Seite 507 - Testimonies for the Church Volume 1 (1868)

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Obedience to the Truth
503
ing, a ministering angel is commissioned to bear you the succor you
need and put to shame the language of your unbelieving mind. You
distrust God; you disbelieve in His power to save to the uttermost. You
dishonor God by this cruel unbelief and cause yourself much needless
suffering. I saw heavenly angels surrounding you, driving back the
evil angels, and looking with pity and sorrow upon you, and pointing
you to heaven, the crown of immortality, saying: “He that would win
must fight.”
Although you have been in doubt and perplexity, you have not
dared to entirely sever the connecting link between yourself and God’s
commandment-keeping people. Yet you have not yielded all for the
truth’s sake; you have not yielded yourself, your own will. You fear to
lay yourself and all that you have upon the altar of God, lest you may
be required to yield back to Him some portion of that which He has
lent you. Heavenly angels are acquainted with our words and actions,
and even with the thoughts and intents of the heart. You, dear brother,
fear that the truth will cost you too much, but this is one of Satan’s
suggestions. Let it take all that you possess, and it does not cost too
much; the value received, if rightly estimated, is an eternal weight of
glory. How little is required of us! How small the sacrifice that we
can make in comparison with that which our divine Lord made for us!
And yet a spirit of murmuring comes over you because of the cost of
everlasting life. You, as well as others of your brethren at-----, have
had severe conflicts with the great adversary of souls. You have several
times nearly yielded the conflict, but the influence of your wife and
eldest daughter has prevailed. These members of your family would
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obey the truth with the whole heart could they have your influence to
sustain them.
Your daughters look to you for an example, for they think their
father must be right. Their salvation depends much upon the course
which you pursue. If you cease striving for everlasting life, you will
exert a powerful influence to carry your children with you, you will
bow down the spirit of your faithful wife, crush her hopes, and lessen
her hold on life. How can you in the judgment meet these to testify
that your unfaithfulness proved their ruin?
I saw that you had several times yielded to the suggestions of Satan
to cease striving to live out the truth, for the tempter told you that you
would fail with the best endeavors you might make, that with all your