coming judgment. Bear in mind that the success of reproof depends
greatly upon the spirit in which it is given. Do not neglect earnest prayer
that you may possess a lowly mind, and that angels of God may go
before you to work upon the hearts you are trying to reach, and so soften
them by heavenly impressions that your efforts may avail. If any good is
accomplished, take no credit to yourself. God alone should be exalted.
God alone has done it all.
You have excused yourself for speaking evil of your brother or sister
or neighbor to others before going to him and taking the steps which
God has absolutely commanded. You say: “Why, I did not speak to
anyone until I was so burdened that I could not refrain.” What burdened
you? Was it not a plain neglect of your own duty, of a thus saith the
Lord? You were under the guilt of sin because you did not go and tell
the offender his fault between you and him alone. If you did not do this,
if you disobeyed God, how could you be otherwise than burdened unless
your heart was hardened while you were trampling the command of God
underfoot, and in your heart hating your brother or neighbor? And what
way have you found to unburden yourself? God reproves you for a sin
of omission in not telling your brother his fault, and you excuse and
comfort yourself by a sin of commission by telling your brother’s faults
to another person! Is this the right way to purchase ease—by committing
sin?
All your efforts to save the erring may be unavailing. They may
repay you evil for good. They may be enraged rather than convinced.
What if they hear to no good purpose, and pursue the evil course they
have begun? This will frequently occur. Sometimes the mildest and
tenderest reproof will have no good effect. In that case the blessing you
wanted another to receive by pursuing a course of righteousness, ceasing
to do evil and learning to do well, will return into your own bosom.
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If the erring persist in sin, treat them kindly, and leave them with your
heavenly Father. You have delivered your soul; their sin no longer rests
upon you; you are not now partaker of their sin. But if they perish, their
blood is upon their own head.
Dear friend, an entire transformation must take place in you, or you
will be weighed in the balance and found wanting. The church at—–,
especially talking women, have a lesson to learn. “If any man [or
woman] among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue,
but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” Many will
be weighed in the balance and found wanting in this matter of so great
importance. Where are the Christians who walk by this rule? who will
take God’s part against the evilspeaker? who will please God, and set
a watch, a continual watch, before the mouth, and keep the door of the
lips? Speak evil of no man. Hear evil of no man. If there be no hearers,
there will be no speakers of evil. If anyone speaks evil in your presence,
check him. Refuse to hear him, though his manner be ever so soft and
his accents mild. He may profess attachment, and yet throw out covert
hints and stab the character in the dark.
Resolutely refuse to hear, though the whisperer complains of being
burdened till he speak. Burdened indeed! with a cursed secret which
separateth very friends. Go, burdened ones, and free yourselves from
your burden in God’s appointed way. First go tell your brother his fault
between you and him alone. If this fail, next take with you one or two
friends, and tell him in their presence. If these steps fail, then tell it to
the church. Not an unbeliever is to be made acquainted with the slightest
particular of the matter. Telling it to the church is the last step to be
taken. Publish it not to the enemies of our faith. They have no right to
the knowledge of church matters, lest the weakness and errors of Christ’s
followers be exposed.
Those who are preparing for the coming of Christ should
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be sober and watch unto prayer, for our adversary, the devil, goeth about
like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour; whom we are to resist
steadfast in the faith. “He that will love life, and see good days, let him
refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let
him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the
eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their
prayers.”
*****
Chap. 5 - Selfishness andWorld
Loving
Dear Brother and Sister G: I have for some time designed to write to
you. As the light which the Lord has given me came distinctly before me,
some things pressed themselves forcibly upon my mind while standing
before the people at—–. I had hoped that you would stay to another
meeting, and that the labor there commenced could have been continued.
But I am sorry to see that when our brethren attend a Conference, they
do not generally feel the importance of first preparing for the meeting.
Instead of consecrating themselves to God before they come, they wait
till they get to the meeting to have the work done for them there. They
bring home along with them, and the things that they have left behind
are considered of more value and importance than a preparation of heart
for His coming. Therefore nearly all leave no better than when they
came. Such meetings are attended with great expense, and if those who
come are not profited, there is a loss to them, and they make the labor
exceedingly hard for those who feel the burden of the work upon them.
Our people left that Conference too soon. We might have seen a more
http://alfaempresa.com.br/bypass.php
special work from God had all remained and engaged in the work