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Testimonies for the Church Volume 1
consider them an evidence of humility. They are deceived. You both
are making work for repentance.
Brother A, you are naturally close and covetous. You tithe mint
and rue, but neglect the weightier matters. When the young man came
to Jesus, and asked what he should do to have eternal life, Jesus told
him to keep the commandments. He declared that he had done so.
Said Jesus: Yet lackest thou one thing. Go sell that thou hast, and give
to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. The result was
the young man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. I
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saw that you had wrong ideas. God requires economy of His people;
but some have stretched their economy into meanness. I wish that
you could see your case as it is. The true spirit of sacrifice, which is
acceptable to God, you do not possess. You look at others, and watch
them, and if they do not bring themselves to the same rigid course that
you follow, you can do nothing for them. Your souls are withering
beneath the blighting influence of your own errors. A fanatical spirit
is with you, that you take to be God’s Spirit. You are deceived. You
cannot bear the plain, cutting testimony. You would have a smooth
testimony borne to you; but when anyone reproves your wrongs, how
quick self rises. Your spirits are not humbled. You have a work to
do.... Such acts, such a spirit, I saw, was the fruit of your errors, and
the fruit of setting up your judgment and notions as a rule for others,
and against those whom God has called into the field. You have both
overreached the mark.
I saw that you had thought this one and that one were called to
labor in the field, when you know nothing of the matter. You cannot
read the heart. If you had drunk deep of the truth of the third angel’s
message, you would not be so free to tell who were called of God, and
who were not. The fact that one can pray and talk well is no evidence
that God has called him. Everyone has an influence, and that influence
should tell for God; but the question whether this one or that one
should devote his time to labor for souls, is of the deepest importance,
and none but God can decide who shall engage in the solemn work.
There were good men in the apostles’ days, men who could pray with
power and talk to the point; yet the apostles, who had power over
unclean spirits and could heal the sick, dared not with merely their
wisdom set one apart for the holy work of being mouthpiece for God.
They waited unmistakable evidence of the manifestation of the Holy
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