Chapter 37—True Refinement in the Ministry
Brother E,
I have designed to write to you for some time past, but have not
found an opportunity to do so until now. While speaking to the people
last Sabbath, I felt so clearly impressed with your case that I could
with difficulty refrain from calling your name in public. I will now
unburden my mind by writing you. In my last vision I was shown
the deficiencies of those who profess to labor in word and doctrine.
I saw that you had not been improving your abilities, but had been
growing less and less efficient to teach the truth. You need a thorough
conversion. You have a strong, set will, even to stubbornness. You
might now have been fitted for the solemn work of bearing the message
of truth to others had you been less self-confident and more humble
and meek in spirit.
You do not love close application nor the taxation of continued
effort. You have not been a persevering student of the word of God,
[460]
neither have you been a zealous worker in the cause of God. Your
life has been far from representing the life of Christ. You are not
discriminating. You are not a wise, judicious worker. You do not
study to win souls to Christ, as every minister of Christ should. You
have a set track, a standard of your own, to which you wish to bring
the people; but you fail to do this because they will not accept your
standard. You are bigoted and frequently carry things to extremes and
thereby seriously hurt the cause of God and turn souls from the truth
instead of winning them to it.
I was shown that you had spoiled several good openings by your
injudicious manner of laboring, and what shall I say to you in regard
to this matter? Souls have been lost through your lack of wisdom in
presenting the truth and your failure to adorn your calling as a gospel
minister by courtesy, kindness, and long-suffering. True Christian po-
liteness should characterize all the actions of a minister of Christ. Oh,
how poorly have you represented our pitiful, compassionate Redeemer,
whose life was the embodiment of goodness and true purity. You have
414