Slackness Reproved
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to lay your hand upon wrong. You influenced others. The good work
which God designed should be accomplished for certain ones was not
accomplished, and they have been puffed up by Satan. If you had stood
in the counsel of God at that time, an influence would have been cast
which would have told upon the cause of God. The Spirit of the Lord
was grieved. And this lack of union discourages those upon whom
God lays the burden of reproof.
“I was shown that you had been wrong in sympathizing with E.
The course you have taken in regard to him has injured your influence,
and has greatly injured the cause of God. It is impossible for E to be
fellowshiped by the church of God. He has placed himself where he
cannot be helped by the church, where he can have no communion
with nor voice in the church. He has placed himself there in the face of
light and truth. He has stubbornly chosen his own course, and refused
to listen to reproof. He has followed the inclinations of his corrupt
heart, has violated the holy law of God, and has disgraced the cause of
present truth. If he repents ever so heartily, the church must let his case
alone. If he goes to heaven, it must be alone, without the fellowship
of the church. A standing rebuke from God and the church must ever
rest upon him, that the standard of morality be not lowered to the very
dust. The Lord is displeased with your course in these things.
“You have injured the cause of God; your willful course has
wounded the hearts of God’s people. Your influence encourages a
slack state of things in the church. You should bear a living, pointed
testimony. Stand out of the way of the work of God, step not in be-
tween God and His people. You have too long wrapped up the sharp
testimony, and stood opposed to the severe censure which God lays
upon individual wrongs. God is correcting, and proving, and purifying
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His people. Stand out of the way that His work be not hindered. He
will not accept a smooth testimony. Ministers must cry aloud, and
spare not. The Lord has given you a powerful testimony, calculated to
strengthen the church and arouse unbelievers. But these things wherein
you lack must be corrected, or your testimony will become powerless,
and your influence injure the cause of God. The people look to you
for an example. Do not mislead them. Let your influence be to correct
wrongs in your family and in the church.”
I have been shown that the Lord is reviving the living, pointed
testimony, which will develop character and purify the church. But