Great Distress Coming, and God’s People Not Prepared For It
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The more able should ever act a noble, generous, part in their deal
with their poorer brethren, and also give them good advice, and then
leave them to fight life’s battles through. I was shown that a most
solemn duty rests upon the church, to have an especial care for the
destitute widows, orphans, and invalids.
Power of Example
In the epistle of Paul to
Titus 2:13, 14
, we read, “Looking for
that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us
from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of
good works.” This great work is to be performed for those only who are
willing to be purified, willing to be peculiar, and who manifest a zeal
in good works. How many shrink from the purifying process! They
are unwilling to live out the truth, unwilling to appear singular in the
eyes of the world. It is this mingling with the world which destroys our
spirituality, pureness, and zeal. Satan’s power is constantly exercised
to stupefy the sensibility of God’s people, that their consciences may
not be sensitive to wrong, and that the sign of distinction between them
and the world may be destroyed.
I have frequently received letters of inquiry in regard to dress,
and some have not rightly understood what I have written. The very
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class which have been presented before me, who were imitating the
fashions of the world, have been very slow, and the last to be affected
or reformed. There has been another class who lacked taste and order
in dress, who have taken advantage of what I have written, and taken
the opposite extreme, and considered that they were free from pride,
and have looked upon those who dress orderly and neat as being
proud. Oddity and careless dress have been considered by some a
special virtue. Such take a course which destroys their influence over
unbelievers. They disgust those who might be benefited. While the
visions have reproved pride and imitating the fashions of the world,
they have reproved those who were careless of their apparel, and lacked
cleanliness of person and dress. Especially have I been shown that
those who profess present truth should have a special care to appear
before God to worship him upon the Sabbath, in a manner showing that
we respect the Creator who has sanctified and placed special honors