Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)

Lt 23, 1901

Mills, Brother and Sister [G. W.]

Healdsburg, California

February 2, 1901

Previously unpublished.

My dear brother and sister Mills,—

I hope that you will not suppose that I have not a real interest in you, because I have. The Lord has an interest in you. If you walk and work in the counsel of God, you will make every effort possible to be in harmony with your brethren. All who are members of the church are not walking in the light of God’s Word and are running a great risk of having their names blotted out of the book of life. But thank God that you are not their sin-bearer. There is but one sin-bearer for the human family. Christ has borne our sins. He has carried our sorrows. “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.” [Isaiah 53:5.] 16LtMs, Lt 23, 1901, par. 1

Your work is now to clear your own soul before God and leave others to do the same. Whatever course others have pursued, you have your own case to care for. You have the Word of God, clear and distinct. Follow this Word. Human nature is often hard to manage, and those who do not strictly follow the Word of God are in peril. The enemy obtains an advantage over them. The stubbornness of human nature is often a great hindrance to advancement in the divine life. You have a very stubborn disposition to overcome, but God will help you. 16LtMs, Lt 23, 1901, par. 2

There is never a time or a place when it is right for you or me to say, I will not forgive my brother, and I will not walk and work in fellowship with him. In doing this the human agent places himself in opposition to the express teachings of Christ. 16LtMs, Lt 23, 1901, par. 3

Please clear your own soul, in strict accordance with the Word, whatever may be the course pursued by any other man. We have self to deal with, and we must be faithful with our own souls, else our natural and hereditary tendencies to wrong will gain the ascendency. When one errs, we are not to harass our own souls, but wait on the Lord. If your brother does you an injustice ignorantly, and then holds out his hand of fellowship, saying, “If I have erred and done you an injury or misjudged you, forgive me,” and you draw away from him and refuse to forgive, you have walked away from the great Counselor, and need yourself to repent and be forgiven. 16LtMs, Lt 23, 1901, par. 4

You have passed through scenes of severe trial, and the Lord understands the mischief done. Mischievous tongues are without number. They know not the things they assert. They are passing over ground that they will have to pass over again when every case shall be brought in review before God, when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, and every one shall be judged according to the things written in the books whether they be good or whether they be evil. Then those whose words now wound and bruise must answer for every statement they have made, and bear the results of the words they have spoken to wound and bruise the souls of the Lord’s heritage. There are many things which do not now appear in a correct light, which will in that day be made plain. 16LtMs, Lt 23, 1901, par. 5

But the question of forgiveness needs not to be interpreted for it is plain. If a brother err, forgive him if he asks you. If he is not humble enough to ask, forgive him in your heart and express your forgiveness in word and action. 16LtMs, Lt 23, 1901, par. 6

Then the weight of his sin will not in any degree be upon you. “Consider thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” [Galatians 6:1.] When he reaches out his hand and says, “Forgive me,” it is not for you to turn away and refuse to forgive, because you may think he does not feel humble enough and does not mean what he says. You have no right to judge him because you cannot read the heart. The Word of God says, If he repent, forgive him. “If he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.” [Luke 17:4.] And we are not only to forgive seven times, but seventy times seven. Just as often as God forgives us, we are to forgive one another. Thus we encourage repentance and confession. 16LtMs, Lt 23, 1901, par. 7

You are never to say, “When I see that you have reformed, then I will forgive you.” This is not God’s plan. This is in accordance with the prompting of human nature rather than with divine promptings. A Pharisaical indifference and hardness of heart is not to be allowed, for it is not Christlike. In showing that you do not care for the soul of your brother and do not want fellowship with him, you hurt your brother and set him a wrong example. 16LtMs, Lt 23, 1901, par. 8

My brother, you have made mistakes, and you need to come with softened heart to your brethren. To be a member of the church is not to be regarded by you as the greatest thing. The greatest thing is to cleanse from the heart everything that will lessen your influence for good in the church and in the world. You have a work to do to strive to enter in at the strait gate. If others professing the truth use their talent of speech to report matters which hurt your soul, they do a work which pleases the enemy. 16LtMs, Lt 23, 1901, par. 9

There is need of the tongue being touched with hot coals of juniper. God is greatly displeased with this kind of talking in the church. If each would save his words to comfort and encourage and bless, there would be much more charity, which is love, and much more true elevation. If men and women would cease to be mischief-makers, stirring up strife, there would be a much more favorable showing in their own Christian experience. When scandal is circulated there is no want of sin. 16LtMs, Lt 23, 1901, par. 10

I must now close so that this letter can go in the next mail. 16LtMs, Lt 23, 1901, par. 11