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Testimonies for the Church Volume 3
cannot endure to be told of their neglect of duty and of their wrongs,
their selfishness, their pride and love of the world.
I was shown that God has laid upon my husband and me a special
work, to bear a plain testimony to His people, and to cry aloud and
spare not, to show the people their transgressions and the house of
Israel their sins. But there is a class who will not receive the message
of reproof, and they raise their hands to shield those whom God would
reprove and correct. These are ever found sympathizing with those
whom God would make to feel their true poverty.
The word of the Lord, spoken through His servants, is received
by many with questionings and fears. And many will defer their
obedience to the warning and reproofs given, waiting till every shadow
of uncertainty is removed from their minds. The unbelief that demands
perfect knowledge will never yield to the evidence that God is pleased
to give. He requires of His people faith that rests upon the weight
of evidence, not upon perfect knowledge. Those followers of Christ
who accept the light that God sends them must obey the voice of God
speaking to them when there are many other voices crying out against
it. It requires discernment to distinguish the voice of God.
Those who will not act when the Lord calls upon them, but who
wait for more certain evidence and more favorable opportunities, will
walk in darkness, for the light will be withdrawn. The evidence given
one day, if rejected, may never be repeated.
Many are tempted in regard to our work and are calling it in ques-
tion. Some, in their tempted condition, charge the difficulties and
perplexities of the people of God to the testimonies of reproof that we
have given them. They think the trouble is with the ones who bear the
message of warning, who point out the sins of the people and correct
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their errors. Many are deceived by the adversary of souls. They think
that the labors of Brother and Sister White would be acceptable if
they were not continually condemning wrong and reproving sin. I was
shown that God has laid this work upon us, and when we are hindered
from meeting with His people and from bearing our testimony and
counteracting the surmisings and jealousies of the unconsecrated, then
Satan presses in his temptations very strongly. Those who have been
ever on the questioning, doubting side feel at liberty to suggest their
doubts and to insinuate their unbelief. Some have sanctimonious and
apparently conscientious and very pious doubts, which they cautiously