Dangers and Duty of Ministers
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conducted themselves like children who were wholly unacquainted
with the wiles of the tempter. They have had sufficient experience
and should have understood his workings. He has suggested doubts to
their minds, and, instead of repelling them at once, they have reasoned
and parleyed with the archdeceiver, and listened to his reasonings,
as though charmed by the old serpent. A few texts which were not
perfectly explainable to the satisfaction of their own minds have been
sufficient to shake the whole structure of truth and to obscure the
plainest facts of the word of God. These men are erring mortals. They
have not perfect wisdom and knowledge in all the Scriptures. Some
passages are placed beyond the reach of human minds until such a
time as God chooses, in His own wisdom, to open them. Satan has
been leading some on a trail which ends in certain infidelity. They
have suffered their unbelief to becloud the harmonious, glorious chain
of truth, and have acted as though it was their business to solve every
difficult passage of Scripture, and if our faith did not enable them to
do this, it was faulty.
I saw that those who have an evil heart of unbelief will doubt and
will think it noble and a virtue to doubt the word of God. Those who
think it a virtue to quibble can have plenty of room to disbelieve the
inspiration and truth of God’s word. God does not compel any to
believe. They can choose to rely upon the evidences He has been
pleased to give, or doubt, and cavil, and perish.
I was shown that those who are troubled with doubts and infidelity
should not go out to labor for others. That which is in the mind must
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flow out, and they realize not the effect of a hint or the smallest doubt
expressed. Satan makes it a barbed arrow. It acts like a slow poison,
which, before the victim is made sensible of his danger, affects the
whole system, undermines a good constitution, and finally causes
death. It is just so with the poison of doubt and unbelief of Scripture
facts. One who has influence suggests to others that which Satan has
suggested to him, that one scripture contradicts another; and thus,
in a very wise manner, as though he had found out some wonderful
mystery which had been hid from believers and the holy in every age
of the world, he casts midnight darkness into other minds. They lose
the relish they once had for the truth and become infidels. All this is
the work of a few words spoken, which had a hidden power because
they seemed involved in mystery.