, detects no 
nomposity of manner.  
A large number have entered the field as canvassers  
with whom premiums are the only means of success.  
They have no real merit as workers. They have no expe-
rience in practical religion; they have the same faults, the  
same tastes alid self-indulgences, that characterized them 
before they claimed to be Christians. Of them it may be  
said that God is not in their thoughts; he has no abid-
ing-place in their hearts. There is a littleness, an earth- 
liness, a debasement in their character and deportment,  
that testifies against them, that they are walking in the 
way of their own hearts and in the sight of their own  
eyes. They will not practice self-denial, but are deter- 
mined to enjoy life. The heavenly treasure has no at-
tractions for them; all their tastes are downward, not up-
ward 
. Friends and relatives cannot elevate such per- 
sons; for they have not a mind to despise the evil and  
choose the good.  

IMPORTANCE OF THE CANVASSING WORK. 159  
The less we trust these persons, who are not few but  
many, the better will the work of present truth stand in 
the eyes of the world. Our brethren should show discre-
tion in selecting canvassers and colporters, unless they 
hav 
e made up their minds to have the truth misappre- 
hended and misrepresented. They should give all real  
workers good wages; but the sum should not be in- 
creased to buy canvassers, for this course hurts them.  
It makes them selfish and spendthrifts. Seek to im- 
press them with the spirit of true missionary work, and 
with the qualifications necessary to insure success. The 
love of J esus in the soul will lead the canvasser to feel  
it a privilege to labor to diffuse light. He will study, 
plan, and pray over the matter.  
Young men are wanted who are men in understand- 
ing, who appreciate the intellectual faculties that God  
has given them, and cultivate them with the utmost care.  
Exercise enlarges these faculties, and if heart-culture is 
not neglected, the character will be well balanced. The  
means of improvement are within the reach of all.  
Then let none disappoint the Master, when he comes 
seeking for fruit, by presenting nothing but leaves. A 
resolute purpose, sanctified by the grace of Christ, will 
do wonders. Jesus and holy angels will give success to 
the efforts of intelligent, God-fearing men, who do all in 
their power to save souls. Quietly, modestly, with a 
heart overflowing with love, let them seek to win minds 
to investigate the truth, engaging in Bible-readings when  
they can. By so doing they will be sowing the seed of 
truth beside all waters, showing forth the praises of Him 
who hath called them out of darkness into his marvelous 
light. Those who are doing this work from right motives 
are doing an important work of ministering. They will  
manifest no feeble, undecided character. Their minds are 
enlarging, their manners are becoming more refined. 
They should place no bounds to their improvement, but 
every day be better fitted to do good work.  
Many of the workers in the canvassing field are mak- 
ing no sacrifices. As a class, they have less of the mis-
sionary spirit than the workers in any other denomina-


152  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
tion. When the way is all prepared for them, when  
they can command the highest wages, then they are will- 
ing to enter the field. Many inducements are presented  
to canvassers to handle popular books; large wages are  
offered them; and many refuse to work for less wages to  
circulate books treating on present truth. Therefore the 
inducements have been increased to correspond with 
those offered by other publishers, and as a consequence  
the expense of getting our publications before the people 
is large; many of the canvassers obtain their money 
easily, ancl spend it freely.  
Among the people professing present truth there is  
not a missionary spirit corresponding with our faith.  
The ring of the true gold in character is wanting. Chris-
tian life is more than they take it to be. It does not 
consist in mere gentleness, patience, meekness, and kind- 
liness. These graces are essential; but there is need of 
courage, force, energy, and perseverance also. Many who 
engage in the work of canvassing are weak, nerveless, 
spiritless, easily discouraged. They lack push. They  
have not those positive traits of character that give men  
power to do something,—the spirit and energy that kin-
dle enthusiasm. The canvasser is engaged in an honora-
ble business, and he should not act as though he were  
ashamed of it. If he would have success attend his ef- 
forts, he must be courageous and hopeful  
The active virtues must be cultivated as well as the  
passive. The Christian, while he is ever ready to give  
the soft answer that turneth away wrath, must possess 
the courage of a hero to resist evil. With the charity  
that endureth all things, he must have the force of 
character  which will make his influence a positive power  
for good. Faith must be wrought into his character.  
His principles must be firm; he must be noble-spirited,  
above all suspicion of meanness. The canvasser must 
not be self-inflated. As he associates with men, he must 
not make himself conspicuous, talking of himself in a 
boastful way; for by this course he would disgust intel- 
ligent, sensible people. He must not be selfish in his  
habits, nor- overbearing and domineering in his manners.  

IMPORTANCE OF THE CANVASSING WORK. 160  
Very many have settled it in their minds that they can- 
not find time to read one in ten thousand of the books  
that are published and put upon the market. And in  
many cases when the canvasser makes known his busi- 
ness, the door of the heart closes firmly; hence the great  
need of doing his work with tact, and in a humble, 
prayerful spirit. He should be familiar with the word of  
God, and have words at his command to unfold the  
precious truth, and to show the great value of the pure  
reading matter he carries.  
Well may every one feel an individual responsibility in  
thi 
s work. Well may he consider how he may best ar- 
rest the attention; for his manner of presenting the  
truth may decide the destiny of a soul. If he makes a 
favorable impression, his influence may be to that soul a 
savor of life unto life; and that one person, enlightened  
in regard to the truth, may enlighten many others. 
Therefore it is dangerous to do careless work in dealing  
with minds.  
The canvassing work is God's means of reaching many  
tha 
t would not otherwise be impressed with the truth.  
The work is a good one, the object high and elevating;  
and there should be a corresponding dignity of deport-
ment. The canvasser will meet men of varied minds.  
He will meet those who are ignorant and debased, and  
[ 

can appreciate nothing that does not bring them 
money. These will be abusive; but he should not  
heed them. His good nature should never fail; he should  
take a cheerful, hopeful view of every perplexity. He 
will meet those who are bereaved, disheartened, and sore 
and wounded in spirit. He will have many opportuni-
ties of speaking to these kind words, and words of cour-
age, hope, and faith. He may be a well-spring to refresh  
others if he will; but in order to do this, he must him-
self draw from the Fountain of  living truth.  
The canvassing work is more important than many  
have regarded it, and as much care and wisdom must be  
used in selecting the workers as in selecting men for the  
ministry. Young men can be trained to do much better 
work than has been done, and on much less pay than  
11


162  TESTIMONY FOE THE CHURCH.  
many have received. Lift up the standard; and let the 
self-denying and the self-sacrificing, the lovers of God  
and of humanity, join the army of workers. Let them  
come, not expecting ease, but to be brave and of good  
courage under rebuffs ancl hardships. Let those come  
who can give a good report of our publications, because 
they themselves appreciate their value.  
May the Lord help every one to improve to the ut- 
most the talents committed to his trust. Those who  
work in this cause do not study their Bibles as they 
should. If they did, its practical teachings would have  
a positive bearing upon their lives. Whatever your  
work may be, dear brethren and sisters, clo it as for the  
Master,  and do your best. Do not overlook present  
golden opportunities, and let your life prove a failure,  
while you sit icily dreaming of ease and success in a  
work for which God has never fitted you. Do the work 
tha 
t is nearest you. Do it,even though it may be amid  
peril 
s and hardships in the missionary field; but do not,  
I beg of you, complain of hardships and self-sacrifices.  
Look at the Waldenses. See what plans they devised  
that the light of the gospel might shine into benighted  
mincls. We should not labor with the expectation of re- 
ceiving our reward in this life, but with our eyes fixed 
steadfastly upon the prize at the end of the race. Men  
and women are wanted now who are as true to duty as  
the needle to the pole,—men and women who will work  
without having their way smoothed and every obstacle  
removed.  
I have described what canvassers ought to be; and  
may the Lord open their minds to comprehend this sub- 
ject in its length and breadth, ancl may they realize their  
duty to represent the character of Christ by their pa-
tience, courage, and steadfast integrity. Let them re- 
member that they can deny him by a loose, lax, unde- 
cide 
d character. Young men, if you take these princi- 
ples with you into thfe canvassing field, you will be  
respected, ancl many will believe the truth you advocate,  
because you live your faith,—because your daily life  
i 
s as a bright light set upon a candlestick, which giveth  

THE PUBLISHING WORK.  163  
light to all that are in the house. Even your enemies,  
as much as they war against your doctrines, will respect 
you; ancl when you have gained this much, your simple  
words will have a power, and will carry conviction to 
hearts.  
THE PUBLISHING WORK.  
THERE are ancl ever will be many perplexities con- 
nected with the publishing office at Battle Creek. The  
institution 
s established there are God's instrumentalities  
fo 
r accomplishing his work in the earth. For this rea- 
son, Satan is on the ground, exercising his ingenuity to 
embarrass and hinder. He comes with his temptations 
to men and women connected with these institutions, 
whether in responsible positions or doing the humblest 
work, and if possible he so ensnares them with his de-
vices that they lose their connection with God, become  
confused in judgment, and are unable to discern between 
right and wrong. He knows that the time will surely 
com 
e when the spirit that has controlled the life will be  
made manifest; ancl he is glad to have the lives of these  
persons testify against them, that they are not co-work- 
ers with Christ.  
Many who have grown to the years ancl stature of  
manhood, are deficient in the elements that constitute a 
noble, manly character. God does not regard them as  
men. They are not reliable. Some of these are con- 
nected with our institutions. They have influence; but 
it is of a pernicious character, for it is seldom on the 
side of right. While they profess godliness, their ex-
ample constantly tends to encourage unrighteousness. 
Skepticism is interwoven with their thoughts and ex-
pressed in their words, and their powers are used for 
the perversion of righteousness, truth, and justice. 
Their mincls are controlled by Satan, and he works  
through them to demoralize and bring in confusion.  
The more pleasing ancl attractive their manners, the  
more richly they are endowed with brilliant talents, the


164  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
more effectual agents are they in the hands of the enemy 
of all righteousness to demoralize all who come under  
their influence. It will be found a hard and thankless  
task to keep these from becoming a ruling power, ancl 
carrying out their own purposes in encouraging disorder 
and loose, lax principles.  
The youth exposed to their influence are never safe  
unless those under whose care they are placed exercise  
the greatest vigilance, and they themselves have right  
principles firmly established. But it is a sad fact that  
in this age many of the young yield readily to the influ- 
ence of Satan, but resist the Spirit of God; and in many  
cases wrong habits have become so firmly fixed that the  
greatest effort on the part of the managers would not  
result in molding their characters in the right direction.  
Those who stand in positions of trust in the publish- 
ing house have weighty responsibilities to bear; and they  
are not fitted for these places unless they are day by  
day gaining a deeper and more reliable Christian expe-
rience. Eternal interests should be made the first con- 
sideration 
, and every influence which would help in the  
divine life should be welcomed. Men to whom the  
Lord has given the charge of business matters connected  
with his cause should be spiritually minded. They 
should not neglect to attend religious meetings, nor con- 
sider it a task to speak often one to another of their re- 
ligious life and experience. God will listen to their  
testimonies; they will be recorded in his book of remem-
brance; and he will favor his faithful ones, and "will  
spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth 
him."  
Those standing at the head of the publishing work  
should remember that they are an example to many; and  
they should be faithful in the public worship of God,  
just as they would have every workman in every depart- 
ment of the Office faithful. If they are seen in the 
house of worship only occasionally, others will excuse 
themselves on account of their neglect. These business  
men can at any time talk fluently and intelligently on  
business matters, showing that they have not exercised  

THE PUBLISHING WORK.  165  
their powers in this direction in vain. They have put  
tact and skill and knowledge into their work; but how 
important it is that their hearts, their minds, and all  
their powers, be also trained for faithful service in the  
cause and worship of God; that they be able to point out  
the way of salvation through Christ in language eloquent 
in its simplicity. They should be men of earnest prayer 
and firm reliance upon God; men who, like Abraham, 
will order their households after them, and will manifest 
a special interest in the spiritual welfare of all connected 
wit 
h the Office.  
Those who make Christ first in everything can be  
trusted. They will not be self-confident, nor will they  
sink their religious interest in their business. Has God  
intrusted men with sacred responsibilities? then he would 
have them feel their own weakness and their dependence  
upon him. It is unsafe for men to lean to their own un-
derstanding; therefore they should daily seek strength 
and wisdom from above. God should be in all their  
thoughts; then all the wiles and subtleties of the old 
serpent cannot betray them into sinful neglect of duty. 
They will meet the adversary with the simple weapon 
tha 
t Christ used,—"It is written," or will repulse him  
with, " Get thee behind me, Satan."  
In the warning to " watch and pray," Jesus has indi- 
cated the only safe course. There is need of watchful-
ness 
. Our own hearts are deceitful, we are compassed  
with the weaknesses and frailties of humanity, and Satan  
is intent to destroy. We may be off our guard, but our  
adversary is never idle. Knowing his tireless vigilance, 
let us not sleep, as do others, but " watch and be sober." 
The spirit and influence of the world must be met; but 
they must not be allowed to take possession of the mind 
and heart.  
The active man of business, as he is brought in con- 
tact with the world, will have trials, perplexity, and  
anxious care He will find that there is a tendency to  
let worldly thoughts and plans take the lead, and that it 
will require effort, and discipline of mind and soul, to 
maintain a devotional spirit. But divine grace waits


166  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
his demand, and his great need is the mighty argument  
that will prevail with God. For these men Jesus has  
made special provision. He invites them: "Come unto  
me, all ye that labor ancl are heavy laden, and I will 
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, ancl learn of 
me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find  
rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden  
is light." Those who have fellowship with Christ have  
constant rest ancl peace. Then why do we walk alone, 
disdaining his companionship? Why do we not take 
him into all our counsels? Why do we not come to him  
in all our perplexities, and prove the strength of his  
promises?  
The Holy Spirit illumines our darkness, informs our  
ignorance, and understands and helps us in our manifold 
necessities. But the mind must be constantly going out  
after God. If coldness and worldliness are allowed to  
come in, we shall have no heart to pray, no courage to  
look up to Him who is the source of strength and wis- 
dom. Then pray always, dear brethren and sisters,  
"lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."  
Urge your requests to the throne of grace, and rely upon  
God hour by hour ancl moment by moment. The service  
of Christ will regulate all your relations with your fellow- 
men, and make your life fruitful in good works.  
Le 
t none imagine that selfishness, self-esteem, and self- 
indulgence  are compatible with the Spirit of Christ.  
Upon every truly converted man or woman there rests 
a responsibility that we cannot rightly estimate. The 
maxim 
s and ways of the world are not to be adopted by  
the sons and daughters of the heavenly King. "Be-
loved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet 
appear what we shall be; but we know that,  when he  
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him  
as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him 
purifieth himself, even as he is pure." But the world  
know us not, because they knew not Christ, our Master.  
Business managers are needed in the Review Office,  
who will correctly represent Jesus and the plan of salva-
tion. God is displeased when they use all their powers  

THE PUBLISHING WORK.  167  
in worldly enterprises, or even in business relating to  
the publishing work, and do nothing for the strengthen-
ing of his church, the up-building of his kingdom. To  
labor for God and for the salvation of souls is the highest  
and noblest calling that men ever had or ever can have. 
The losses and gains in this business are of great impor- 
tance; for the results do not end with this life, but reach 
over into eternity.  
Brethren, whatever business you engage in, whatever  
department of the work is allotted to you, carry your re- 
ligion with you. God and Heaven should not be left  
out of the experience ancl the life-work. The workers 
in this cause should guard against becoming one-sided 
men, and letting only the worldly element in their char-
acters appear. In the past there have been decided fail- 
ures on the part of men connected with the Office.  
They have not been spiritually minded; and their influ- 
ence has not tended to lead toward the heavenly Canaan,  
but backward toward Egypt.  
Bro. P has been blessed with abilities which, if conse- 
crate 
d to God, would enable him to do great good. He  
has a quick mind. He understands the theory of the 
truth, and the claims of God's law; but he has not 
learned in the school of Christ the meekness and lowli-
ness that would make him a safe man to stand in a posi-
tion of trust. He has been weighed in the balances of 
the sanctuary, and found wanting. He has had great 
light in warnings and reproofs; but he has not given  
heed to them; he has not even seen the necessity of 
changing his course of action. His example before those 
laboring in the Office has not been consistent with his 
profession. He has not manifested a steadfast purpose; 
he has been a boyish man; and his influence has had a  
tendency to lead away from Christ toward conformity to  
the world.  
The cross of Christ has been presented to Bro. P; but  
he has turned away from it, for it involves shame and 
reproach, rather than the honor and praise of the world.  
Again and again J esus has called, " Take up the cross  
and follow me, so shall ye be my disciple." But other


168 TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
voices have been calling in the direction of worldly pride  
and ambition; and he has listened to these voices be- 
cause their spirit is more pleasing to the natural heart.  
He has turned from J esus, divorced himself from God,  
an 
d embraced the world. He was called to represent  
Christ, and to be a bright light in the world; but he has 
betrayed his sacred trust. The world interposes between 
his soul and J esus, and he has had a worldly experience  
when he should have been gaining one of an entirely op-
posite character. He has been decidedly worldly in his  
taste 
s and opinions, and consequently has been unable to  
comprehend spiritual things.  
Bro. P's success in the ministry, and also in his posi- 
tion of trust in the Office, depended upon the character 
he should maintain. Painstaking, persevering effort was 
needed that in going out and coming in before his fellow- 
laborers no wrong example should be set. The plan he  
should have adopted, the course of action he should have 
pursued, is plainly marked out in the word of God. Had 
h 
e taken heed to that word, it would have been a light  
to his path, guiding his inexperienced feet into a safe 
way. Testimonies of the Spirit of God have been sent  
t 
o him again and again, showing him where he was di- 
verging from the highway cast up for the ransomed of  
the Lord to walk in, and warning and entreating him to  
change his course of action. But his own ways have 
seemed right in his eyes; and he has followed inclina- 
tion, not heeding the light given him. He was not a 
safe counselor. He was not a safe man in the Office;  
neither was he a safe shepherd, for he would lead the 
sheep astray. He has preached excellent discourses; but 
out of the desk he has not carried out the principles he  
has preached. This kind of work is an offense to God.  
Bro. P's union with the world has proved a snare to  
himself and to others. Oh, how many stumble over such  
lives as his. They get the impression that when they 
take the first steps in conversion,—repentance, faith,  
and baptism,—this is all that is required of them. But 
this is a fatal error. The arduous struggle for conquest 
over self, for holiness and Heaven, is a life-long strug- 

IMPORTANCE OF ECONOMY.  169  
gle. There Js no release in this war; the effort must be  
continuous and persevering. Christian integrity must 
be sought with resistless energy, and maintained with a 
resolute fixedness of purpose.  
A genuine religious experience unfolds and intensifies.  
Continual advancement, increasing knowledge and power  
in the word of God, is the natural result of a vital con-
nection with God. The light of holy love will grow 
brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. It was Bro.  
P's privilege to have such an experience as this; but he  
has not had the oil of grace in his vessel with his lamp, 
and his light has been growing dim. If he does not 
make a decided change soon, he will be where no warn-
ings or entreaties will ever reach him. His light will go 
out in darkness, and he will be left in despair.  
IMPORTANC 

E OF ECONOMY.  
Bro. R has good business ability for some branches of  
the work, which would enable him to serve the Office ac- 
ceptably; but he has not educated and disciplined him-
self to be a thorough, efficient manager. Under his  
charge there have been grave neglects; a disorderly, dis- 
organized state of things has existed, which should be 
promptly corrected. There are many little matters con-
nected with his work that have not received attention; 
and as a consequence there are leaks. Losses and  
wastes are allowed that might be avoided.  
I have passed through the Office, and have been shown  
how the angels of God look upon the work done in the  
various rooms. In some the condition of things is bet-
ter than in others; but in all there are wrongs that 
might be remedied. Loss, loss, is seen in many depart- 
ments. The reckless way that many work results in 
loss to the Office, and is an offense to God. It is sad 
that it should be thus. Jesus has given us lessons in  
economy. "Gather up the fragments," he says, "that 
nothing be lost." It would have been better not to un-
dertak 
e so many large enterprises, if by this means so  
many small matters must be left without attention; for  
the little things are like small screws that keep the ma-


168  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
chinery from falling to pieces. The word of God ex- 
plains duty; it gives the rule of faithful service: " He  
that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in 
much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in 
much."  
I have been shown that in addition to the help now in  
the Office, competent men should be employed to assist 
in the management of the different departments of the  
work. Men should be employed who have experience in  
business, and who are wise managers. It would have 
been better years ago to have employed men who were 
thorough managers,—men who would have taught thor-
oughness, promptness, and economy,—even if double the  
wages that has been paid to foremen had been necessary.  
Bro. II is deficient here; he has not a happy way of cor-
recting evils. He undertakes to do this; but very many 
things are entirely neglected that ought to be reformed 
at once. The Office has lacked a care-taking economist,  
a thorough business man. There is three times as much 
lost as would be required to pay for the very best talent  
and experience in this work.  
Yery much is lost for want of a competent person, one  
who is efficient, apt, and practical, to oversee the differ-
ent departments of the work. One is needed who is a  
practical printer, and is acquainted with every part of 
the work. There are some who understand printing, 
but utterly fail in generalship. Others do the best- they  
can; but they are yet inexperienced, and do not under-
stan 
d the publishing work. Their ideas are often nar- 
row. They do not know how to meet the demands of  
the cause; and, as a consequence, they are unable to esti- 
mat 
e the advantages and disadvantages of enlarging  
their work. They are also liable to misjudge, to make 
wrong calculations, and to estimate incorrectly. There  
have been losses in consequence of a failure to make 
proper estimates and to improve opportunities of pushing 
the publishing work. In such an institution as this, 
thousands of dollars may be lost through the calculations  
of incompetent persons. Bro. P had ability in some  
respects to understand and properly estimate the inter- 

IMPORTANCE OF ECONOMY.  
170  
ests of the publishing work; but his influence was an in- 
jury to the Office.  
There should be some one to see that the youth, as  
they enter the Office to learn trades, have prompt and  
prope 
r attention. A man should be employed for this  
work who is apt to teach, patient, kind, and" discerning.  
If one man is not sufficient for this work, let others be  
employed. If it is done faithfully, it will save to the 
Office the wages of three men. These youth are forming  
habits that will affect their entire experience. They are,  
as it were, in a school; and if they are left to pick up  
their knowledge as best they can, marked defects will be 
seen all through their future work. The basis of thor- 
oughness, honesty, and integrity must be laid in youth. 
The formation of correct habits in youth is of the ut-
most importance. If instead of being trained to obedi-
ence to rules and regulations, and to habits of punctual-
ity 
, thoroughness, neatness, order, and economy, they are  
allowed to form loose, lax habits, they will be liable to 
retain these bad habits all through life. They may have  
talent to make a success in their business, and they 
should be taught the importance of making a right use 
of their powers. They should also be taught to be eco- 
nomical, to gather up the fragments that nothing be lost.  
Men in responsible positions should undertake no more  
than they can do thoroughly, promptly, and well; for if  
they would have those under their care form right habits, 
they must set a right example. A great responsibility 
rests upon these leading men as to the mold of character 
that by their principles and their manner of working 
they are giving to the youth. They should consider that, 
by the instruction they are giving, both in regard to their  
work and in the way of religious education, they are 
helping these youth to form character. Progress is the  
watchword. The youth should be taught to aim at per-
fection in whatever branch of labor they undertake. If  
there are persons at the head of any of the rooms who 
are not thorough, who are not economists, who are not  
diligent in the use of their time and careful of their in-
fluence, they mold others in the same way. If these do


172 TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
not change after being admonished, they should be re-
moved, and more competent persons secured, even if it  
i 
s necessary to try again and again. The workers ought  
to be far more efficient and faithful than they are at the  
present time.  
The first impressions, the first discipline, of these  
youthful workers should be of the very highest order;  
for their characters are being molded for time and for 
eternity. Let those who have charge of them remem-
ber that they have a great and solemn responsibility.  
Let them mold the plastic clay before it becomes hard- 
ened and insensible to impressions; let them train the  
sapling ere it becomes a gnarled and tangled oak; let  
the 
m direct the course of the rivulet ere it becomes a  
swolle 
n river. If they are left to choose their own  
boarding-house and their own companions, some will  
choose those that are good, and others will choose im-
proper associations. If the religious element is not 
mingled  with their education, they will become easy  
subjects of temptation, and their characters will be liable  
to become warped and one-sided. The youth who show  
respect for sacred and holy things learn these lessons un- 
der the home roof, before the world has placed upon the  
soul its mark,—the image of sin, deceit, and dishonesty.  
Love to God is learned at the family altar,—of the 
father and mother in very babyhood.  
Th 
e want of a religious influence is sadly felt in the  
Office; there should be greater devotion, more spirituality, 
more practical religion. Missionary work done here by  
God-fearing men and women would be attended with the  
very best results. Bro. R's course is not well-pleasing to  
God. A man in his position should be a man of devo-
tion; he should be among the first in religious matters.  
His only safety is in maintaining a living connection 
with God, and feeling his dependence upon him. With-
out this, he will not do justice to his position, neither will  
he exert a right influence in the Office and over those 
with whom his business brings him in contact.  
I have also seen that there should be a close investi- 
gation of the manner of dealing in the Office, both with  

UNITY OF THE WORK.  173  
brethren and with unbelievers. Benevolence, purity,  
truth, and peace are the fruits that should be seen there.  
Motives and actions should be closely examined, and 
compared with the law of God; for this law is the only  
infallibl 
e rule by which to regulate the conduct, the only  
reliabl 
e code of honor between man and man.  
UNITY OF THE WORK.  
The Lord would have union among those who manage  
his work in different parts of the field. Those who man- 
age his work on the Pacific Coast, and those who are en-
gaged in his work on the east side of the Rocky Mount- 
ains, should be of the same mind and judgment,—one in  
heart, in plans, and in action. He would not have those 
at either Office think it a virtue to differ with their  
brethren at the other publishing house. There should  
be a comparing of notes, an interchange of plans and  
ideas; and if any improvements are suggested in either 
Office, let the managers consider the proposition, and  
adopt improved plans and methods. In both publishing  
houses there are very great improvements to be made, 
and the managers have much to learn. And the lesson 
which will bear its mark most decidedly and happily in 
the advancement of the work is to lean less to their own 
understanding, ancl to learn more of the meekness and  
lowliness of Christ. Let not those at either Office be so  
egotistical, so unlike Christ, as to maintain their own  
plans for the gratification of having their own way, ir- 
respective of consequences.  
Those connected with our office of publication at  
Battle Creek are not what they should be nor what they  
might be. They think their tastes, habits, and opinions 
are correct. They are in constant danger of becoming  
narrow in their ideas, and jealous of the Pacific Press, 
and of standing in an attitude to criticise and have feel- 
ings of superiority. This feeling is suffered to grow, 
and to mar and hinder their own interests and also the 
interests of the work on the Pacific Coast, all because  
selfish feelings control, and prevent clear discernment as  
to what is for their own good and for the advancement


172  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
and up-building 01 the cause of God. This sectional  
feeling is contrary to the spirit of Christ. God is dis-
pleased with it; he would have every particle of it over- 
come. The cause is one; the vineyard is one great field,  
with God's servants  employed in various parts of the  
work. There should be no aim but to work disinterest- 
edly to warn the careless and to save the lost.  
The men connected with the work of God in the Office,  
the Sanitarium, and the College, can be accounted safe  
men only so far as they assimilate to the character of  
Christ. But many have inherited traits of character 
tha 
t in no way represent the divine model. There are  
man 
y who have some defect of character received as a  
birthright 
, which they have not overcome, but have  
cherished as though it were fine gold, and brought with  
them into their religious experience. In many cases 
these traits are retained through the entire life. For a  
time no particular harm may be seen to result from them; 
but the leaven is at work, and when a favorable oppor- 
tunity arrives, the evil manifests itself.  
Some of these men who have marked deformities of  
character have strong, decided opinions, and are unyield-
ing when it would be Christlike to yield to others wThose  
love for the cause of truth is just as deep as their own.  
Suc 
h persons need to cultivate opposite traits of charac- 
ter, and to learn to esteem others better than themselves.  
When they become connected with an important enter-
prise, where great designs are to be worked out, they  
should be careful, lest their own peculiar ideas and  
special traits of character have an unfavorable influence  
on its development. The Lord saw the danger that 
would result from one man's mind and judgment control- 
ling decisions and working out plans, and in his inspired  
word we are commanded to be subject one to another,  
and to esteem others better than ourselves. When plans  
are to be laid that wilt affect the cause of God, they  
should be brought before a council composed of chosen  
men of experience; for harmony of effort is essential in  
all these enterprises.  
Men of various temperaments and defective characters  

UNITY OF THE WORK.  175  
can see the faults of others, but clo not seem to have a 
knowledge of their own errors; and if left to carry out 
their own plans without consultation with others, they  
would make sad mistakes. Their ideas must become 
broader. With ordinary humanity there is a selfishness, 
an ambition, that mars the work of God. Self-interest  
must be lost sight of. There should be no aiming to be  
first, no standing aloof from God's workmen, speaking  
and writing in a bigoted manner of things that have not 
been critically and prayerfully investigated and humbly 
brought before the council.  
The future world is close at hand, with its unalterable  
and solemn issues—so near, so very near, and such a  
great work to be done, so many important decisions to be  
made; yet in your councils the preconceived opinions, the 
selfish ideas and plans, the wrong traits of character re- 
ceived by birth, are lugged in, and allowed to have an 
influence. You should ever feel that it is a sin to move  
from impulse. You should not abuse your power, using  
it to carry out your own ends regardless of the conse-
quences to others, because you are in a position that  
makes this possible; but you should use the power that  
is given you as a sacred, solemn trust, remembering that  
yo 
u are servants of the most high God, and must meet  
in the Judgment every decision that you make. If your  
acts are unselfish, and for the glory of God, they will 
bear the trying test. Ambition is death to spiritual ad- 
vancement, genius is erring, slothful indolence is criminal; 
but a life where every just principle is respected must be 
a successful one.  
Many of your councils do not bear the stamp of  
Heaven. You do not come to them as men who have 
bee 
n communing with God, and who have his mind and  
hi 
s merciful compassion, but as men having a firm purpose  
to carry out your own plans, and to settle questions ac-
cording to your own minds. In every department of the 
work it is essential to have the mind and spirit of Christ.  
You are God's workmen; and you must possess courtesy  
and grace, else you cannot represent Jesus.  
All who are employed in our histitutions should real-


172  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
ize that that they will be a blessing or a curse. If they  
would be a blessing, they must renew their spiritual 
strength daily; they must be partakers of the divine  
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the  
world through lust.  
Amid the cares of active life it is sometimes difficult  
to discern our own motives; but progress is made daily  
either for good or evil. Likes or dislikes, an uprising 
o 
f personal feelings, will come in to control our actions;  
the things of sense will blind our vision. 1 have been  
shown that Jesus loves us; but he is grieved to see such  
a want of wise discrimination, of adaptability to the  
work, and of wisdom to reach human hearts and enter 
into the feelings of others. While we are to guard  
against the constant danger of forming an alliance with 
the enemies of Christ, and being corrupted by them, we  
mus 
t guard against holding ourselves aloof from those  
whom our Lord claims as his. "Inasmuch as ye have  
done it unto one of the least of these my brethren," he  
says, "ye have done it unto me." If with an earnest, 
loving purpose we improve every opportunity to help to  
their feet those who have stumbled and fallen, we shall 
not have lived in vain. Our manners will not be harsh, 
overbearing, and dictatorial, but our lives will be  
fragrant with the hidden grace of Christ  
Our heavenly Father requires of his servants accord- 
ing to that which he has intrusted to them, and his re- 
quirements are reasonable and just. He will not accept  
less of us than he claims; all his righteous demands must 
be fully met, or they will testify against us that we are 
weighed in the balances and found wanting. But Jesus 
watches our efforts with the deepest interest. He knows 
that men with all the infirmities of humanity, are doing  
his work; and he notes their failures and discourage-
ments with the tenderest pity. But the failures and 
defects might be far less than they are. If we will move 
in harmony with Heaven, ministering angels will work  
with us, and crown our efforts with success.  
This is the great day of preparation, and the solemn  
work going on in the sanctuary above should be kept  

UNITY OF THE WORK.  177  
constantly before the minds of those employed in our 
various institutions. Business cares should not be al- 
lowed to absorb the mind to such a degree that the work 
in Heaven, which concerns every individual, will be  
lightly regarded. The solemn scenes of the Judgment,  
the great day of atonement, should be kept before the  
people, and urged upon their consciences with earnest-
ness and power. The subject of the sanctuary will give  
us correct views of the importance of the work for  
thi 
s time. A proper appreciation of it will lead the  
workers in the publishing houses to manifest greater 
energy and zeal to make the work a success. None 
should become careless, blinded to the wants of the cause 
and the perils that attend every soul; but each should 
seek to be a channel of light.  
In all our institutions there is too much of self, and  
too little of Christ. All eyes should turn to our Re-
deemer, all characters should become like his. He is  
the model to copy, if we would have well-balanced minds  
and symmetrical characters. His life was as the garden  
of the Lord, in which grew every tree that is  pleasant  
to the sight and good for food. While embracing in his 
soul every lovely trait of character, his sensibility, 
courtesy, and love brought him into close sympathy with 
humanity. He was the creator of all things, sustaining 
worlds by his infinite power. Angels were ready to do 
hi 
m homage and to obey his will. Yet he could listen  
to the prattle of the infant, and accept its lisping praise.  
He took little children in his arms, and pressed them to  
his great heart of love. They felt perfectly at home in 
his presence, and reluctant to leave his arms. He did 
not look upon the disappointments and woes of the race 
as a mere trifle; but his heart Was ever touched by the 
sufferings of those he came to save.  
The world had lost the original pattern of goodness,  
and had sunk into universal apostasy and moral corrup-
tion; and the life of Jesus was one of laborious, self- 
denying effort to bring man back to his first estate by 
imbuing him with the spirit of divine benevolence and 
unselfish love. While in the world, he was not of the  
12


178  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
world. It was a continual pain to him to be brought in 
contact with the enmity, depravity, and impurity which  
Satan had brought in; but he had a work to do to bring  
man into harmony with the divine plan, and earth in  
connection with Heaven, and he counted no sacrifice  
too great for the accomplishment of the object. "He 
was in all points tempted like as we are." Satan stood  
ready to assail him at every step, hurling at him his fierc-
est temptations; yet he "did no sin, neither was guile  
found in his mouth." "He suffered being tempted,"—  
suffered in proportion to the perfection of his holiness.  
But the prince of darkness found nothing in him; not a  
single thought or feeling responded to temptation.  
His doctrine dropped as the rain; his speech distilled  
as the dew. In the character of Christ was blended 
such majesty as God had never before displayed to fallen  
man 
, and such meekness as man had never developed.  
Never before had there walked among men one so noble, 
s 
o pure, so benevolent, so conscious of his Godlike nature;  
yet so simple, so full of plans and purposes to do good 
to humanity. .While abhorring sin, he wept with com-
passion over the sinner. He pleased not himself. The  
Majesty of Heaven clothed himself with the humility of 
a child. This is the character of Christ. Are we walk-
ing in his footsteps 1 0 my Saviour, how poorly art thou  
represented by thy professed followers !  
BUSINESS AND RELIGION.  
THOSE employed in our various institutions,—our pub- 
lishing houses, our schools, and our health institutions,— 
should have a living connection with God. Especially  
is it very important that those who have the manage- 
ment of these great branches of the work be men who  
make the kingdom of God and his righteousness the first 
consideration. They are not fit for their positions of 
trust, unless they take counsel of God and bear fruit to 
his glory. They should pursue a course of life that will  

BUSINESS AND RELIGION.  179  
honor their Creator, ennoble themselves, and bless their 
fellow-men. All have natural traits which must be cul- 
tivate 
d or repressed, as they shall help or hinder in ob- 
taining a growth in grace, a depth of religious experi-
ence.  
Those engaged in the work of God cannot serve his  
cause acceptably, unless they make the best use possible  
of the religious privileges they enjoy. We are as trees  
planted in the garden of the Lord; and he comes to us 
seeking the fruit he has a right to expect. His eye is  
upon each of us; he reads our hearts ancl understands  
our lives. This is a solemn search, for it has reference 
to duty and to destiny; and with what interest is it pros-
ecuted. Let each of those to whom are committed sa- 
cred trusts inquire, " How do I meet the inspecting eye 
of God? Is my heart cleansed from its defilement? or 
have its temple-courts become so desecrated, so occupied 
with buyers and sellers, that Christ finds no room?" 
The bustle of business, if continuous, will dry up spirit- 
uality, and leave the soul Christless. Although they 
may profess the truth, yet if men pass along clay by day 
with no living connection with God, they will be led to  
do strange things; decisions will be made not in accord-
ance with the will of God. There is no safety for our 
leading brethren while they shall go forward according 
to their own impulses. They will not be yoked up with 
Christ, and so will not move in harmony with him.  
They will be unable to see and realize the wants of the 
cause, ancl Satan will move upon them to take positions  
that will embarrass and hinder.  
My brethren, are you cultivating devotion? Is love  
of religious things prominent? Are you living by faith, 
and overcoming the world? Do you attend the public  
worship of God? and are your voices heard in the prayer  
and social meeting? Is the family altar established?  
Do you gather your children together morning and even- 
ing, and present their cases to God? Do you instruct  
them how to become followers of the Lamb ? Your fam- 
ilies, if irreligious, testify to your neglect and unfaithful- 
ness. If, while you are connected with the sacred cause


180  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
of God, your children are careless, irreverent, and have 
no love for religious meetings or sacred truth, it is a sad  
thing. Such a family exerts an influence against Christ  
and against the truth; and "he that is not with me is 
against me," says Christ. The neglect of home religion, 
the neglect to train your children, is most displeasing to  
God. If one of your children were in the river, battling 
with the waves, and in imminent clanger of drowning,  
what a stir there would be! What efforts would be  
made, what prayers offered, what enthusiasm manifested,  
to save the human life! But here are your children out 
of Christ, their souls unsaved. Perhaps they are even  
rude and uncourteous, a reproach to the Adventist  
name. They are perishing without hope and without 
God in the world, and you are careless and unconcerned.  
What example do you give your children? What or- 
der do you have at home? Your children should be 
educated to be kind, thoughtful of others, gentle, easy to 
be entreated, and, above everything else, to respect re- 
ligious things, and feel the importance of the claims of  
God. They should be taught to respect the hour of  
prayer; they should be required to rise in the morning  
s 
o as to be present at family worship.  
Fathers and mothers who make God first in their  
households, who teach their children that the fear of the  
Lord is the beginning of wisdom, glorify God before an- 
gels and before men, by presenting to the world a well- 
ordered, well-disciplined family,—a family that love and 
obey God, instead of rebelling against him. Christ is  
not a stranger in their homes; his name is a household 
name, revered and glorified. Angels delight in a home 
where God reigns supreme, and the children are taught 
to reverence religion, the Bible, and their Creator.  
Such families can claim the promise, " Them that honor  
me 
, I will honor." As from such a home the father goes  
forth to his daily duties, it is with a spirit softened and 
subdued  by converse with God. He is a Christian, not  
only in his profession, but in trade, in all his business  
relations. He does his work with fidelity, knowing that 
the eye of God is upon him,  

BUSINESS AND RELIGION.  181  
In the church his voice is not silent. He has words  
of gratitude and encouragement to utter; for he is a 
growing Christian, with a fresh experience every day.  
He is a helpful, active worker in the church, laboring  
for the glory of God and the salvation of his fellow-men.  
He would feel condemned and guilty before God, were 
he to neglect to attend public worship, thus failing to 
improve the privileges that would enable him to do bet-
ter and more effective service in the cause of truth  
God is not glorified when influential men make them- 
selves mere business men, ignoring their eternal inter-
ests, that are so much more enduring, so much more no- 
ble and elevated, than the temporal. Where should the  
greates 
t tact and skill be exercised, if not upon those  
things that are imperishable, as enduring as eternity?  
Brethren, develop your talent in the direction of serv- 
ing the Lord; manifest as much tact and ability in work-
ing for the up-building of the cause of Christ as you do  
in worldly enterprises.  
There is, I am sorry to say, a great want of earnest- 
ness and interest in spiritual things, on the part of 
the heads of many families. There are some who are 
seldom found in the house of worship. They make one  
excuse, then another, and still another, for their ab- 
sence 
; but the real reason is that their hearts are not re- 
ligiously inclined. A spirit of devotion is not culti- 
vated in the family. The children are not brought up  
i 
n the nurture and admonition of the Lord. These men  
are not what God would have them. They have no liv- 
ing connection with him; they are purely business men.  
They have not a conciliatory spirit; there is such a lack 
of meekness, kindness, and courtesy in their deportment 
that their motives are misconstrued, and the good they  
really do possess is evil spoken of. If they could realize 
ho 
w offensive their course is in the sight of God, they  
would make a change.  
The work of God should be carried forward by men  
who have a daily, living experience in the religion of 
Christ. " Without me," says Christ, " ye can do noth-
ing." None of us are beyond the power of temptation.


180  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
All who are connected with our institutions, our Con- 
ferences, and our missionary enterprises, may ever have  
the assurance that they have a powerful foe, whose con-
stant aim is to separate them from Christ, their strength. 
The more responsible the position they occupy, the more 
fierce will be Satan's attacks; for he knows that if he  
can move them to take an objectionable course, others 
will follow their example. But those who are continually 
learnin 
g in the school of Christ, will be able to pursue  
the even tenor of their way, and Satan's efforts to throw  
the 
m off their balance will be signally defeated. Temp- 
tation is not sin. Jesus was holy and pure; yet he was  
tempted in all points as we are, but with a strength ancl 
power that man will never be called upon to endure. In  
his successful resistance he has left us a bright example, 
that we should follow his steps. If we are self-confident 
or self-righteous, we shall be left to fall under the power  
of temptation; but if we look to Jesus, ancl trust in him, 
we call to our aid a power that has conquered the foe on 
the field of battle, and with every temptation he will  
make a way of escape. When Satan comes in like a 
flood, we must meet his temptations with the sword of 
the Spirit, and Jesus will be our helper, ancl will lift up 
for us a standard against him. The father of lies quakes  
and trembles when the truth of Gocl, in burning power, 
is thrown in his face.  
Satan makes every effort to lead people away from  
God; and he is successful in his purpose when the relig-
ious life is drowned in business cares, when he can so  
absorb their minds in business that they will not take time 
to read their Bibles, to pray in secret, and to keep the 
offerin 
g of praise and thanksgiving burning on the altar  
of sacrifice morning and evening. How few realize the 
wiles of the arch-deceiver! how many are ignorant of his 
devices! When our brethren voluntarily absent them- 
selves from religious meetings, when Gocl is not thought 
of and reverenced, when he is not chosen as their coun- 
selor and their strong tower of defense, how soon secular 
thoughts and wicked unbelief come in, and vain confidence  
and philosophy take the place of humble, trusting faith.  

BUSINESS AND RELIGION.  
182  
Often temptations are cherished as the voice of the True  
Shepherd, because men have separated themselves from  
Jesus. They cannot be safe a moment, unless right  
principles are cherished in the heart, and carried into 
every business transaction.  
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that  
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it  
shall be given him." Such a promise is of more value  
than gold or silver. If with a humble heart you seek  
divine guidance in every trouble and perplexity, his word 
is pledged that a gracious answer will be given you.  
And his word can never fail. Heaven and earth may  
pass away, but his word will never pass away. Trust in 
the Lord, and you will never be confounded or ashamed.  
"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence  
in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put  
confidence in princes."  
Whatever position in life we may occupy, whatever  
our business, we must be humble enough to feel our need 
o 
f help; we must lean implicitly on the teachings of  
God's word, acknowledge his providence in all things, and 
be faithful in pouring out our souls in prayer. Lean to 
you 
r own understanding, dear brethren, as you make  
your way through the world, and you will reap sorrow  
and disappointment. Trust in the Lord with all your 
heart, and he will guide your steps in wisdom, and your 
interests will be safe for this world and for the next.  
You need light and knowledge. You will take counsel 
either of God or your own heart; you will walk in the 
sparks of your own kindling, or will gather to yourself  
divine light from the Sun of Righteousness.  
Do not act from motives of policy. The great danger  
of our business men and those in responsible positions,  
is that they will be turned from Christ to secure some 
help aside from him. Peter would not have been left to  
show such weakness and folly, had he not sought, by the 
us 
e of policy, to avoid reproach and scorn, persecution  
and abuse. His highest hopes centered in Christ; but  
when he saw him in humiliation, unbelief came in and  
was entertained. He fell under the power of tempta-


180  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
tion, and instead of showing his fidelity in a crisis, he  
wickedly denied his Lord.  
For the sake of making money, many divorce them- 
selves from God, and ignore their eternal interests. They  
pursue the same course as the scheming, worldly man; 
but God is not in this, it is an offense to him. He w ould  
have them prompt to devise and execute plans; but all 
business matters should be transacted in harmony with  
the great moral law of God. The principles of love to  
God and our neighbor must be carried out in all 
the acts of the daily life, the least as well as the great- 
est. There must be a spirit to do more than pay tithes 
on mint, anise, and cummin; the weighter matters of the 
law, judgment, mercy, and the love of God, must not be  
neglected; for the personal character of each one con- 
nected with the work leaves its impress upon it.  
There are men and women who have left all for Christ's  
sake. Their own temporal interests, their own enjoy- 
ment of society and of family and friends, are made of  
les 
s importance than the interests of the kingdom of  
God. They have not made houses and lands, and rela- 
tives and friends however dear, first in their affections,  
and God's cause second. And those who do this, who  
devote their lives to the advancement of the truth, to  
bringing many sons and daughters to God, have the 
promise that they shall have a hundred-fold in this life,  
and in the world to come life everlasting. Those who 
work from a noble stand-point and with unselfish  
motives will be consecrated to God, body, soul, and spirit.  
The 
y will not exalt self; they will not feel competent to  
tak 
e responsibilities; but they will not refuse to bear  
burdens, for they will have a desire to do all that they 
are capable of doing. These will not study their own  
convenience; the question with them will be, What is 
duty?  
The more responsible the position, the more essential  
that the influence be right. Every man whom God has  
chose 
n to do a special work becomes a target for Satan.  
Temptations press thick and fast upon him; for our vigi- 
lant foe knows that his course of action has a molding  

BUSINESS AND RELIGION.  
184  
influence upon others. We are amid the perils of the  
last days, and Satan has come down in great wrath, know-
ing that he has but a short time. He works with all de- 
ceivableness of unrighteousness; but Heaven is open to  
every one who makes God his trust. The only safety for 
any of us is in clinging to J esus, and letting nothing  
separat 
e the soul from the mighty Helper.  
Thos 
e who have merely a form of godliness, and yet  
are connected with the cause in business relations, are to  
be feared. They will surely betray their trust. They 
will be overcome by the devices of the tempter, and will  
imperil the cause of God. There will be temptations to  
allow self to control; an overbearing, critical spirit will 
arise, and in many cases compassion and consideration  
for those who need to be dealt with in thoughtful tender- 
ness will be wanting.  
"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."  
What seed are we scattering? What will be our harvest  
for time and for eternity? To every man the Master has 
assigned his work, in accordance with his ability. Are  
we sowing the seed of truth and righteousness, or that 
of unbelief, disaffection, evil surmising, and love of the  
world? The one who scatters evil seed may discern the 
nature of his work, and repent and be forgiven. But 
the pardon of the Master does not change the character  
of the seed sown, and make of briers and thistles precious  
wheat. He himself may be saved so as by fire; but  
when the time of harvest comes, there will be only poi- 
sonous weeds where there should be fields of waving grain.  
That which was sown in wicked heedlessness, will do its 
work of death. This thought pains my heart and tills 
me with sadness. If all who profess to believe the truth  
would sow the precious seeds of kindness, love, faith, and 
courage, they would make melody to God in their hearts  
as they travel the upward way, rejoicing in the bright 
beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and in the great  
gatherin 
g day they would receive an eternal reward.


186  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
WORLDLY-MINDEDNESS A SNARE.  
DEAR BRO. AND SISTER P: My soul is exceedingly sor- 
rowful as I review your cases. Last night my mind was 
heavily burdened. In dreams I was conversing with you,  
Bro P. Your separation from God was so evident, and  
you were so blind in regard to your true condition, that  
it seemed like saying to a blind man, " See," to try to 
make you discern your true standing.  
I have not been able to sleep since three o'clock, and  
have been pleading with God for a larger measure of 
hi 
s Spirit. I inquire over and over again, Who is suffi- 
cient for these things? I dare not hold my peace when  
light has been given me of God. I must speak; and yet  
it is with trembling, fearing that the message will be 
rejected, and the souls to whom it is addressed will be 
enshrouded in darkness more dense than before the light  
came to them. I must come close to Jesus. I have laid  
my hand in his, with the earnest prayer, "Lead me, guide  
me; I have not wisdom to go alone." Jesus seems very  
near 
; and I am deeply impressed that he is about to do  
a special work for his people, particularly for those that  
labor in word and doctrine. He is willing to help you 
both, if you will receive help in his own appointed way;  
but I cannot speak one word of encouragement to you 
while you remain in your present position. The words 
of Christ to the Pharisees, "Ye will not come to me that  
ye might have life," are applicable to you.  
I wish we could do something to help you; but while  
you remain in the worldly channel in which you have  
placed yourselves, what can be done for you? You love 
the world, and the world loves you, because, so far as  
practical godliness is concerned, there is no separation  
between yourselves and worldlings. In their eyes, you 
are agreeable, smart, and good; they find in you both 
that which pleases them. They have praised you and  
spoken to you smooth things, and thus have had an in- 
fluence to soothe and comfort you; and you, in your turn,  
have soothed and comforted them in their careless indif- 

WORLDLY-MINDEDNESS A SNARE.  187  
ference to the claims of God. You have encouraged 
them in their pride and love of pleasure; for your actions  
have said to the sinner, "It shall be well with thee."  
By mingling with worldlings, your judgment has become  
perverted; and sins which God abhors are tame and  
harmless in your sight.  
I greatly fear that by your self-righteousness you are  
building around your souls barriers that nothing can 
break down. You have been no nearer to God, no more  
workin 
g his works, no more imbued with his Spirit, than  
the professors in the nominal churches. You have had 
no real sense of the sacredness of the Sabbath, and God  
has not accepted your observance of his holy day. You 
have had no true consecration, no sincere devotion. God  
has not been honored by either of you; you have not  
known him experimentally. You have walked apart from 
him so long that he is nearly a stranger to you.  Spirit- 
ual things are spiritually discerned; but you have so long  
cultivated worldly tastes and habits that it will not be 
easy for you to bend your mind in an opposite direction.  
You will feel, "This is a hard saying; who can hear  
it?" But the world cannot understand the people of 
God. There is no harmony between the children of  
light and the children of darkness. Paul asks: ''And  
what concord hath Christ-with Belial? or what part  
hath he that believeth with an infidel ? And what agree-
ment hath the temple of God with idols ? for ye are the 
temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell 
in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and 
they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from  
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and  
touch not the unclean; and I will receive you, and  
will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and  
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." John testifies:  
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not  
ye 
t appear what we shall be; but we know that, when  
he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see  
him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in 
him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." " Know ye  
not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God ?"


188  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
asks James. " Whosoever therefore will be a friend of  
the world is the enemy of God."  
J esus said to his disciples: " If ye love me, keep my  
commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he 
shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with  
you forever [not a profession of the truth, not a form of 
godliness, but] even the Spirit of truth, whom the world  
canno 
t receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth  
him. But ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and  
shall be in you." " He that hath my commandments, 
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that  
loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love  
him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto 
him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest 
thyself unto us, and not unto the world ? Jesus answered 
and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my 
words; and my Father will love him, and we will come  
unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth  
me not keepeth not my sayings."  
The words of Christ find no response in your hearts;  
fo 
r you have blinded your eyes and hardened your hearts.  
In the books of Heaven you are both accounted as of  
the world. Your hearts are sometimes troubled, but not 
enough to lead you to repent and change your course of  
action. The world holds your affections, and its customs 
are more agreeable to you than obedience to the heavenly  
Teacher.  
Your example before your children is not at all in  
accordance with the truth you profess to love. The  
truth does not sanctify you or them. You love selfish 
enjoyment 
; and the lessons taught your children, both  
by precept and example, have not been of a character to 
foster in them humility, meekness, and a Christlike dis-
position. You are molding them after the world's stand- 
ard. When Jesus shall open before you the book of 
records 
, where day by day your words and actions have  
been faithfully registered, you will see that with both of 
you life has been a terrible failure.  
What your recent affliction may have done for you, I  
am unable to say; but if it has had power to open your  

WORLDLY-MINDEDNESS A SNARE.  189  
eyes and convict your souls, you will certainly take a  
course to make this evident. Without a thorough con- 
version, you can never receive the crown of everlasting 
life; and your children will never have part with the  
blood-washed throng unless they first unlearn the lessons  
yo 
u have taught them, which have become a part of their  
life and character. Your example has led them to think 
that religion is like a garment, that may be worn or laid  
off, as occasion requires or convenience dictates; and un-
less there is an entire change in the influences brought  
to bear upon them, these lax ideas of the claims of God  
will cling to them. They do not know what constitutes  
the Christian life; they have not learned what it is to  
live the truth and bear the cross.  
" If the world hate you," said Christ, " ye know that  
it hated me before it hated you." You have entertained  
the opinion that the reason why the world is so much 
opposed to us as a people is, we are too unsocial, too  
plain in our dress, and too strict in regard to amusements,  
withdrawing ourselves from them too much in practice  
as well as in precept. You have thought that if we  
would be less exclusive, and would mingle more with 
the world, their opinions and impressions of us would be 
greatly modified. But no greater mistake could affect  
the human mind. Said Christ, " If ye were of the world, 
the world would love his own; but because ye are not of  
the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, there- 
fore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I  
said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.  
I 
f they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you;  
if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.  
But all these things will they do unto you for my name's 
sake, because they know not Him that sent me."  
These are the words of One of whom even his enemies  
were forced to admit, "Never man spake like this  
man." The words of men express their own human 
thoughts; but those of Christ are spirit and life. " If ye  
continue in my word," he says, " then are ye my disci-
ples indeed." " He that is of God heareth God's words;"  
but these divine utterances find no place in the heart of 
one who is of the world, and loves its pleasures.


188 TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
God has given us specific directions, so that no one  
need err. " Man shall not live by bread alone," he says,  
" but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth  
of God." The truth given by inspiration "is profitable 
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction  
in righteousness." Not by one word, not by many words,  
but by every vwrd that God has spoken, shall man live. 
You cannot disregard one word, a single injunction that 
he has given, however trifling it may seem to you, and 
be safe. "Whosoever shall break one of these least  
commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called 
the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall 
do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the  
kingdom of Heaven." Whosoever will willfully break 
one command, cannot in spirit and in truth keep any 
of them. He may claim that, with the exception of 
what he may regard as slight deviations, he keeps them 
all; yet if he willingly offends in one point, he is guilty  
of all.  
Bro. and Sister P, while you have been making a pro- 
fession of Christianity, you have been keeping back part 
of the price. You have robbed God of thought and de- 
votion; you have robbed him of your talents and influ- 
ence. Your inclinations have been a snare to you. You  
have not followed the light that God has graciously  
given you in testimonies; and you have done things  
that without repentance and reformation on your part  
will exclude you from Heaven. Had you heeded the 
reproofs sent to you by the Holy Spirit, you would  
now be strong in God, and far advanced in Christian ex- 
perience; and you would have had an entirely different  
record in the books of Heaven.  
"He that rejecteth me," says Christ, "and receiveth  
not my words, hath One that judgeth him. The word  
that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last  
day." In that day what shame and confusion of face  
will gover those who have had such light and privileges,  
who have had salvation brought within their reach by  
the infinite sacrifice of the Son of God, and yet have not  
availe 
d themselves of these precious gifts. Through his  

WORLDLY-MINDEDNESS A SNARE.  
190  
word, God is constantly pointing out to us the right path,  
even the high and glorious path of the just. The travel- 
ers in this path do not walk in darkness, for it is illumi-
nated by the Sun of Righteousness; but you have re- 
jecte 
d it because it was too far separated from the world.  
Self-love and selfish ambition cannot pass the strait  
gate, and walk the narrow, upward way.  
It will be found in the day of final settlement that  
God was acquainted with every one by name. There is  
a 
n unseen witness to every action of the life. " I know thy  
works," says He that " walketh in the midst of the seven 
golden candlesticks." It is known what opportunities 
have been slighted, how untiring have been the efforts  
of the Good Shepherd to search out those who were wan- 
dering in crooked ways, and to bring them back to the  
path of safety and peace. Again and again God has called 
after the pleasure-lovers; again and again he has flashed 
the light of his word across their path, that they might  
see their peril, and escape. But on and on they go, jest-
ing and joking as they travel the broad road, until at 
length their probation is ended. God's ways are just  
and equal; and when sentence is pronounced against  
those who are found wanting, every mouth will be  
stopped.  
How different it would now be with you both, had you  
regarded in their true light the praise and honor that 
come from men. You both thirst more for the praise of  
the world than for the waters of life. The idea of being  
thought of importance among men of the world has in-
toxicated  you; their words of esteem have deceived you.  
When you place a right estimate on eternal things, the 
friendship and  esteem of the rich and the learned will  
have no influence over you. Pride, in whatever form it  
may manifest itself, will 110 longer live in your heart. 
But you have so long drunk of the turbid stream of 
worldliness that you see no better way to live.  
Again and again God has stretched out his hand to  
save you by showing you your duties and obligations.  
These duties change in character with the increase of  
light. When the light shines, making manifest and re-


192  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
proving the errors that were undiscovered, there must be 
a corresponding change in the life and character. The  
mistakes that are the natural result of blindness of mind,  
are, when pointed out, no longer sins of ignorance or  
errors of judgment; b'lt unless there are decided reforms  
in accordance with the light given, they then become 
presumptuous sins. The moral darkness that surrounds 
you will become more dense; your heart will become  
harder and harder, and you will be more offensive in the  
sigh 
t of God. You do not realize the great peril you  
are in, the danger there is that in your case the light will  
become entirely obscured, veiled in complete darkness.  
When the light is received and acted upon, you will be  
crucified to sin, being dead indeed unto the world, but 
aliv 
e to God. Your idols will be abandoned, and your  
example will be on the side of self-denial rather than that 
of self-indulgence.  
Br«. and Sister P, had you heeded the Testimonies of  
the Spirit of God, you would now be walking in the  
light 
, in harmony with the people of God; but your un- 
belie 
f has shut you away from great good. Sister P has  
not risen up against the Testimonies, neither has she  
shown confidence in them as from the Lord by obeying 
them. She loves to have her husband praised and hon- 
ored by the world; it gratifies her pride, which is by no  
means small. You may each appropriately inquire,  
" Why am I so slow to come out from the world, and  
take Christ for my portion? Why should I love and  
honor those whom I know do not love God nor respect  
his claims ? Why should I wish to retain the friendship  
of my Lord's enemies ? Why should I follow their cus-
toms or be influenced by their opinions ?" You cannot,  
my dear friends, serve both God and mammon. You 
must make an unreserved surrender, or in  the near  
future the light that shines upon your pathway will go 
ou 
t in the darkness of despair. You are on the enemy's  
ground. You have voluntarily placed yourselves there;  
and the Lord will not protect you against his assaults.  
I 
n your present state, you are doing far more harm  
than good; for you have a form of godliness, and profess  

WORLDLY-MINDEDNESS A SNARE.  193  
to believe the truth, while your words and actions say,  
" Wide is the gate, and broad is the way,"  that leads  
to life, " and many there be which go in thereat." If  
your life is a confession of Christ, then we may truly say 
that the world has gone after him. Your profession  may  
be right; but have you humility and love, meekness and  
devotion? "Whosoever shall confess me before men," 
by a holy life and godly conversation, "him shall the  
Son of man also confess before the angels of God." No  
one can confess Christ unless he has the mind and spirit 
of Christ; he cannot communicate that which he does not 
possess. The daily life must be an expression of the  
sanctifying power of the truth, and evidence that Christ 
is abiding in the soul by faith. Whatever is opposed to 
th 
e fruits of the Spirit, or to the work of God in separat- 
ing his people from the world, is a denial of Christ; and  
his words are, " He that denieth me before men shall be  
denied before the angels of God."  
We may deny Christ by our worldly conversation and  
by our pride of apparel. You have a circle of friends 
who are a snare to you and to your children. You love  
their companionship. Through association with them,  
you are led to dress yourselves and your children after  
the fashions followed by those who have no fear of God  
before their eyes. You thus show that you have friend- 
ship with the world. " In the multitude of words there  
wanteth not sin." Does your intercourse with these  
friends incline you to visit the closet, and ask divine love  
and grace, or does it estrange your mind from God? 
And your dear children—-what is your neglect of their 
eternal interests doing for them ? Your example has 
encourage 
d them to hurry on the life-journey with heed- 
less presumption or with blind self-confidence, having no 
fixed religious principles to guide them. They have no 
conscientious regard for the Sabbath, or for the claims  
of God in any respect; they do not love Christian duties,  
and are straying farther and farther from the Source of 
light, peace, and joy.  
Without faith it is impossible to please God; for  
"whatsoever is not of faith is sin." The faith that is  
13


194  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
required is not a mere assent to doctrines; it is the faith 
that works by love and purities the soul. Humility,  
meekness, and obedience are not faith; but they are the  
effects 
, or fruit, of faith. These graces you have yet to  
attain by learning in the school of Christ. You do not  
know the sentiments and principles of Heaven; its lan-
guage is almost a strange language to you both. The  
Spirit of God still pleads in your behalf; but I have seri-
ous, painful doubts whether you will heed that voice that  
has been appealing to you for years. I hope you will, 
an 
d that you will turn and live.  
Do you feel that it is too great a sacrifice to give your  
poor unworthy selves to Jesus? Will you choose the  
hopeless bondage of sin and death, rather than to have 
your life severed from the world, and united to Christ  
by bonds of love ? Jesus still lives to intercede for us.  
This should daily call out the gratitude of our hearts.  
He that realizes his guilt and helplessness may come just 
as he is, and receive the blessing of God. The promise  
belongs to him if he will grasp it by faith. But he that 
in his own eyes is rich, and honorable, and righteous, 
who sees as the world sees, and calls evil good and good  
evil 
, cannot ask and receive, because he feels no need.  
He feels that he is full; therefore he must go away empty.  
Should you become alarmed for your own souls, should  
you seek God diligently, he will be found of you; but  
h 
e will accept no half-hearted repentance. If you will  
forsake your sins, he is ever ready to forgive. Will you  
just now surrender to him ? Will you look to Calvary,  
an 
d inquire, "Did Jesus make this sacrifice for me? Did  
he endure humiliation, shame, and reproach, and suffer  
the cruel death of the cross, because he desired to save  
me from the sufferings of guilt and the horror of despair, 
an 
d make me unspeakably happy in his kingdom?"  
Look upon Him whom your sins have pierced, and re- 
solve, " The Lord shall have the service of my life. I 
wil 
l no longer unite with his enemies; I will no longer  
lend my influence to the rebels against his government.  
All I have and am is too little to devote to Him who so  
love 
d me that he gave his life for me,—his whole divine  

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PHYSICIAN. 195  
self for one so sinful and erring." Separate from the  
world, be wholly on the Lord's side, press the battle to 
the gates, and you will win glorious victories.  
Blessed is he who heeds the words of eternal life.  
Guided by the " Spirit of truth," he will be led into all 
truth. He will not be loved, honored, and praised by 
the world; but he will be precious in the sight of Heaven.  
" Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed  
upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; there-
fore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."  
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PHYSICIAN.  
"THE fear of the Mrd is the beginning of wisdom."  
Professional men, whatever their calling, need divine  
wisdom. But the physician is in special need of this  
wisdom in dealing with all classes of minds and diseases.  
He occupies a position even more responsible than that  
of the minister of the gospel. He is called to be a co-
laborer with Christ, and he needs stanch religious prin-
ciples, and a firm connection with the God of wisdom.  
If he takes counsel of God, he will have the Great  
Healer to work with his efforts, and he will move with  
the greatest caution, lest by his mismanagement he in- 
jure one of God's creatures. He will be firm as a rock  
to principle, yet kind and courteous to all. He will feel  
the responsibility of his position, and his practice will 
show that he is actuated by pure, unselfish motives, and  
a desire to adorn the doctrine of Christ in all things.  
Such a physician will possess a Heaven-born dignity, and  
will be a powerful agent for good in the world. Al-
though he may not be appreciated by those who have no  
connection with God, yet  he will be honored of Heaven.  
In God's sight he will be more precious than gold, even  
the gold of Ophir.  
The physician should be a strictly temperate man.  
The physical ailments of humanity are numberless, and 
he has to deal with disease in all its varied forms. He


194 TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
knows that much of the suffering he seeks to relieve is 
the result of intemperance and other forms of selfish in- 
dulgence. He is called to attend young men, and men  
in the prime of life and in mature age, who have brought  
disease upon themselves by the use of the narcotic to-
bacco. If he is an intelligent physician, he will be able  
to trace disease to its cause; but unless he is free from 
the use of tobacco himself, he will hesitate to put his  
finger upon the plague-spot, and faithfully unfold to his  
patients the cause of their sickness. He will fail to  
urge upon the young the necessity of overcoming the 
habit before it becomes fixed. If he uses the weed him- 
self, how can he present to the inexperienced youth its  
injurious effects, not only upon themselves, but upon 
those around them?  
In this age of the world the use of tobacco is almost  
universal. Women and children suffer from having to  
breathe the atmosphere that has been polluted by the  
pipe, the cigar, or the foul breath of the tobacco-user.  
Those who live in this atmosphere will always be ailing,  
and the smoking physician is always prescribing some  
drug to cure ailments which could be best remedied by  
throwing away tobacco  
Physicians cannot perform their duties with fidelity  
to God or to their fellow-men while they are worshiping  
an idol in the form of tobacco. How offensive to the  
sick is the breath of the tobacco-user! How they shrink 
fro 
m him! How inconsistent for men who have gradu- 
ated from medical colleges, and claim to be capable of 
ministering to suffering humanity, to constantly carry a  
poisonous narcotic with them into the sick-rooms of their 
patients. And yet many chew and smoke until the  
blood is corrupted, and the nervous system undermined.  
It is especially offensive in the sight of God for physi-
cians who are capable of doing great good, and who pro- 
fess to believe the truth of God for this time, to indulge 
in this disgusting habit. The words of the apostle Paul  
are applicable to them: "Having therefore these prom- 
ises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all  
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in  

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PHYSICIAN.  
196  
the fear of God." " I beseech you therefore, brethren,  
by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a  
living, sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your  
reasonable service."  
Tobacco-users cannot be acceptable workers in the  
temperance cause; for there is no consistency in their  
profession to be temperance men. How can they talk  
to the man who is destroying reason and life by liquor- 
drinking, when their pockets are tilled with tobacco, and 
they long to be free to chew and smoke and spit all they  
S 
please? How can they with any degree of consistency  
plead for moral reforms before boards of health and from  
temperance platforms, while they themselves are under  
the stimulus of tobacco? If they would have power to 
influence the people to overcome their love for stimu-
lants, their words must come forth with pure breath and  
from clean lips.  
Of all men in the world, the physician and the minis- 
ter should have strictly temperate habits. The welfare  
of society demands total abstinence of them; for their 
influenc 
e is constantly telling for or against moral reform  
and the improvement of society. It is willful sin in them  
to be ignorant of the laws of health or indifferent to 
them; for they are looked up to as wise above other  
! 

men. This is especially true of the physician, who is in- 
trusted with human life. He is expected to indulge in  
no habit that will weaken the life-forces.  *  
How can a tobacco-using minister or doctor bring up  
his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ?  
How can he discountenance in his child that which be  
allows in himself? If he does the work enjoined upon 
him by the Ruler of the universe, he will protest against 
iniquity in every form and in every degree; he will ex-
ert his authority and influence on the side of self-clenial, and strict, undeviating obedience to the just require- ments of God. It will be his object to place his chil-dren in the most favorable conditions to secure happi- ness in this life and a home in the city of God. How 
ca  n he do this while yielding to the indulgence of appe- tite  ? How can he place the feet of others on the ladder


198 TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
of progress, while he himself is treading the downward  
way ?  
Our Saviour set an example of self-denial. In his  
prayer for his disciples, he said: "For their sakes I sanc- 
tify myself, that they also might be sanctified through 
the truth." If a man who assumes so grave a responsi- 
bility as that of a physician, sins against himself in not  
conforming to nature's laws, he will reap the consequences 
of his own doings, and abide her righteous decision, from  
which there can be no appeal The cause produces the 
effect; and in many cases the physician, who should have  
a clear, sharp mind and steady nerves, that he may be  
able to discern quickly and execute with precision, has  
disordered nerves and a brain clouded by narcotics. His  
capabilities for doing good are lessened. He will lead 
others in the path his own feet are traveling. Hundreds  
wil 
l follow the example of one intemperate physician,  
feeling that they are safe in doing what the doctor does.  
An 
d in the day of God he will meet the record of his  
course, and be called to give an account for all the good 
he might have done, but did not do, because by his own  
voluntary act he weakened his physical and mental pow- 
ers by selfish indulgence.  
The question is not, What is the world doing? but,  
What are professional men doing in regard to the wide- 
sprea 
d and prevailing curse of tobacco-using? Will men  
to whom God has given intelligence, and who are in posi- 
tions of sacred trust, be true to follow intelligent reason?  
Will these responsible men, having under their care per- 
sons whom their influence will lead in a right or a wrong  
direction, be pattern men? Will they, by precept and  
example, teach obedience to the laws which govern the  
physica 
l system ? If they do not put to a practical use  
the knowledge they have of the laws that govern their  
own being, if they prefer present gratification to sound-
ness of mind and body, they are not fit to be intrusted  
wit 
h the lives of others. They are in duty bound t%  
stand in the dignity of their God-given manhood, free  
from the bondage of any appetite or passion. The man  
who chews and smokes is doing injury, not only to him- 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PHYSICIAN. 199  
self, but to all who come within the sphere of his influ- 
ence. If a physician must be called, the tobacco-devo- 
tee should be passed by. He will not be a safe counselor.  
If the disease has its origin in the use of tobacco, he will 
be tempted to prevaricate, and assign some other than 
the true cause; for how can he condemn himself in his  
own daily practice ?  
There are many ways of practicing the healing art;  
but there is only one way that Heaven approves. God's  
remedies are the simple agencies of nature, that will not 
tax or debilitate the system through their powerful prop- 
erties. Pure air and water, cleanliness, a proper diet,  
purity of life, and a firm trust in God, are remedies for 
the want of which thousands are dying; yet these reme- 
dies are going out of date because their skillful use re- 
quires work that the people do not appreciate. Fresh  
air, exercise, pure water, and clean, sweet premises, are 
within the reach of all with but little expense; but drugs  
are expensive, both in the outlay of means, and the ef- 
fect produced upon the system.  
The work of the Christian physician does not end with  
healing the maladies of the body; his efforts should ex- 
tend to the diseases of the mind, to the saving of the  
soul. It may not be his duty, unless asked, to present  
any theoretical points of truth; but he may point his  
patients to Christ. The lessons of the divine Teacher  
are ever appropriate. He should call the attention of  
the repining to the ever-fresh tokens of the love and care  
of God, to his wisdom and goodness as manifested in his  
created works. The mind can then be led through nat-
ure up to nature's God, and centered on the Heaven  
which he has prepared for those that love him.  
The physician should know how to pray. In many  
cases he must increase suffering in order to save life; and 
whether the patient is a Christian or not, he feels greater  
security if he knows that his physician fears God.  
Prayer will give the sick an abiding confidence; and 
many times if their cases are borne to the Great Physi- 
cian in humble trust, it will do more for them than all 
the drugs that can be administered.


194  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Satan is the originator of disease; and the physician  
is warring against his work and power. Sickness of the 
mind prevails everywhere. Nine-tenths of the diseases  
from which men suffer have their foundation here. 
Perhaps some living home-trouble is, like a canker, eat-
ing to the very soul and weakening the life-forces. Re- 
morse for sin sometimes undermines the constitution, and 
unbalances the mind. There are erroneous doctrines 
also, as that of an eternally burning hell and the endless 
torment of the wicked, that, by giving exaggerated and 
distorted views of the character of God, have produced  
the same result upon sensitive minds. Infidels have 
made the most of these unfortunate cases, attributing 
insanity to religion; but this is a gross libel, and one  
which they will not be pleased to meet by and by. The  
religion of Christ, so far from being the cause of insanity, 
is one of its most effectual remedies; for it is a potent 
soother of the nerves.  
The physician needs more than human wisdom and  
power that he may know how to minister to the many  
perplexin 
g cases of disease of the mind and heart with  
which he is called to deal. If he is ignorant of the power 
of divine grace, he cannot help the afflicted one, but will 
aggravate the difficulty; but if he has a firm hold upon 
God 
, he will be able to help the diseased, distracted mind.  
He will be able to point his patients to Christ, and teach  
them to carry all their cares and perplexities to the great  
Burden-bearer.  
There is a divinely appointed connection between sin  
and disease. No physician can practice for a month  
without seeing this illustrated. He may ignore the fact; 
his mind may be so occupied with other matters that his  
attention will not be called to it; but if he will be ob- 
serving and honest, he cannot help acknowledging that  
sin and disease bear to each other the relationship of  
cause and effect. The physician should be quick to see  
this, and to act accordingly. When he has gained the 
confidence of the afflicted by relieving their sufferings  
and bringing them back from the verge of the grave, he  
may teach them that disease is the result of sin; and  

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PHYSICIAN. 201  
that it is the fallen foe who seeks to allure them to health-
and-soul-destroying practices. He may impress their  
minds with the necessity of denying self, and obeying 
the laws of life and health. In the minds of the young 
especially he may instill right principles. God loves his  
creature 
s with a love that is both tender and strong. He  
has established the laws of nature; but his laws are not 
arbitrary exactions. Every "Thou shalt not," whether 
in physical or moral law, contains or implies a promise  
If it is obeyed, blessings will attend our steps; if it is  
disobeyed, the result is danger and unhappiness. The  
laws of God are designed to bring his people closer to  
himself. He will save them from the evil, and lead 
them to the good, if they will be led; but force them 
he never will. We cannot discern God's plans; but we 
must trust him, and show our faith by our works.  
Physician 
s who love and fear God are few compared  
with those who are infidels or openly irreligious; and 
these should be patronized in preference to the latter  
class. We may well distrust the ungodly physician. A  
door of temptation is open to him, a wily devil will sug- 
gest base thoughts and actions, and it is only the power 
of divine grace that can quell tumultuous passion and 
fortify against sin. To those who are morally corrupt,  
opportunities to corrupt pure minds are not wanting.  
Bu 
t how will the licentious physician appear in the day  
of God? While professing to care for the sick, he has 
betrayed sacred trusts. He has degraded both the soul  
and the body of God's creatures; and has set their feet  
in the path that leads to perdition. How terrible to 
trust our loved ones in the hands of an impure man, who  
may poison the morals and ruin the soul! How out of 
place is the godless physician at the bedside of the dying!  
The physician is almost daily brought face to face with  
death. He is, as it were, treading upon the verge of the 
grave 
. In many instances familiarity with scenes of suf- 
fering and death results in carelessness and indifference 
to human woe, and recklessness in the treatment of  
the sick. Such physicians seem to have no tender sym-
pathy. They are harsh and abrupt, and the sick dread


194  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
their approach. Such men, however great their knowl- 
edge and skill, can do the suffering little good; but if the 
love and sympathy that Jesus manifested for the sick is  
combined with the physician's knowledge, hisverypresence  
will be a blessing. He will not look upon his patient 
a 
s a mere piece of human mechanism, but as a soul to  
be saved or lost.  
The duties of the physician are arduous. Few realize  
the mental and physical strain to which he is subjected.  
Every energy and capability must be enlisted with the  
mos 
t intense anxiety in the battle with disease and death.  
Often he knows that one unskillful movement of the 
hand, even but a hair's breadth in the wrong direction,  
may send a soul unprepared into eternity. How much  
the faithful physician needs the sympathy dnd prayers  
of the people of God. His claims in this direction are 
not inferior to those of the most devoted minister or mis- 
sionary worker. Deprived, as he often is, of needed rest  
an 
d sleep, and even of religious privileges on the Sab- 
bath, he needs a double portion of grace, a fresh supply  
daily, or he will lose his hold on God, and will be in dan- 
ger of sinking deeper in spiritual darkness than men of  
other callings. And yet often he is made to bear un- 
merited reproaches, and is left to stand alone, the sub- 
ject of Satan's fiercest temptations, feeling himself mis- 
understood 
, betrayed by his friends.  
Many, knowing how trying are the duties of the phy- 
sician, and how few opportunities physicians have for re- 
lease from care, even upon the Sabbath, will not choose 
this for their life-work. But the great enemy is con- 
stantly seeking to destroy the workmanship of God's  
hands, and men of culture and intelligence are called 
upon to combat his cruel power. More of the right 
kind of men are needed to devote themselves to this pro- 
fession. Painstaking effort should be made to induce  
suitable men to qualify themselves for this work. They  
should be men whose characters are based upon the 
broad principles of the word of God,—men who possess  
a natural energy, force, and perseverance that will 
enable them to reach a high standard of excellence. It  

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PHYSICIAN. 202  
is not every one who can make a successful physician.  
Many have entered upon the duties of this profession  
every way unprepared. They have not the requisite 
knowledge; neither have they the skill and tact, the  
carefulness ancl intelligence, necessary to insure success.  
A physician can do much better work if he has phys- 
ical strength. If he is feeble, he cannot endure the wear-
ing labor incident to his calling. A man who has a  
weak constitution, who is a dyspeptic, or who has not  
perfect self-control, cannot become qualified to deal with 
all classes of disease. Great care should be taken not to 
encourage persons who might be useful in some less re- 
sponsible position, to study medicine at a great outlay of 
time ancl means, when there is no reasonable hope that  
they will succeed.  
Some have been singled out as men who might be use- 
ful as physicians, and they have been encouraged to take 
a medical course. But some who commenced their stud-
ies in the medical colleges as Christians, did not keep 
the divine law prominent; they sacrificed principle, ancl  
lost their hold on God. They felt that single-handed  
they could not keep the fourth commandment, and meet  
the jeers and ridicule of the ambitious, the world-loving,  
the superficial, the skeptic, and the infidel. This kincl 
of persecution they were not prepared to meet. They 
were ambitious to climb higher in the world, ancl they 
stumbled on the dark mountains of unbelief, and became 
untrustworthy. Temptations of every kind opened be- 
fore them, ancl they had no strength to resist. Some of  
these have become dishonest, scheming policy men, and 
are guilty of grave sins.  
In this age there is danger for every one who shall en- 
ter upon the study of medicine. Often his instructors 
are worldly-wise men and his fellow-students infidels, 
who have no thought of God, and he is in danger of be- 
in 
g influenced by these irreligious associations. Never- 
theless, some have gone through the medical course, and  
have remained true to principle. They would not con- 
tinue their studies on the Sabbath; and they have proved 
tha 
t men may become qualified for the duties of a physi-


204  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
cian, and not disappoint the expectations of those who 
furnish them means to obtain an education. Like  
Daniel, they have honored God, and he has kept them.  
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not adopt  
the customs of kingly courts; he would not eat of the  
king's meat, nor drink of his wine. He looked to God  
for strength and grace, and God gave him wisdom, and  
skill, and knowledge above that of the astrologers, the  
soothsayers, and the magicians of the kingdom. To him 
the promise was verified, " Them that honor- me, I will  
honor."  
The young physician has access to the God of Daniel.  
Throug 
h divine grace and power, he may become as effi- 
cient in his calling as Daniel was in his exalted position.  
But it is a mistake to make a scientific preparation the  
all-important thing, while religious principles, that lie at 
the very foundation of a successful practice, are neg- 
lected. Many are lauded as skillful men in their pro-
fession, who scorn the thought that they need to rely 
upon Jesus for wisdom in their work. But if these 
men who trust in their knowledge of science were illu- 
minated by the light of Heaven, to how much greatei 
excellence might they attain! How much stronger 
would be their powers, with how much greater confi- 
dence could they undertake difficult cases! The man  
who is closely connected with the great Physician of 
soul and body, has the resources of Heaven and earth at  
his command, and he can work with a wisdom, an unerr-
ing precision, that the godless man cannot possess.  
Those to whom the care of the sick is intrusted,  
whether as physicians or nurses, should remember that 
their work must stand the scrutiny of the piercing eve 
of Jehovah. There is no missionary field more impor-
tant than that occupied by the faithful, God-fearing  
physician. There is no field where a man may accom- 
plish greater good, or win more jewels to shine in the  
crown of his rejoicing. He may carry the grace of  
Christ, as a sweet perfume, into all the sick-rooms he  
enters; he may carry the true healing balm to the sin- 
sick soul. He can point the sick and dying to the Lamb  

THE COMING CRISIS.  205  
of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He  
shoul 
d not listen to the suggestion that it is dangerous  
t 
o speak of their eternal interests to those whose lives  
are in peril, lest it should make them worse; for in nine 
cases out of ten the knowledge of a sin-pardoning Sav-
iour would make them better both in mind and body.  
Jesus can limit the power of Satan. He is the physi- 
cia 
n in whom the sin-sick soul may trust to heal the  
maladies of the body as well as of the soul.  
The superficial and the evil-minded in the profession  
will seek to arouse prejudice against the man who faith- 
fully discharges the duties of his profession, and to strew 
his path with obstacles; but these trials will only reveal 
the pure gold of character. Christ will be his refuge 
from the strife of tongues. Though his life may be hard  
and self-denying, and in the estimation of the world may 
b 
e a failure, in the sight of Heaven it will be a success,  
an 
d he will be ranked as one of God's noblemen. " They  
that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firma-
ment; and they that turn many to righteousness as the 
stars forever and ever."  
THE COMING CRISIS.  
"AND the dragon was wroth with the woman, and  
went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which  
keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony 
of Jesus Christ." In the near future we  shall see these  
words fulfilled, as the Protestant churches unite with the  
world and with the papal power against commandment-
keepers. The same spirit which actuated papists in ages 
past, will lead Protestants to pursue a similar course to- 
ward those who will maintain their loyalty to God.  
Church and State are now making preparations for the  
future conflict. Protestants are working in disguise to 
bring Sunday to the front, as did the Romanists.  
Throughout the land the papacy is piling up her lofty  
and massive structures, in the secret recesses of which


206  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
her former persecutions are to be repeated. And the  
way is preparing for the manifestation, on a grand scale,  
of those lying wonders by which, if it were possible,  
Satan would deceive even the elect  
The decree which is to go forth against the people of  
God Avill be very similar to that issued by Ahasuerus  
against the Jews in the time of Esther. The Persian 
edic 
t sprung from the malice of Ham an toward Mordecai.  
Not that Mordecai had done him harm, but he had refused  
to show him reverence which belongs only to God. The 
king's decision against the Jews was secured under false 
pretenses, through misrepresentation of that peculiar 
people. Satan instigated the scheme, in order to rid the 
earth of those who preserved the knowledge of the true 
God 
. But his plots were defeated by a counter-power  
that reigns among the children of men. Angels that  
excel in strength were commissioned to protect the peo-
ple of God, and the plots of their adversaries returned 
upon their own heads. The Protestant world to-day see 
in the little company keeping the Sabbath a Mordecai in 
the gate. His character and conduct, expressing rever-
ence for the law of God, are a constant rebuke to those  
who have cast off the fear of the Lord, and are trampling 
upon his Sabbath; the unwelcome intruder must by some  
means be put out of the way.  
The same masterful mind that plotted against the faith- 
ful in ages past is still seeking to rid the earth of those who 
fear God and obey his law. Satan will excite indignation  
agains 
t the humble minority wdio conscientiously refuse to  
accep 
t popular customs and traditions. Men of position  
and reputation will join with the lawless and the vile to 
take counsel against the people of God. Wealth, genius,  
education, will combine to cover them with contempt. 
Persecuting rulers, ministers, and church members will 
conspire against them. With voice and pen, by boasts,  
threats, and ridicule, they will seek to overthrow their  
faith. By false representations and angry appeals, they 
will stir up the passions of the people. Not having a'' Thus  
saith the Scriptures" to bring against the advocates of the  
Bible Sabbath, they will resort to oppressive enactments  

THE COMING CRISIS.  207  
to supply the lack. To secure popularity and patronage,  
legislators will yield to the demand for a Sunday law. 
Those who fear God cannot accept an institution that 
violates  a precept of the decalogue. On this battle-field  
comes the last great conflict of the controversy between 
truth and error. And we are not left in doubt as to  
the issue. Now, as in the days of Mordecai, the Lord 
will vindicate his truth and his people.  
By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy  
in violation of the law of God, our nation will discon- 
nect herself fully from righteousness. When Protest- 
antism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp 
the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over  
th 
e abyss to clasp hands with Spiritualism, when, under  
the influence of this threefold union, our country shall 
repudiate every principle of its constitution as a Prot- 
estant and Republican government, and shall make pro- 
vision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delu- 
sions, then we may know that the time has come for the 
marvelou 
s working of Satan, and that the end is near.  
As the approach of the Roman armies was a sign  
to the disciples of the impending destruction of Jeru-
salem, so may this apostasy be a sign to us that the limit 
of God's forbearance is reached, that the measure of 
our nation's iniquity is full, and that the angel of mercy  
is about  to take her flight, never to return. The people  
of God will then be plunged into those scenes of afflic- 
tion and distress which prophets have described as the 
time of Jacob's trouble. The cries of the faithful, per-
secuted ones ascend to Heaven. And as the blood of  
Abel cried from the ground, there are voices also crying  
to God from martyrs' graves, from the sepulchers of the  
sea, from mountain caverns, from convent vaults, ''How 
long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and 
aveng 
e our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"  
The Lord is doing his work. All Heaven is astir.  
The Judge of all the earth is soon to arise and vindicate 
his insulted authority. The mark of deliverance will be  
set upon the men who keep God's commandments, who 
revere his law, and who refuse the mark of the beast or 
of his image.


206  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
God has revealed what is to take place in the last days,  
that his people may be prepared to stand against the  
tempest of opposition and wrath. Those who have been 
warned of the events before them are not to sit in calm 
expectation of the coming storm, comforting themselves 
that the Lord will shelter his faithful ones in the day of  
trouble. We are to be as men waiting for their Lord, 
not in idle  expectancy, but in earnest work, with un- 
wavering faith. It is no time now to allow our minds 
to be engrossed with things of minor importance. While 
men are sleeping, Satan is actively arranging matters so  
that the Lord's people may not have mercy or justice. 
The Sunday movement is now making its way in dark- 
ness. The leaders are concealing the true issue, and 
many who unite in the movement do not themselves see  
whither the under-current is tending. Its professions are  
mild, and apparently Christian; but when it shall speak, 
it will reveal the spirit of the dragon. It is our duty 
to do all in our power to avert the threatened danger. 
We should endeavor to disarm prejudice by placing our- 
selves in a proper light before the people. We should 
bring before them the real question at issue, thus inter- 
posing the most effectual protest against measures to re-
strict liberty of conscience. We should search the 
Scriptures, and be able to give the reason for our faith. 
Say 
s the prophet, "The wicked shall do wickedly, and  
none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall 
understand."  
Those who have access to God through Christ have  
important work before them. Now is the time to lay 
hold of the arm of our strength. The prayer of David 
should be the prayer of pastors and laymen: "It is 
time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void 
thy law." Let the servants of the Lord weep between  
th 
e porch and the altar, crying, "Spare thy people, 0  
Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach." God  
has always wrought for his people in their greatest ex- 
tremity, when there seemed the least hope that ruin  
could be averted. The designs of wicked men, the ene-
mies of the church, are subject to his power and over  

THE COMING  CRISIS.  209  
ruling providence. He can move upon the hearts of  
statesmen; the wrath of the turbulent and disaffected,  
the haters of God, his truth, and his people, can be turned  
aside, even as the rivers of water are turned, if he orders  
it thus. Prayer moves the arm of Omnipotence. He 
who marshals the stars in order in the heavens, whose 
word controls the waves of the great deep,—the same 
infinite Creator will work in behalf of his people if they  
call upon him in faith. He will restrain the forces of  
darkness, until the warning is given to the world, and  
all who will heed it are prepared for the conflict.  
"The wrath of man shall praise Thee," says the  
psalmist; "the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain."  
God means that testing truth shall be brought to the 
front, and become a subject of examination and discus-
sion, even if it is through the contempt placed upon it.  
The minds of the people must be agitated. Every con- 
troversy, every reproach, every slander, will be God's 
means of provoking inquiry, and awakening minds that 
otherwise would slumber.  
Thus it has been in the past history of Gotl's people.  
For refusing to worship the great golden image which  
Nebuchadnezzar had set up, the three Hebrews were  
cast into the fiery furnace. But God preserved his  
servants in the midst of the flames, and the attempt to 
enforce idolatry resulted in bringing the knowledge of 
the true God before the assembled princes and great men  
of the vast kingdom of Babylon.  
So when the decree went forth forbidding prayer to  
any god save the king. As Daniel, according to his 
custom, made his supplications three times a day to the  
God of Heaven, the attention of the princes ancl rulers 
was called to his case. He had an opportunity to speak 
for himself, to show who is the true God, and to present 
the reason why he alone should receive worship, and the 
duty of rendering him praise ancl homage. And the 
deliverance of Daniel from the den of lions was another 
evidence that the Being whom he worshiped was the true 
and living God.  
So the imprisonment of Paul brought the gospel be- 
14


210  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
fore kings, princes, and rulers, who otherwise would not  
have had this light. The efforts made to retard the 
progres 
s of truth will serve to extend it. The excel- 
lence of truth is more clearly seen from every suc- 
cessive point from which it may be viewed. Error re-
quires disguise and concealment. It clothes itself in  
angel robes, and every manifestation of its real character  
lessens its chance of success.  
The people whom God has made the depositaries of his  
law are not to permit their light to be hidden. The  
truth must be proclaimed in the dark places of the earth.  
Obstacle 
s must be met and surmounted. A great work  
is to be done, and this work has been intrusted to those 
who know the truth. They should make mighty inter- 
cession with God for help now. The love of Christ 
must be diffused in their own hearts. The Spirit of  
Christ must be poured out upon them, and they must be  
making ready to stand in the Judgment. While they  
are consecrating themselves to God, a convincing power  
will attend their efforts to present the truth to others, 
and its light will find access to many hearts. We must  
sleep no longer on Satan's enchanted ground, but call  
into requisition all our resources, and avail ourselves of  
every facility with which Providence has furnished us.  
The last warning is to be proclaimed "before many peo-
ples, and nations,and tongues,and kings;" and the promise 
is given, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of 
the world."  
THE CHURCH THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.  
THE Lord called out his people Israel, and separated  
them from the world, that he might commit to them a  
sacred trust. He made them the depositaries of his law,  
and he designed, through them, to preserve among men  
the knowledge of himself. . Through them the light of  
Heaven was to shine out to the dark places of the earth,  
and a voice was to be heard appealing to all peoples to  
turn from their idolatry to serve the living and true  

THE CHURCH THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 211  
God. Had the Hebrews been true to their trust, they 
would have been a power in the world. God would  
have been their defense, and he would have exalted 
them above all other nations. His light and truth  
would have been revealed through them, and they would  
have stood forth under his wise  and holy rule as an ex- 
ample of the superiority of his government over every 
form of idolatry.  
But they did not keep their covenant with God.  
They followed after the idolatrous practices of other na-
tions, and instead of making their Creator's name a 
praise in the earth, their course held it up to the con- 
tempt of the heathen. Yet the purpose of God must be  
accomplished. The knowledge of his will must be spread  
abroad in the earth. God brought the hand of the op-
pressor upon his people, and scattered them as captives  
among the nations. In affliction many of them re- 
pented of their transgressions, and sought the Lord.  
Scattered throughout the countries of the heathen, they  
spread abroad the knowledge of the true God. The 
principles of the divine law came in conflict with the  
customs and practices of the nations. Idolaters endeav- 
ore 
d to crush out the true faith. The Lord in his provi- 
dence brought his servants, Daniel, Nehemiah, Ezra, 
face to face with kings and rulers, that these idolaters 
might have an opportunity to receive the light. Thus the 
work which God had given his people to do in prosper-
ity, in their own borders, but which had been neglected 
through their unfaithfulness, was done by them in cap-
tivity, under great trial and embarrassment.  
God has called his church in this day, as he called an- 
cient Israel, to stand as a light in the earth. By the 
mighty cleaver of truth, the messages of the first, sec- 
ond, and third angels, he has separated them from the  
churches and from the world to bring them, into a sacred  
nearness to himself. He has made them the depositaries  
of his law, ancl has committed to them the great truths  
of prophecy for this time. Like the holy oracles com- 
mitted to ancient Israel, these are a sacred trust to be 
communicated to the world. The three angels of Rev-


212  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
elation 14 represent the people who accept the light  
of God's messages, and go forth as his agents to sound 
th 
e warning throughout the length and breadth of the  
earth 
. Christ declares to his followers, "Ye are the  
light of the world." To every soul that accepts Jesus, 
th 
e cross of Calvary speaks, " Behold the worth of the  
soul. ' Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to 
every creature.'" Nothing is to be permitted to hinder 
this work. It is the all-important work for time; it is 
to be far-reaching as eternity. The love that Jesus man- 
ifested for the souls of men in the sacrifice which he 
made for their redemption, will actuate all his followers.  
But very few of those who have received the light are  
doing the work intrusted to their hands. There are a 
few men of unswerving fidelity who do not study ease,  
convenience, or life itself, who push their way wherever 
they can  find an opening to press the light of truth and  
vindicate the holy law of God. But the sins that con- 
trol the world have come into the churches, and into the  
hearts of those who claim to be God's peculiar people.  
Many who have received the light exert an influence  
to quiet the fears of worldlings and formal professors.  
There are lovers of the world, even among those who  
profess to be waiting for the Lord. There is ambition 
for riches ancl honor. Christ describes this class when 
he declares that the day of God is to come as a snare  
upon all that dwell upon the earth. This world is their 
home. They make it their business to secure earthly  
treasures. They erect costly dwellings, and furnish them  
with every good thing; they find pleasure in dress and 
the indulgence of appetite The things of the world are  
thei 
r idols. These interpose between the soul and Christ,  
and the solemn and awful realities that are crowding  
upon us are but dimly seen ancl faintly realized. The  
same disobedience and failure which were seen in the 
Jewish church have characterized in a greater degree the  
people who have had this great light from Heaven in 
the last messages of warning. Shall we let the history  
o 
f Israel be repeated in our experience? Shall we, like  
them, squander our opportunities and privileges until  

THE CHURCH THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 213  
God shall permit oppression and persecution to come  
upon us? Will the work which might be performed in 
peace and comparative prosperity be left undone until it  
must be performed in days of darkness, under the press-
ure of trial and persecution?  
There is a terrible amount of guilt for which the  
church is responsible. Why are not those who have the 
light putting forth earnest efforts to give that light to 
others? They see that the end is near. They see mul- 
titudes daily transgressing God's law; and they know 
that these souls cannot be saved in transgression. Yet  
they have more interest in their trades, their farms, their  
houses, their merchandise, their dress, their tables, than 
i 
n the souls of men and women whom they must meet  
face to face in the Judgment. The people who claim to 
obe 
y the truth are asleep. They could not be at ease as  
the 
y are if they were awake. The love of the truth is  
dyin 
g out of their hearts. Their example is not such as  
to convince the world that they have truth in advance of  
every other people upon the earth. At the very time 
when they should be strong in God, having a daily, liv- 
ing experience, they are feeble, hesitating, relying upon  
the preachers for support, when they should be minister-
ing to others with mind and soul and voice and pen and  
time and money.  
Brethren and sisters, many of you excuse yourselves  
Irom labor, on the plea of inability to work for others.  
But did God make you so incapable? Was not this ina- 
bility produced by your own inactivity, and perpetuated  
by your own deliberate choice? Did not God give you 
at least one talent to improve, not for your own conven-
ience and gratification, but for him ? Have you realized  
your obligation, as his hired servant, to bring a revenue  
to him by the wise and skillful use of this intrusted capi- 
tal? Have you not neglected opportunities to improve 
your powers to this end? It is too true that few have  
felt any real sense of their responsibility to God. Love,  
judgment, memory, foresight, tact, energy, and every  
other faculty has been devoted to self. You have dis-
played greater wisdom in the service of evil than in the


215  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
cause of God. You have perverted, disabled, nay, even  
besotted your powers, by your intense activity in worldly 
pursuits to the neglect of God's work.  
Still you soothe your conscience by saying that you  
cannot undo the past, and gain the vigor, the strength, and 
the skill which you might have had by employing your 
powers as Gocl required. But remember that he holds  
you responsible for the work negligently done or left  
undone through your unfaithfulness. The more you 
exercise your powers for the Master, the more apt and  
skillful you will become. The more closely you connect 
yourself with the Source of light and power, the greater 
light will be shed upon you, and the greater power will 
be yours to use for God. Ancl for all that you might  
have had, but failed to obtain through your devotion to  
the world, you are responsible. When you became a 
follower of Christ, you pledged yourself to serve him, 
and him alone, and he promised to be with you and bless  
you, to refresh you with his light, to grant you his peace, 
and to make you joyful in his work. Have you failed to  
experience these blessings? be sure it is the result of  
your own course.  
In order to escape the draft during the war, there  
were men who induced disease, others maimed them-
selves that they might be rendered unfit for service.  
Here is an illustration of the course which many have  
been pursuing in relation to the cause of God. They  
have crippled their powers, both physical and mental, so 
that they are unable to do the work which is so greatly  
needed.  
Suppose that a sum of money were placed in your  
hands to invest for a certain purpose; would you throw 
it away, and declare that you were not now responsible 
fo 
r its use? would you feel that you had saved yourself  
a great care? Yet this is what you have been doing  
with the gifts of God. To excuse yourself from word- 
ing for others on the plea of inability, while you are all 
absorbed in worldly pursuits, is mockery of God. Mul- 
titudes are going down to ruin; the people who have 
receive 
d light and truth are but as a handful, to with- 

THE CHURCH THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 211  
stand all the host of evil; ancl yet this little company are  
devoting their energies to anything and everything but  
to learning how they may rescue souls from death. Is it  
any marvel that the church is weak and inefficient, that  
Gocl can do but little for his professed people? They  
place themselves where it is impossible for him to work  
with them and for them. Dare you continue thus to  
disregard his claims? Will you still trifle with Heaven's 
most sacred trusts? Will you say with Cain, " Am I my  
brother's keeper?"  
Remember that your responsibility is measured, not by  
your present resources and capacities, but by the  powers  
originally bestowed and the possibilities for improve- 
ment. The question which each one should ask himself  
is not whether he is now inexperienced and unfit to la- 
bor in God's cause, but how and why he is in this condi- 
tion 
, and how it can be remedied. God will not super- 
naturally endow us with the qualifications which we lack;  
but while we exert the ability we have, he will work  
with us to increase and strengthen every faculty; our 
dormant energies will be aroused, and powers which have  
long been palsied will receive new life.  
So long as we are in the world, we must have to do  
with the things of the world. There will ever be a ne- 
cessity for the transaction of temporal, secular business;  
but this should never become all-absorbing. The apostle  
Paul has given a safe rule: " Not slothful in business,  
fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." The humble, com-
mon duties of life are all to be performed with fidelity;  
" heartily," says the apostle, " as unto the Lord." What- 
ever our department of labor, be it housework, or field- 
work, or intellectual pursuits, we may perform it to the 
glory of God so long as we make Christ first and last  
and best in everything. But aside from these worldly  
employments, there is given to every follower of Christ 
a special work for the upbuilding of his kingdom,—a  
work which requires personal effort for the salvation of  
men. It is not a work to be performed once a week  
merely 
, at the place of worship, but at all  times and in  
all places.


216  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Every  one who connects himself with the church  
makes in that act a solemn vow to work for the interest 
of the church, and to hold that interest above every 
worldly consideration. It is his work to preserve a liv- 
in 
g connection with God, to engage with heart and soul  
in the great scheme of redemption, and to show, in his 
life and character, the excellency of God's command- 
ments in contrast with the customs and precepts of the 
world. Every soul that has made a profession of Christ  
has pledged himself to be all that it is possible for him  
to be as a spiritual worker, to be active, zealous, and effi- 
cien 
t in his Master's service. Christ expects every man  
to do his duty; let this be the watchword throughout the 
ranks of his followers.  
We are not to wait to be solicited to give light, to be  
importuned for counsel or instruction. Every one who 
receives the rays of the Sun of Righteousness is to reflect 
it 
s brightness to all about him. His religion should  
have a positive and decided influence. His prayers and 
entreaties should be so imbued with the Holy Spirit  
that they will melt and subdue the soul. Said Jesus,  
" Let your light so shine before men that they may see  
your good works, and glorify your Father which is in  
Heaven." It would be better for a worldling never to  
have seen a professor of religion than to come under the 
influence of one who is ignorant of the power of godli- 
ness. If Christ were our pattern, his life our rule, what  
zeal would be manifested, what efforts put forth, what 
liberality exercised, what self-denial practiced! How  
untiringly should we labor, what fervent petitions for  
power and wisdom would ascend to God! If all the  
professed children of God would feel that it is the chief 
business of life to do the work which he has bidden  
them to do, if they would labor unselfishly in his cause, 
Avhat a change would be seen in hearts and homes, in  
churches, yea, in the world itself !  
Vigilance and fidelity have been required of Christ's  
follower 
s in every age; but now that we are standing  
upon the very verge of the eternal world, holding the  
truths we do, having so great light, so important a work,  

THE CHURCH THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 211  
we must double our diligence. Every one is to do to the  
very utmost of his ability. My brother, you endanger  
your own salvation if you hold back now. God will call 
you to account if you fail in the work he has assigned 
you. Have you a knowledge of the truth? give it to 
others.  
What can I say to arouse our churches? what can I  
say to those who have acted a prominent part in the 
proclamation of the last message? " The Lord is com- 
ing, 
" should be the testimony borne, not only by the lips,  
but by the life and character; but many to whom God  
has given light and knowledge, talents of influence and  
of means, are men who do not love the truth, and do not 
practice it. They have drunk so deeply from the intox- 
icating cup of selfishness and worldliness that they  
have become drunken with the cares of this life. Breth-
ren, if you continue to be as idle, as worldly, as selfish 
as you have been, God will surely pass you by, and take 
thos 
e who are less self-caring, less ambitious for worldly  
honor, and who will not hesitate to go, as did their Mas-
ter, without the camp, bearing the reproach. The work  
will be given to those who will take it, those who prize 
it, who weave its principles into their every-day experi- 
ence 
, God will choose humble men, who are seeking to  
glorify his name and advance his cause rather than to 
honor and advance themselves. He will raise up men 
who have not so much worldly wisdom, but who are con-
nected with him, and who will seek strength and counsel  
from above.  
Some of our leading men are inclined to indulge the  
spirit manifested by the apostle John when he said, "Mas- 
ter, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we 
forbade him, because he folioweth not with us." Organi-
zation and discipline are essential, but there is now very 
great danger of a departure from the simplicity of the gos- 
pel of Christ. What we need is less dependence upon  
mere form and ceremony, and far more of the power of 
true godliness. If their life and character are exemplary, 
let all work who will, in any capacity. Although they  
may not conform exactly to your methods, not a word


219  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
should be spoken to condemn or discourage them. 
When the Pharisees desired Jesus to silence the chil- 
dren who sung his praise, the Saviour said, " If these 
should hold their peace, the stones would immediately 
cry out." Prophecy must be fulfilled. So in these days;  
the work must be done. There are many departments  
of labor; let every one act a part as best he can. The  
ma 
n with one talent is not to bury that in the earth.  
God has given to every man his work, according to his 
ability. Those to whom larger trusts and capabilities  
have been committed, should not endeavor to silence  
others who are less able or experienced. Men with one 
talent may reach a class thsft those with two or five tal-
ents cannot approach. Great and small alike are chosen  
vessels to bear the water of life to thirsting souls. Let  
not those who preach the word lay their hands upon the 
humblest worker, and say, "You must labor in this  
channel, or not work at all." Hands oft', brethren. Let  
every one work in his own sphere, with his own armor  
on, doing whatever he can clo in his humble way. 
Strengthen his hands in the work. This is no time for 
Phariseeism to control. Let God work through whom he  
will. The message must go.  
All are to show their fidelity to God by the wise use  
of his intrusted capital, not in means alone, but in any 
endowment that will tend to the upbuilding of his king-
dom. Satan will employ every possible device to  pre- 
vent the truth from reaching those who are buried in er-
ror; but the voice of warning and entreaty must come to 
them. And while only a few are engaged in this work,  
thousands ought to be as much interested as they. God 
never designed that the lay members of the church 
should be excused from labor in his cause. " Go, labor  
in my vineyard," is the Master's command to each of his 
followers. As long as there are unconverted souls in the  
world, there should be the most active, earnest, zealous,  
determined effort for their salvation. Those who have 
received the light should seek to enlighten those who 
have it not. If the church members do not individually  
take hold of this work, then they show that  they have  

THE CHURCH THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 211  
no living connection with God. Their names are regis-
tered as slothful servants. Can you not discern the rea- 
son why there is no more spirituality in our churches?  
It is because you are not co-laborers with Christ.  
God has given to every man his work. Let us each  
wait on God, and he will teach us how to work, and  
what work we are best adapted to perform. Yet none  
are to start out in an independent spirit, to promulgate  
new theories. The workers should be in harmony with 
the truth and with their brethren. There should be 
counsel and co-operation. But they are not to feel that 
at every step they must wait to ask some higher officer  
if they may do this or that. Look not to man for guid-
ance, but to the God of Israel.  
The work which the church has failed to do in a time  
o 
f peace and prosperity, she will have to do in a terrible  
crisis, under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances.  
The warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or  
withheld, must be given under the fiercest opposition  
from enemies of the faith. Ancl at that time the super-
ficial, conservative class, whose influence has steadily re-
tarded the progress of the work, will renounce the faith,  
ancl take their stand with its avowed enemies, toward 
whom their sympathies have long been tending. These 
apostate 
s will then manifest the most bitter enmity, do- 
ing all in their power to oppress ancl malign their former 
brethren, and to excite indignation against them. This  
day is just before us. The members of the church will 
individually be tested and proved. They will be placed  
in circumstances where they will be forced to bear wit-
nes 
s for the truth. Many will be called to speak before  
councils and in courts of justice, perhaps separately and  
alone. The experience which would have helped them  
in this emergency they have neglected to obtain, and  
their souls are burdened with remorse for wasted oppor- 
tunities and neglected privileges.  
My brother, my sister, ponder these things, I beseech  
you 
. You have each a work to do. Your unfaithful- 
nes 
s ancl neglect are registered against you in the ledger  
of Heaven. You have diminished your powers and


220  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
lessened your capabilities. You lack the experience and 
efficiency which you might have had. But before it is 
forever too late, I urge you to arouse. Delay no longer 
Th 
e day is almost spent. The westering sun is about  
sinking forever from your sight. Yet while the blood  
of Christ is pleading, you may find pardon. Summon 
every energy of the soul, employ the few remaining hours 
in earnest labor for God and for your fellow-men.  
My heart is stirred to the very depths. Words are  
inadequate to express my feelings as I plead for perish- 
ing souls. Must I plead in vain ? As Christ's ambassa- 
dor I would arouse you to labor as you never labored 
before. Your duty cannot be shifted upon another. No 
one but yourself can do your work. If you withhold  
your light, some one must be left in darkness through 
your neglect.  
Eternity stretches before us. The curtain is about to  
b 
e lifted. We who occupy this solemn, responsible posi- 
tion, what are we doing, what are we thinking about,  
that we cling to our selfish love of ease, while, souls are 
perishing around us? Have our hearts become utterly 
callous? Cannot we feel or understand that we have a 
work to do for the salvation of others? Brethren, are 
you of the class who having eyes see not, and having'ears 
hear not 1 Is it in vain that God has given you a knowl-
edge of his will? Is it in vain that he has sent you warn-
ing after warning? Do you believe the declarations of 
eternal truth concerning what is about to come upon the  
earth, do you believe that God's judgments are hanging 
over the people, and can you still sit at ease, indolent0, 
careless 
, pleasure-loving ?  
It is no time now for God's people to be fixing their  
affections or laying up their treasure in the world. The 
time is not far distant, when, like the early disciples, we 
shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary 
places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies 
was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the  
assumption of power on the part of our nation, in the 
decree enforcing the papal Sabbath, will be a warning to 
us 
. It will then be time to leave the large cities, pre- 

THE CHURCH THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 211  
paratory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in  
secluded places among the mountains. And now, in- 
stead of seeking expensive dwellings here, we should be 
preparing to move to a better country, even a heavenly.  
Instead of spending our means in self-gratification, we  
should be studying to economize. Every talent lent of  
God should be used to his glory, in giving the warning  
to the world. God has a work for his co-laborers to do 
in the cities. Our missions must/be sustained; new mis- 
sions must be opened. To carry forward this work suc- 
cessfull 
y will require no small outlay. Houses of wor- 
shi 
p are needed, where the people may be invited to hear  
the truths for this time. For this very purpose, God 
has intrusted a capital to his stewards. Let not your  
property be tied up in worldly enterprises, so that this  
work shall be hindered. Get your means where you can  
handle it for the benefit of the cause of God. Send your  
treasures before you into Heaven.  
The members of the church should individually hold  
themselves and all their possessions upon the altar of  
God. Now, as never before, the Saviour's admonition is  
applicable: "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide  
yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the 
heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth,  
neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is,  
there will your heart be also." Those who are fastening  
their means in large houses, in lands, in worldly enter- 
prises, are saying by their actions, " God cannot have  it;  
I want it for myself." They have bound up their one  
talent in a napkin, and hid it in the earth. There is  
cause for such to be alarmed. Brethren, God has not  
intrusted means to you to lie idle, nor to be covetously  
retained or hid away, but to be used to advance his cause,  
to save the souls of the perishing. It is not the time 
now to bind up the Lord's money in your expensive 
buildings and your large enterprises, while his cause is  
crippled and left to beg its way, the treasury half-sup-
plied. The Lord is not in this way of working. Re- 
member, the day is fast approaching when it will be said,  
"Give an account of thy stewardship." Can you not  
discern the signs of the times?


222  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Every day that passes brings us nearer the last great  
important day. We are on£ year nearer the Judgment,  
nearer eternity, than we were at the beginning of 1884. 
Are we also drawing nearer to God ? Are we watching  
unt 
o prayer ? Another year of our time to labor has  
rolled into eternity. Every day we have been associat- 
ing with men and women who are Judgment-bound. 
Eac 
h day may have been the dividing line to some soul;  
some one may have made the decision which shall deter- 
mine his future destiny. What has been our influence  
over these fellow-travelers? What efforts have we put 
forth to bring them to Christ ?  
It is a solemn thing to die, but a far more solemn  
thing to live. Every thought and word and deed of our  
lives will meet us again. What we make of ourselves  
m probationary time, that we must remain to all eternity. 
Death brings dissolution to the body, but makes no  
change in the character. The coming of Christ does not  
change our characters; it only fixes them forever beyond 
all change.  
Again I appeal to the members of the church to be  
Christians, to be Christlike. Jesus was a worker, not  
for himself, but for others. He labored to bless and save 
the lost. If you are Christians, you will imitate his  
example. He has laid the foundation, and we are build- 
ers together with him. But what material are we bring-
ing to lay on this foundation? "Everv man's work  
shall be made manifest; for the day shall"declare it, be- 
cause it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall' try 
every man's work of what sort it is." If you are devot- 
ing all your strength and talent to the things of this  
world 
, your life-work is represented by wood, hay, and  
stubble, to be consumed by the fires of the last day. 
But unselfish labor for Christ and the future life will be  
as gold, silver, and precious stones; it is imperishable.  
My brethren and sisters, awake, I beseech you, from the  
slee 
p of death. It is too late to devote the strength of  
brain, bone, and muscle to self-serving. Let not the  
last day find you destitute of heavenly treasure. Seek  
to push the triumphs of the cross, seek to enlighten souls,  

JOSHUA AND THE ANGEL.  223  
labor for the salvation of your fellow-beings, and your  
work will abide the. trying test of fire.  
" If any man's work abide," "he shall receive a reward."  
Glorious will be the reward bestowed when the faithful 
workers are gathered about the throne of God and the  
Lamb. When John in his mortal state beheld the glory  
of God, he fell as one dead; he was not able to endure 
the sight. But when mortal shall have put on immor- 
tality, the ransomed ones are like Jesus, for they see him  
as he is. They stand before the throne, signifying that  
the 
y are accepted. All their sins are blotted out, all  
their transgressions borne away. Now they can look 
upon the undimmed glory from the throne of God. They  
have been partakers with Christ of his sufferings, they  
have been workers together with him in the plan of re-
demption, and they are partakers with him in the joy of  
beholding souls saved through their instrumentality to 
praise God through all eternity.  
JOSHUA AND THE ANGEL.  
IF the vail which separates the visible from the in- 
visible world could be lifted, and the people of God could 
behold the great controversy that is going on between  
Christ and holy angels and Satan and his evil hosts con-
cerning the redemption of man; if they could under- 
stand the wonderful work of God for the rescue of souls 
from the bondage of sin, and the constant exercise of  
his power for their protection from the malice of the 
evil one, they would be better prepared to withstand the  
devices of Satan. Their minds would be solemnized in  
view of the vast extent and importance of the plan of 
redemption and the greatness of the work before them 
as co-laborers with Christ. They would be humbled, yet  
encouraged, knowing that all Heaven is interested in 
their salvation.  
A most forcible and impressive illustration of the  
work of Satan and the work of Christ, and the power


224  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Of our Mediator to vanquish the accuser of his people, 
is given in the prophecy of Zechariah. In holy vision 
the prophet beholds Joshua the high priest, "clothed with  
filthy garments," standing before the Angel of the Lord, 
entreatin 
g the mercy of God in behalf of his people who  
are in deep affliction. Satan stands at his right hand to 
resist him. Because Israel had been chosen to preserve  
the knowledge of God in the earth, they had been, from 
their first existence as a nation, the special objects of  
Satan's enmity, and he had determined to cause their  
destruction. He could do them no harm while they were 
obedient to God; therefore he had bent all his power and  
cunning to enticing them into sin. Ensnared by his 
temptations, they had transgressed the law of God and 
thus separated from the Source of their strength, and  
had been left to become the prey of their heathen ene-
mies. They were carried into captivity to Babylon, and 
there remained for many years. Yet they were not for-
sake 
n of the Lord. His prophets were sent to them  
with reproofs and warnings. The people were awakened 
to see their guilt, they humbled themselves before God,  
and returned to him with true repentance. Then the  
Lord sent them messages of encouragement, declaring  
that he would deliver them from their captivity, and 
restore them to his favor. It was this that Satan was 
determined to prevent. A remnant of Israel had already 
returned to their own land, and Satan was seeking to 
move upon the heathen nations, who were his agents, to  
utterly destroy them.  
As Joshua humbly pleads for the fulfillment of God's  
promises, Satan stands up boldly to resist him. He 
points to the transgressions of Israel as a reason why  
that people should not be restored to the favor of God.  
He claims them as his prey, and demands that they be  
given into his hands to be destroyed.  
The high priest cannot defend himself or his people  
from Satan's accusations. He does not claim that Israel  
are free from fault. In his filthy garments, symbolizing 
the sins of the people, which he bears as their represent- 
ative, he stands before the Angel, confessing their guilt,  

JOSHUA AND TlIE ANGEL.  225  
yet pointing to their repentance and humiliation, relying  
upon the mercy of a sin-pardoning Redeemer, and in  
faith claiming the promises of God.  
Then the Angel, who is Christ himself, the Saviour of  
sinners, puts to silence the accuser of his people, declar- 
ing, "The Lord rebuke thee, 0 Satan; even the Lord 
tha 
t hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee. Is not this a  
brand plucked out of the fire 1" Israel had long remained  
in the furnace of affliction. Because of their sins they 
had been well-nigh consumed in the flame kindled by  
Satan and his agents for their destruction; but God had  
now set his hand to bring them forth. In their peni- 
tence and humiliation the compassionate Saviour will not 
leave his people to the cruel power of the heathen. "A 
bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax 
shall he not quench."  
As the intercession of Joshua is accepted, the com- 
mand is given, "Take away the filthy garments from him,"  
an 
d to Joshua the Angel declares, " Behold, I have caused  
thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee  
with change of raiment." "So they set a fair mitre upon 
his head, and clothed him with garments." His own  
sins and those of his people were pardoned. Israel were  
clothed with "change of raiment,"—the righteousness of  
Christ imputed to them. The mitre placed upon Joshua's  
head was such as was worn by the priests, and bore the  
inscription, "Holiness to the Lord," signifying that not- 
withstanding his former transgressions, he was now quali- 
fied to minister before God in his sanctuary.  
Afte 
r thus solemnly investing him with the dignity of  
the priesthood, the Angel declared, "Thus saith the Lord 
of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou  
wil 
t keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house,  
and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places  
to walk among these fchat stand by." He would be hon-
ored as the judge or ruler over the temple and all its 
services; he should walk among attending angels, even in 
this life, and should at last join the glorified throng  
around the throne of God.  
"Hear now, 0 Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy  
15


227  
TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
fellows that sit before thee; for they are men wondered  
at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch."  
Here is revealed the hope of Israel. It was by faith in  
the coming Saviour that Joshua and his people received  
pardon. Through faith in Christ they were restored to  
God's favor. By virtue of his merits, if they walked in 
his ways and kept his statutes, they would be "men 
wondered at," honored as the chosen of Heaven among  
the nations of the earth. Christ was their hope, their  
defense, their justification and redemption, as he is the  
hope of his church to-day.  
As Satan accused Joshua and his people, so in all ages  
he accuses those who are seeking the mercy ancl favor of  
God. In the Revelation he is declared to be "the ac- 
cuser of our brethren," "which accused them before our  
God clay ancl night." The controversy is repeated over 
every soul that is rescued from the power of evil, and  
whose name is registered in the Lamb's book of life.  
Never is one received from the family of Satan into the 
family of God without exciting the determined resistance  
o 
f the wicked one.  Satan's accusations against those who  
seek the Lord are not prompted by displeasure at their sins.  
He exults in their defective characters. Only through  
their transgression of God's law can he obtain power  
ove 
r them. His accusations arise solely from his en- 
mity to Christ. Through the plan of salvation, Jesus is  
breaking Satan's hold upon the human family, and rescu- 
ing souls from his power. All the hatred and malignity  
of the arch-rebel is stirrec^as he beholds the evidence of  
Christ's supremacy, and with fiendish power and cunning 
he works to wrest from him the remnant of the children  
of men who have accepted his salvation.  
He leads men into skepticism, causing them to lose  
confidence in God and to separate from his love; he 
tempts them to break his law, and' then he claims them  
as his captives, and contests the right of Christ to take  
them from him. He knows that those who seek God  
earnestly for pardon and grace will obtain it; therefore 
he presents their sins before them to discourage them.  
He is constantly seeking occasion against those who are  

JOSHUA AND THE ANGEL.  
223  
trying to obey God. Even their best and most accepta- 
bl 
e services he seeks to make appear corrupt. By count- 
less devices, the most subtle and the most cruel, he en-
deavors to secure their condemnation. Man cannot meet 
these charges himself. In his sin-stained garments, con-
fessing his guilt, he stands before God. But Jesus our  
Advocate presents an effectual plea in behalf of all who  
by repentance ancl faith have committed the keeping of  
their souls to him. He pleads their cause and vanquishes 
their accuser by the mighty arguments of Calvary. His  
perfect obedience to God's law, even unto the death of  
the cross, has given him all power in Heaven ancl in  
earth, ancl he claims of his Father mercy ancl reconcilia- 
tion for guilty man. To the accuser of his people he 
declares, '"The Lord rebuke thee, 0 Satan.' These are 
the purchase of my blood, brands plucked from the  
burning." While those who rely upon him in faith re- 
ceive the comforting assurance, " Behold, I have caused  
thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee  
with change of raiment." All that have put on the  
robe of Christ's righteousness will stand before him as 
chosen and faithful ancl true. Satan has np power to  
pluck them out of the hand of Christ. Not one soul 
that in penitence and faith has claimed his protection, 
will Christ permit to pass under the enemy's power.  
His word is pledged: "Let him take hold of my strength,  
that he may make peace with me, and he shall make 
peace with me." The promise given to Joshua is made 
to all: "If thou wilt keep my charge, .... I 
will give thee places to walk among these that stand by." 
Angels of God will walk on either side of them, even in 
this world, and they will stand, at last among the angels 
that surround the throne of God.  
The fact that the acknowledged people of God are rep- 
resented as standing before the Lord in filthy garments  
should lead, to humility ancl deep searching of heart on  
the part of all who profess his name. Those who are in-
deed purifying their souls by obeying the truth will have 
a most humble opinion of themselves. The more closely 
they view the spotless character of Christ, the stronger


228  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
will be their desire to be conformed to his image, and the 
less will they see of purity or holiness in themselves.  
But while we should realize our sinful condition, we are  
to rely upon Christ as our righteousness, our sanctifica- 
tion and redemption. We cannot answer the charges of  
Satan against us. Christ alone can make an effectual  
plea in our behalf. He is able to silence the accuser  
with arguments founded not upon our merits, but on his  
own 
.  
Yet we should never be content with a sinful life. It  
i 
s a thought that should arouse Christians to greater zeal  
ancl earnestness in overcoming evil, that every defect in 
character, every point in which they fail to meet the di- 
vine standard, is an open door by which Satan can enter  
to tempt and destroy them; and, furthermore, that every  
failure and defect 011  their part gives occasion to the  
tempter and his agents to reproach Christ. We are to 
exert every energy of the soul in the work of overcoming, 
and to look to Jesus for strength to do what we cannot  
d 
o of ourselves. No sin can be tolerated in those who  
shal 
l walk with Christ in white. The filthy garments  
are to be removed, and Christ's robe of righteousness is  
to be placed upon us. By repentance and faith we are 
enabled to render obedience to all the commandments of  
God, and are found without blame before him Those 
who shall meet the approval of God are now afflicting  
their souls, confessing their sins, ancl earnestly pleading  
for pardon through Jesus their Advocate. Their atten- 
tion is fixed upon him, their hopes, their faith, are cen- 
tered on him, ancl when the command is given, "Take 
away the filthy garments, and clothe him with change of 
raiment, and set a fair mitre upon his head," they are  
prepared to give him all the glory of their salvation.  
Zechariah's vision of Joshua and the Angel applies with  
peculiar force to the experience of God's people in the  
closing up of the great day of atonement. The remnant  
church will be brought into great trial and distress. 
Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith 
o 
f Jesus, will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts.  
Satan numbers the world as his subjects, he has gained  

JOSHUA AND THE ANGEL.  223  
control of the apostate churches; but here is a little com-
pany that are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot 
them from the earth, his triumph would be complete.  
As he influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel, 
so in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers 
of earth to destroy the people of God. All will be re- 
quired to render obedience to human edicts in violation 
of the divine law. Those who will be true to God and  
to duty will be menaced, denounced, ancl proscribed.  
They will be betrayed "Jboth by parents, and brethren, 
ancl kinsfolks, and friends."  
Their only hope is in the mercy of God; their only  
defens 
e will be prayer. As Joshua was pleading before  
the Angel, so the remnant church, with brokenness of  
heart and earnest faith, will plead for pardon ancl deliver-
anc 
e through Jesus their Advocate. They are fully  
conscious of the sinfulness of their lives, they see their  
weaknes 
s and unworthiness, and as they look upon them- 
selves they are ready to despair. The tempter stands  
by to accuse them, as he stood by to resist Joshua. He 
points to their filthy garments, their defective characters.  
He presents their weakness ancl folly, their sins of in- 
gratitude, their unlikeness to Christ, which has dishon- 
ored their Redeemer. He endeavors to affright the soul  
wit 
h the thought that their case is hopeless, that the  
stain of their defilement will never be washed away. He  
hopes to so destroy their faith that they will yield to his  
temptations, turn from their allegiance to God, ancl re- 
ceive the mark of the beast.  
Satan urges before Gocl his accusations against them,  
declaring that they have by their sins forfeited the divine  
protection, and claiming the right to destroy them as  
transgressors. He pronounces them just as deserving as  
himself of exclusion from the favor of Gocl. "Are 
these," he says, " the people who are to take my place in  
Heaven, and the place of the angels who united with me? 
While they profess to obey the law of God, have they kept  
its precepts? Have they not been lovers of self more 
than of God ? Have they not placed their own interests  
above his service? Have they not loved the things of the


230  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
world ? Look at the sins which have marked their lives.  
Behold their selfishness, their malice, their hatred toward  
one another."  
The people of God have been in many respects  
very faulty. Satan has an accurate knowledge of the 
sins which he has tempted them to commit, and he pre- 
sent 
s these in the most exaggerated light, declaring,  
"Will God banish me and my angels from his presence,  
and yet reward those who have been guilty of the same 
sins 1 Thou canst not do this, 0 Lord, in justice. Thy 
throne will not stand in righteousness and judgment. 
Justice demands that sentence be pronounced against 
them. 
"  
But while the followers of Christ have sinned, they  
have not given themselves  to the control of evil. They  
have put away their sins, and have sought the Lord in 
humility and contrition, and the Divine Advocate pleads 
in their behalf. He who has been most abused by their 
ingratitude, who knows their sin, and also their repent- 
ance, declares, "'The Lord rebuke thee, 0 Satan.' I gave  
my life for these souls. They are graven upon the palms  
o 
f my hands."  
The assaults of Satan are strong, his delusions are  
terrible; but the Lord's eye is upon his people. Their  
affliction is great, the flames of the furnace seem about  
to consume them; but Jesus will bring them forth as  
gold tried in the fire. Their earthliness must be removed  
that the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected; un-
belie 
f must be overcome; faith, hope, and patience are to  
be developed.  
The people of God are sighing and crying for the  
abomination 
s done in the land. With tears they warn  
the wicked of their danger in trampling upon the 
divine law, and with unutterable sorrow they humble 
themselves before the Lord on account of their own  
transgressions. The wicked mock their sorrow, ridicule 
their solemn appeals, and sneer at what they term their  
weakness. But the anguish and humiliation of God's  
people is unmistakable evidence  that they are regaining  
the strength and nobility of character lost in consequence  

JOSHUA AND THE ANGEL.  223  
of sin. It is because they are drawing nearer to Christ, 
and their eyes are fixed  upon his perfect purity, that  
they so clearly discern the exceeding sinfulness of sin.  
Their contrition and self-abasement are infinitely more  
acceptable in the sight of 'God than is the self-sufficient,  
haughty spirit of those who see no cause to lament, who 
scorn the humility of Christ, and who claim perfection 
while transgressing God's holy law. Meekness and low-
liness of heart are the conditions for strength and vic-
tory. The crown of glory awaits those who bow at the  
foot of the cross. Blessed are these mourners; for they 
shall be comforted.  
The faithful,  praying ones are, as it were, shut in with  
God. The.y themselves know not how securely they are 
shielded. Urged on by Satan, the rulers of this world 
ar 
e seeking to destroy them; but could their eyes be  
opened, as were the eyes of Elisha's servant at Dothan,  
they would see the angels of God encamped about them,  
by their brightness and glory holding in check the hosts  
of darkness.  
As the people of God afflict their souls before him,  
pleading for purity of heart, the command is given,  
" Take away the filthy garments from them," and the en- 
couraging words are spoken, "Behold, I have caused 
thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee  
with change of raiment." The spotless robe of Christ's  
righteousness is placed upon the tried, tempted, yet  
faithful children of God. The despised remnant are 
clothed in glorious apparel, never more to be defiled by 
th 
e corruptions of the world. Their names are retained  
in the Lamb's book of life, enrolled among the faithful  
of all ages. They have resisted the wiles of the deceiver;  
they have not been turned from their loyalty by the 
dragon's roar. Now they are eternally secure from the  
tempter's devices. Their sins are transferred to the orig- 
inator of sin. And the remnant are not only pardoned  
and accepted, but honored. A "fair mitre" is set upon 
their heads. They are to be as kings and priests unto  
God. While Satan was urging his accusations, and seek-
ing to destroy this company, holy angels, unseen, were


232  TESTIMONY FOR TIIE CHURCH.  
passing to and fro, placing upon them the seal of the 
living God. These are they that stand upon Mount 
Zion with the Lamb, having the  Father's name written  
i 
n their foreheads. They sing the new song before the  
throne, that song which no man can learn save the hun- 
dred and forty ancl four thousand, which were redeemed  
from the earth. "These are they which follow the 
Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed 
from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to  
the Lamb And in their mouth was found no guile; for  
they are without fault before the throne of God.''  
Now is reached the complete fulfillment of those words  
of the Angel: "Hear now, 0 Joshua the high priest, 
thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee; for they are 
men wondered at; for, behold, I will bring forth my serv-
ant the Branch." Christ is revealed as the Redeemer 
and Deliverer of his people. Now indeed are the remnant  
" men wondered at," as the tears and humiliation of their  
pilgrimage give place to joy and honor in the presence  
of God ancl the Lamb. " In that day shall the branch  
of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of 
the earth shall  be excellent and comely for them that are  
escaped  of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he  
that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem,  
shall be called holy, even every one that is written 
among the living in Jerusalem."  

GENERAL INDEX.  
ACTIVITY, mental, importance of, 67.  
Affliction, object of, 69; comfort in,  72; result of. upon Israel, 211.  
Ahasuerus, decree of, against the Jews, 206. 
Angels, activity of, 64; ministering, 176.  
Apostates from the truth, opposition of, 219. 
Atonement, clay of, 177, 228.  
Augustine's mother, faith of, 78.  
BIBLE-READINGS held by canvassers,  159.  
Bible, importance of studying, 20, 22, 29, 36, 58, 59, 78, 8-4-88,  
144, 145, 157, 162, 182, 190.  
Business, courtesy in, 91; overreaching in, 94-97, 99; deal among  
brethren 
, 106, 172, 173; dishonesty in, 152-154; duty of at- 
tention to, 215.  
Business and religion to be combined, 165-167, 177-185.  
Business men, duty to study the Bible, 36. 
CALEB, reward of, 60; an example to Christians, 134, 139.  
Canvassers, manners of, 152, 158,160, 161; deception of, 152-154;  
consecration of, 152, 153, 155, 159; society of, 154; obtain-
ing short-term subscriptions, 155; economy of, 156,158; using 
premiums, 157, 158; wages of, 158, 159-162; holding Bible- 
readings, 159; care in selecting, 159, 161; energy and perse- 
verance needed by, 160.  
Cares, worldly, accumulation of, 15, 36.  
Children, training of, see parents. 
Church, burden-bearers in, 59, 60, 184; harmony in, 92; joining,  
89 
; duty of, to train missionaries, 147; compared to ;in  
army, 150.  
Church and State, union of, 205. .  
Churches to be built, 138. 
Church members, duty of all to be missionary workers, 210-223.  
Christ, riding into Jerusalem, 14; sacrifice of, 72, 177, 178; love  
of, for man, 141, 142.  
Cider, manufacture of, 110-117. 
Cities, fleeing from, 220, 221. 
College, managers of, 174, 178.  
Colporters, education of, 146; care in selecting, 159, 161; see  
canvassers.  
Colleges, object of establishing, 146, 148, 149.  
(233)


234  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH.  
Conference presidents, mismanagement of, 37, 126-131, 135-137  
Confessions, 98, 99. 
Controversy between Christ and Satan, 223-232.  
Conversation, irreligious, 143; worldly, 193.  
Councils at Review Office, 174, 175; among leading brethren, 219.  
Courts of justice, testifying before, 219.  
Covetousness, idolatry, 6, 93. 
Criticism, of ministers, 41,45-61, 54-58; of leading brethren, 45-19;  
among brethren, 90, 94, 96, 98, 101-103, 130.  
DANIEL, an example to the young, 77, 204; an example to Clod's  
people, 209.  
Death-penalty abolished, 30.  
Decree, the, against God's people, 206.  
Despondency, cure for, 73; Satan's accusations a cause of, 226.  
227. '  
Diet, simplicity in, 67. 
Disease, originator of, 200. 
Dorcas, work of, 60. 
Draft, the, efforts to escape, 214. 
Dress, pride of, 193, 2 J 2.  
Drugs, use of, 67, 199.  
Drunkenness 
, 93.  
Dwellings, costly, 25, 212, 221, 
EARTHLY treasures, laying up, 14-18, 31, 220.  
Economy in Conference matters, errors in, 129, 130; in canvass- 
ers, 156, 158; in pioneers of our cause, 156; in home mat- 
ters, 156, 221; in Review Office, 169-172.  
Education, to be continued throughout eternity, 57, 74.  
Erring, duty toward, 101-106; Christ's course toward, 191.  
Evil speaking, 35, 41, 45-51, 98.  
Exercise, physical, importance of, 67; necessary to spiritual  
growth, 149, 150.  
Extremes, fanaticism the result of, 61; in conformity to the  
world, 62.  
FArrH, exercise of, 58, 59, 193, 194. 
Family worship, 91, 179, 180.  
Fanaticism, 61. 
Fiery furnace, the, 209.  
Flattery, 19, 56, 57, 96, 154, 186, 19J 
Furniture, costly, 212.  
GENERAL CONFERENCE, unwillingness to help support, 40.  
HAMAN, malice of, 206. 
Hannah, faith of, 60.  
Health, effect of mind upon, 66, 71.  
Health reform, need of, 67.  

GENERAL INDEX.  235  
Holy Spirit, the withdrawal of, 94. 
Home, love in, 91.  
Hops, raising of, 112, 114, 115. 
Houses of worship, 24, 25; to be built in cities, 221. 
Humility, of Jesus, 9; assumed, 45-49.  
Hysteria, cause of, 66.  
IDOLATRY among church members, 6, 93; sacrificing children, 76, 
Ignorance, sins of, 192. 
Imagination, the, duty to control, 66, 70.  
Immortality, the change to, 223.  
Influence, extent of, 123.  
Insanity, causes of, 200. 
Israel, captivity of, 211, 224,  
JOSEPH, an example to the young, 77.  
Joshua and the Angel, 223-232.  
Judgments of God, why visited upon men, 106, 107.  
KORAH, Dathan, and Abiram, 46. 
LAWYER, the, Christ's reply to, 115.  
Lepers, the ten, 71.  
Liberality, how to acquire, 27. 
Light, result of rejecting, 34.  
MARRIAGE with unbelievers, 84, 117-124.  
Married life, how to make happy, 118. 
Means, danger of tying up, 221.  
Meetings, social, 64. 
Ministers, duty of, to reprove wrong, 7, 10, 37; to study simplic- 
ity, 9, 10; to bind off their work, 10, 12, 131; to teach tith-
ing, 12, 31, 130, 131, lo8; to visit new churches, 12; to work  
for the Sabbath-school, 12; to educate the people to work in  
the cause, 12, 58, 64; to teach self-sacrifice,  129, 130.  
Ministers, danger of, using stereotyped discourses, 7, 8; seeking  
to please, 18, 19, 55-57; becoming narrow-minded, 126-130;  
encouraging unbelief, 135, 137.  
Ministers, education of, 146; personal labor of, 11, 168; criticis- 
ing, 41, 45-51, 54-58; support of, 129, 130; deportment of,  
136; the spies a warning to, 132-136.  
Missionaries, education of, 12, 146-148; duty  of all to become,  
63 
, 64, 137, 142, 150, 151, 210-223; Christ an example to,  
141; work of, in foreign countries, 147, 148; canvassers as,  
152-155, 159; in the Office, 172; duty to counsel together,  
219 
.  
Missions, citv, support of, 124-141, 221; establishment  of, 125,  
221.  
Moderate drinking, 112, 113. 
Mordecai, a representative of God's people, 206, 207.


236  TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH,  
NATURE, lessons from, 68.  
Neighbors, unbelieving, 11, 35, 107. 
New churches, labor for, 12. 
New doctrines, danger of receiving, 4S, 49, 51, 219.  
Noah's day and ours, 117, 121.  
OFFICE, the Review, laborers in, temptations of, 163, 164, 182,  
184.  
Office, the Review, managers of, duty to attend religious meet- 
ings 
, 164, 179, 181, 182; families of, 165, 179-181; religion  
to be combined with business, 165-167, 177-185; duty toward 
apprentices, 171, 172; qualifications of, 170; need of faithful  
foremen, 171, 172; business deal of, 172, 173; acting from 
policy, 183. '5  
Office, the Review, lack of economy in, 169-172, 177-185; mis- 
sionary work in, 172; unity between publishing offices, 173- 
councils at, 174, 175.  
Order, a lesson from the tabernacle service, 30.  
PAGE, Harlan, 63.  
Papists and Protestants, result of union, 205-207.  
Parable, of the fig-tree, 6, 13, 108; of the talents, 38, 39.  
Parents, duty of, to discipline children, 61, 75-87; to teach them  
parental respect, 79; to subdue their will, 79-83; to place  
them under right influences, 76; to teach them respect for  
the hour of prayer, 180.  
Parents, danger of, indulging children, 75, 80-S2; showing par- 
tiality, 75; molding after the world, 188.  
Parents, union in family government, 80; responsibility of be- 
coming, 79, 80; early impressions of children, 172.  
Patience 
, how obtained, 100, 101.  
Paul, imprisonment of, 209, 210.  
Periodicals, obtaining short-term subscriptions for, 155; using  
premiums with, 157, 158.  
Persecutions, to be repeated, 205-207, 229. 
Peter, character of, 90; denial of Christ, 183.  
Physicians, need of religious principles in, 195, 199, 200, £01; to- 
baeco-using among, 195, 199; licentiousness among, 201; 
arduous duties of, 202; more physicians needed, 202, 203; 
qualifications of medical students, 202, 203; Daniel an ex- 
ample to, 204.  
Pleasure-lovers, 191. 
Policy, danger of acting from, 183.  
Politics, to be avoided, 96.  
Power of God to protect from Satan's attacks, 223-232.  
Poo 
r rich man, the, 15, 16.  
Praising God, reasons for, 68, 71-75.  
Prayer, for the sick, 71, 199; for children, 78, 80; secret, 182; in  
view of the time of trouble, 208-210; the defense of God's  
people in time of trouble, 229, 231.  

GENERAL INDEX.  237  
Prayer and praise, duty to combine, 73.  
Presumption, sins of, 153, 192.  
Pride, 93, 193. 
Property, why removed, 106, 107. 
Prosperity, object of, 15-17. 
Protestantism,  Romanism, Spiritualism, union of, 207.  
"READY FOR EITHER," an illustration, 63.  
Redeeming the time, 109.  
Redemption, the study of eternity, 74.  
"Red-ribbo 
n clubs," 111.  
Refinement, true, 88.  
Relatives, unconverted, 107. 
Repining, sinfulness of, 65-71. 
Responses from the congregation, 74. 
Responsibilities, duty to bear, 59.  
Restitution, importance of making, 95, 98, 99.  
Riches, object of, 15-17; love of, 96; responsibility for, 214.  
Romanism, Protestantism, Spiritualism, union of, 207. 
SABBATH-SCHOOL, minister's duty toward, 12; perseverance in,  
60; a branch of the missionary work, 145.  
Sabbath, sacredness of, 187. 
Sanctitication, genuine, 62, 22S.  
Sanitarium, managers of, 174; laborers in, 178. 
Satan 
, deceptions of, 49-51, 140, 153, 154, 226, 227; fall of, 17;  
personality of, 50; seeks to deprive of life, 94.  
Schools, establishment of, 138.  
S. D. Adventists, liberality of, 142.  
Seed-sowing, 185. 
Self-conceit, 45-47.  
Self-control, importance of, 66, 70, 140.  
Self-deception, danger of, 88. 
Self-examination, 88, 89, 93, 98, 176.  
Sermon on the mount, the, 9. 
Sick, prayer for, 71, 199.  
Sin, degrees in, 93; of ignorancc. 192; of persumption, 192. 
Spies, the twelve, 132-134, 13.-,.  
Spiritualism, Protestantism, Romania;".!, union of, 207.  
Sunday-law, the, 205-207, 229; a sign of the end, 220. 
Sympathy 
, misplaced, 6, 54.  
TABERNACLE, building of, 24; order in services of, 30.  
Tares, binding of, in bundles, 140. 
Talents, danger of burying in the world, 32, 33, 213, 214; mis- 
sionary, duty to improve, 149, 150, 214-223.  
Temper, duty to control, 91, 100, 103, 140.  
Temperance societies, joining popular, 111. 
Temptations, running into, 153; not sin, 182; of those laboring  
in the Office, 163, 164, 182, 184.


238  TESTIMONY FOB THE CHURCH.  
Testimonies, unbelief in, 40, 48, 50, 51, 130, 136 192  
™ fnfl * message, power of, 8, 139, 209-211 218- hv  
whom to be given, 210-223. ' ' y  
Thoughts, duty to control, 66, 70 
Trnraof trouble, nearness of, 205-207; preparation for, 208-210,  
Tithes and offerings, 23-28, 31, 37-41, 138  
tobacco, injurious effects of, 196-198.  
tobacco-users as temperance workers 197  
Amis, object of, 68, 100, 101, 106, 211.  
Truth, opposition a means of spreading, 209-211- important nf  
UNBELIEF danger of cherishing, 30, 58, 59, 97, 183 226- retard  
ing the cause 52; talking, 94, 135; in Testimonies', 46, 48,"  
OU, 51, 130, 136, 192; cause of, in children, 76.  
VOWING and not paying, 37-41.  
WINE, manufacture of, 110-117.  
World danger of friendship with, 96, 97, 186-195  
Worldly honors, ambition for, 94, 96, 167, 168 191 19<> 217  
VV orldly-nnndedness a stumbling-block to sinnara/lOS, 212, 216.  
vZT Ti aS TfT146-]5];  as canvassers, 152-163.  
I hl ^v ' t0 8UPP°rt the ca»se' 138; to study the  Bible, 157; importance of correct habits in, 171, 172.  

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