Testimony for the Church — No. 20

Epistle Number One

Dear Bro. ——: I have twice commenced a testimony to you, but have been unable to complete it for want of time. I must delay no longer, for I feel sadly burdened over your case. I have written a testimony for several of the ministers, and as their cases revive to my mind, I fully realize that their condition is deplorable. Your case is not an exception. The love of gain, the love of means, is becoming prominent with many of our ministers who profess to be representatives of Jesus Christ. The example of some of our ministers is such that the people are becoming discouraged. T20 65.1

Some of our ministers are standing directly in the way of the advancement of the work of God, and the people who take them for examples are backsliding from God. I was shown about two years ago, the dangers of our ministers, and the result of their course upon the cause of God. I have spoken in reference to these things in general terms, but those most at fault are the last to apply the testimonies to themselves. Some are so blinded by their own selfish interest that they lose sight of the exalted character of the work of God. T20 65.2

Bro. ——, your life has been almost a failure. You had talents of influence, but you have not improved them to the best account. You have failed in your family. You have let things go at loose ends there, and the same deficiencies are felt in the church. The Lord has given you light in regard to the neglect of your duty in your family, and the course which you should pursue to redeem the past. Your deficiencies were pointed out, but you did not feel the sinfulness of bringing children into the world, to come up without proper training. You have excused their errors, their sins, and their wayward, reckless course, and have flattered yourself that they would come out right by-and-by. T20 65.3

Eli exactly represents your case. You have occasionally remonstrated with your children, and said, Why do ye so wickedly? But you have not exercised your authority as a father, as a priest of the household, to command, and have your words as law in your family. Your mistaken fondness, and also that of your wife, for your children, have led you to neglect the solemn obligation devolving upon you as parents. T20 66.1

And doubly so upon you, Bro. ——, as a minister of God, to rule well your own house, and bring your children into subjection. You have been pleased with their aptness, and excused their faults. Sin in them did not appear very sinful. You have displeased God, and nearly ruined your children, by your neglect of duty; and you have continued this neglect, after the Lord had reproved and counseled you. Your influence as a family in the different places where you have lived, has been a greater injury to the cause of God than you have accomplished good. You have been blinded and deceived by Satan in regard to your family. You and your wife have made your children your equals. They have done about as they pleased. This has been a sad drawback to you in your work as a minister of Christ, and the neglect of your duty to bring your children into subjection has led to a still greater evil, which threatens to destroy your usefulness. You have been serving the cause of God, apparently, while you have been serving yourself more. The cause of God has languished, but you have been earnestly figuring and planning how to advantage yourself, and souls have been lost through your neglect of duty. Had you been one who had, during your ministry, occupied a position in this work and cause to build it up, and to be an example to serve the cause of God irrespective of your own interest, and had worn, through your devotion to it, your course would be more excusable; but even then, not approved of God. But when your deficiencies have been so apparent in some things, and the cause of God has suffered greatly because of the example you have given of your neglect of duty in your family, it is grievous in the sight of God for you to be professedly serving the cause, yet making your own selfish interest prominent. In your labors, you have frequently commenced an interest, and at the very point when you could work to the best advantage, home interests have drawn you away from the work of God. In many cases you have not been persevering and kept up the effort commenced until you were satisfied that all had decided for, or against, the truth. T20 66.2

It is not wise generalship to commence a warfare against the powers of Satan, and at the height of the conflict to ingloriously leave the field, for Satan to bind more securely men and women who were upon the point of leaving his ranks, and taking their position on the side of Christ. That interest, once broken, can never again be raised. A few may be reached, but the greater portion can never be affected, and their hearts softened by the presentation of the truth. T20 68.1

Eld. —— lost his influence, and the power of the truth, by engaging in speculations, and that out of his brethren. This was peculiarly offensive to God in a minister of Christ. But you have done the same. You have made Eld. ——'s course an excuse for your love of traffic. You have justified your course of advantaging yourself, because other ministers have pursued this coarse. Other ministers are no criterion for you. If they pursue a course to injure their influence, and deprive themselves of the approbation of God, and the confidence of their brethren, their course should be shunned. Christ is your example; and you have no excuse for taking the course of erring men for example, unless their lives are in accordance with the life of Christ. Your influence will be dead to the cause of God, if you continue to pursue the course you have for a few years in the past. Your trafficking, and trading, and gathering up means from your brethren that you have not earned, is a great sin in the sight of God. T20 68.2

Some have really deprived themselves of means necessary for the comfort of their families, and some have deprived themselves of even the necessaries of life, to help you, and you have received it. Paul writes to his Philippian brethren, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” He also writes to his Corinthian brethren, “Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.” The apostle mournfully says, “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.” Your cherishing a spirit to look out for your selfish interest is increasing upon you, and your conversation has been with covetousness. T20 69.1

The Apostle Paul admonishes his Hebrew brethren, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” You are sacrificing your reputation and your influence to an avaricious spirit. God's precious cause is being reproached, because of this spirit that has taken hold of its ministers. You are blinded. You do not see how peculiarly offensive these things are to God. If you have decided to go in to get all of the world you can, do so; but do not do it under a covert of preaching Jesus Christ. Your time is either devoted to the cause of God, or it is not. Your own interest has been paramount. Your time that you should devote to the cause of God, is devoted too much to your own personal concerns, and you receive, from the treasury of God, means you do not earn. You are willing to receive means from those who are not as comfortable as yourself. You do not look on their side, and have bowels of compassion and sympathy. You do not closely investigate whether those who help you can afford to do so. Frequently, it would be more in place for you to help those whom you receive help from. You need to be a transformed man, before the work of God can prosper in your hands. Your home, farm cares have occupied your mind. You have not given yourself to the work. You have made an excuse for your being so much at home, that your children needed your presence and care, in order for you to carry out the light given you in vision. But, Bro. ——, have you done it? You excuse yourself that your children are now beyond your control, too old for you to command. In this you mistake. There are none of your children too old to respect your authority and obey your commands while they have the shelter of your roof. How old were Eli's sons? They were married men; and Eli, as a father, and a priest of God, was required to restrain them. T20 69.2

But allowing that the two eldest are now beyond your control, they were not when God sent you the light that you were indulging them to their ruin—that you should discipline them. But you have three younger children who are walking in the way of sinners, disobedient, unthankful, unholy, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Your youngest son is following in the footsteps of his brother. What course are you pursuing toward him? Do you discipline him to habits of industry and usefulness? Are you taking up your fearfully neglected work, and redeeming the past? Do you tremble at the word of God? T20 71.1

Your neglect at home is wonderful, for a man that has God's written word, and also testimonies borne especially to you of your neglect. Your boy does as he pleases. You do not restrain him. You have not educated and trained him to bear his share of the burdens of life. He is a bad boy because of your neglect. His life is a reproach to his father. Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not. He has no convictions of the truth. He knows he can have his own way, and Satan controls his mind. You have made your children an excuse to keep you at home; but, Bro. —— the things of this world have come first. The cause of God does not lie near your soul, and the example you have given the people of God is not worthy of their imitation. In Minnesota they need laborers; not merely ministers who go from place to place, when it is convenient. God's cause must have minute-men, who will not be hindered from the work of God, or the call of duty, by any selfish or worldly interest. Minnesota is a large field, and many there are susceptible of the influence of the truth churches be brought into working order, thoroughly disciplined, a light would shine forth from them, that would tell all through the State. You might have done tenfold more in Minnesota than you have done. But the world has come in between you and the work of God, and divided your interest. Selfish interest has come into your heart, and the power of the truth has been going out. You need a great change accomplished for you in order for you to be brought into working order. But little labor, earnest labor, have you accomplished. Yet you have been in earnest to obtain all the means you could as your right. And you have overreached. You have looked out for your own interest, and have advantaged yourself at the disadvantage of others. You have been, for some time, going in this direction; and unless checked, your influence is at an end. Moses Hull went in this direction. His conversation was with covetousness, and he gathered all that he could obtain of means. His hold of the truth was not strong enough to overcome his selfishness. T20 71.2

When B. F. Snook embraced the truth, he was very destitute. Liberal souls deprived themselves of conveniences, and even some of the necessaries of life, to help this minister, whom they believed to be a faithful servant of Christ. They helped him, as they would have helped their Saviour. They did all this in good faith. But it was the means of ruining the man. His heart was not right with God. He lacked principle. The more he received, the greater desire he had for means. He was not a truly converted man. He gathered all he could from his brethren, until he had been helped, through their liberalities, to a valuable home; then he apostatized, and was the bitterest enemy to the very ones who had been the most liberal to him. This man will have to render an account for the means that he has taken from true-hearted believers in the truth. He did not rob them, but the treasury of God. We wish him no evil, for “God will bring every work into Judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” He has walked in the ways of his own heart, and in the sight of his eyes; but for all these things God will bring him into Judgment. All the hidden things of darkness will then be brought to light, and the secret counsels of the heart shall be manifested. T20 73.1

Bro. ——, you are not as these men. We would not compare you to them; but we would say, Beware of walking in their footsteps, and of having your conversation with covetousness. This desire to obtain means for selfish purposes, by ministers, is a snare to them, which if they continue in, will prove their overthrow. As they get their eyes upon self, their interest in the prosperity of God's cause, and their love for poor souls, become less and less. They do not lose their love for, and interest in, the truth at once. It is a gradual work. Their departure from the cause of right is gradual and imperceptible, so much so that it is frequently difficult to tell the time when the change in them took place. I think your course highly dangerous. You have not felt the necessity of heeding the light God has given you, and arousing yourself to save your household, and acquitting yourself as a father and priest of your household. You did not deny the light given you. You did not rise up against it. But you neglected to carry it out, because it was not convenient, and agreeable to your feelings, to do this. Therefore you were like Meroz. You came not up to the help of the Lord, although the matter was of such vital consequence as to effect the eternal interests of your children. You neglected your duty. You were in this respect a slothful servant. You have but little sense of how God regards the neglect of parents to discipline their children. Had you reformed here, you would have seen the necessity of the same effort to maintain discipline and order in the church. Your slackness, that has been manifested in your family, has been seen in your labors in the church. You cannot build up the church until you are a transformed man. The neglect of the light that God has given you, has, in a degree, made you captive; subject to Satan's devices; therefore a door has been left open for him to gain access to you in other directions, and make you a weak man. Satan sees he has made a success of blinding your eyes to the interests of your family, in leading you to neglect the light the Lord has given. Satan has beset you in another direction. He has excited your love of traffic, your love of gain; and by doing this, your interest has been divided from the cause and work of God. The love of God and the truth is gradually becoming of less importance. Souls for whom Christ died are of less value to you than your temporal interests. If you pursue the course you have, you will soon become jealous, and sensitive, and envious, and will go away from the truth as others have gone. T20 74.1

You are anxious to obtain labor in your locality, hoping that something can be said or done to awaken your children. You have neglected your duty. When you take up the long-neglected work the Lord has left you to do; when you, with the spirit of Christ, arouse yourself resolutely to set your house in order, then you may hope that God will aid your efforts, and impress the hearts of your family. While you have made your children an excuse to detain you at home, you have not done the work for which you plead your stay at home. You have not disciplined your children. Your wife is deficient in this respect, therefore the greater need of your being in a position to do your duty. Her love is of that kind which will lead her to indulge them in doing as they please, and in choosing their own society, which will lead to their ruin. Your presence at home, while yet you allow your children to do as they please, is worse for your family than if you were away from your children; and has a worse influence upon the cause of truth. God calls for earnest, unselfish, disinterested laborers in his cause, who will keep up the various branches of the work; such as obtaining subscribers for the periodicals, teaching them promptness in paying their dues, and encouraging brethren to keep up their Systematic Benevolence. Sacrifice, self-denial, toil, and disinterested benevolence, characterized the life of Christ, who is our example in all things. The work and character of a true minister will be in accordance with the life of Christ. He laid aside, and turned from, his glory, his high command, his honor, and his riches, and humbled himself to our necessities. We cannot equal the example, but we should copy it. Love for souls, for whom Christ made this great sacrifice, should stimulate every minister of Christ to exertion, to self-denial and persevering effort, that they may be co-workers with Christ in the salvation of souls. Then will the works of God's servants be fruitful; for they will indeed be his instruments. The power of God will be seen upon them in the gracious influences of his Spirit. God would have you arouse, and not be easily discouraged, but possessing strength to surmount obstacles; if need be, laboring as did the apostle Paul, in weariness, in painfulness, in watching, forgetting infirmities in the deep interest that is felt for souls for whom Christ died. T20 76.1

Some of our ministers are taking advantage of the liberalities of our brethren, to advantage themselves; and in thus doing, they are gradually losing their influence, and destroying, by their example in these things, the confidence of their brethren in them. And they are effectually closing the door, so that those who really need help, and are worthy of it, cannot obtain it. They also shut the door whereby help may be expected to sustain the cause. The people are, many of them, becoming disheartened, as they see the little interest some of the ministers they employ manifest for the prosperity of the cause of God. They do not see a devotion to the work. The people are neglected, and the cause is languishing, because of the lack of well-directed and efficient labor. They have a right to expect this from their ministers. T20 78.1

Some of the brethren, in their disappointment, give up to a feeling of impatience and desperation, as they see the selfishness and covetousness manifested by their teachers. The people are in advance of many of their ministers. If the ministers manifest a spirit of self-sacrifice and a love for souls, means will not be withheld from the cause. Let the ministers come up to the exalted standard as representatives of Jesus Christ, and we shall see the glory of God attending the presentation of truth, and souls being constrained to acknowledge its clearness and power. The cause of God must be made primary. T20 78.2

My brother, you could do a good work. You have a knowledge of the truth, and could be a great blessing to the cause of present truth, if you were consecrated and sanctified to the work, having no selfish interest aside from the work. God has committed to you a sacred trust, precious talents; and if you are found faithful to your trust, faithfully improving your talents, you will not be ashamed when the Master shall come, requiring both the principal and interest. It is not safe to slight, or in any sense disregard, the light God has been pleased to give. You have something to do to bring yourself into a position where God can especially work for you. T20 79.1

The prosperity of the cause of God in Minnesota is due more to the labors of Bro. Pierce, than to your own efforts. His labors have been a special blessing to Minnesota. He is a man of fine conscience. The fear of God is before him. Infirmities have weighed heavily upon him, which has opened the way for him to question whether he was in the way of his duty, and he has feared that God was not favoring his efforts. God loves Bro. Pierce. He has but little self-esteem, and is fearing, and doubting, and dreading labor; for the thought is constantly upon his mind that he is not worthy or capable to help others. If he would overcome timidity, and possess more confidence that God would be with him and strengthen him, he would be much more happy, and a greater blessing to others. There has been a failure, in the life of Bro. Pierce, to read character. He believed others to be as honest as himself; and he has been deceived in some cases. He has not the discernment that some have. You have also failed, in your life, to read character. You have spoken peace to those against whom God has declared evil. In Bro. Pierces’ feebleness and age, he may be imposed upon; yet all should esteem Bro. Pierce highly for his works’ sake. He commands the love and tenderest sympathy of his brethren; for he is a conscientious, God-fearing man. T20 79.2

God loves Sr. Pierce. She is one of the timid, fearing ones, conscientious in the performance of her duty; and she will receive a reward when Jesus comes, if she is faithful to the end. She has not made a display of her virtues. She has been retiring, and one of the more silent ones; yet her life has been useful. She has blessed many by her influence. Sr. Pierce has not much self-esteem and self-confidence. She has many fears, yet does not come under the head of the fearful and unbelieving, who will find no place in the kingdom of God. Those outside of the city are among the most confident boasters, and apparently zealous ones, who love in word, but not in deed and in truth. Their hearts are not right with God. The fear of God is not before them. The fearful and unbelieving, who are punished with the second death, are of that class who are ashamed of Christ in this world. They are fearful, afraid to do right and follow Christ, lest they should meet with pecuniary loss. They neglect their duty, to avoid reproach and trials, and to escape dangers. Those who dare not do right because they will thus expose themselves to trials, persecution, loss, and suffering, are cowards, and are ripening, with idolaters, and liars, and all sinners, for the second death. T20 80.1

Christ's sermon on the mount declares who are the truly blessed: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, [those who are not self-exalted, but candid, and of humble disposition, not too proud to be taught, not vain and ambitious for the honors of the world,] for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, [those who are penitential, submissive, and who grieve over their failures and errors, because the Spirit of God is grieved,] for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, [those who are gentle and forgiving, who, when reviled, will not revile again, but manifest a teachable spirit, and are not holding themselves in high esteem,] for they shall inherit the earth.” Those who possess the qualifications here enumerated, will not only be blessed of God here in this life, but will be crowned with glory, honor, and immortality, in the kingdom of God. T20 81.1

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