Cautions for Aging Persons
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not consider that the long forbearance of God toward you calls for
repentance and humiliation of soul before Him?—
Testimonies for the
Church 5:350, 351
.
Place Affections on the Better Land
Our aged father T has his affections upon the things of this earth
when they should be removed and he be ripening up for heaven. The
life that he now lives he should live by faith in the Son of God; his
affections should be on the better land. He should have less and less
interest in the perishable treasures of earth, while eternal things, which
are of the greatest consequence, should engage his whole interest. The
days of his probation are nearly ended. Oh, how little time remains to
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devote to God! His energies are worn, his mind broken, and at best
his services must be weak; yet if given heartily and fully, they are
wholly acceptable. With your age, Brother T, has come an increase of
selfishness and a more firm, earnest love for the treasures of this poor
world.
Sister T loves this world. She is naturally selfish. She has suffered
much with bodily infirmities. God permitted this affliction to come
upon her, and yet would not permit Satan to take her life. God designed
through the furnace of affliction to loosen her grasp upon earthly
treasures. Through suffering alone could this be done. She is one of
those whose systems have been poisoned by drugs. By taking these
she has ignorantly made herself what she is; yet God did not suffer her
life to be taken, but lengthened her years of probation and suffering
that she might become sanctified through the truth, be purified, made
white and tried, and, through the furnace of affliction, lose her dross,
and become more precious than fine gold, even than the golden wedge
of Ophir.—
Testimonies for the Church 2:184
.
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