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prospered and sustained in their voluntary acts of righteousness. They
have a pharisaical religion which is not of Christ, but of themselves.
They trust in their good works for salvation, vainly hoping to earn
heaven by their meritorious works instead of relying, as every sin-
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ner should, upon the merits of a crucified, risen, and exalted Saviour.
These are almost sure to become sickly. But Christ and true godliness
are health to the body and strength to the soul.
Let invalids do something instead of occupying their minds with
a simple play, which lowers them in their own estimation and leads
them to think their lives useless. Keep the power of the will awake, for
the will aroused and rightly directed is a potent soother of the nerves.
Invalids are far happier to be employed, and their recovery is more
easily effected.
I saw that the greatest curse that ever came upon my husband and
Sister F was the instructions they received at-----in regard to remaining
inactive in order to recover. The imagination of both was diseased,
and their inactivity resulted in the thought and feeling that it would
be dangerous to health and life to exercise, especially if in doing so
they became weary. The machinery of the system, so seldom put in
motion, lost its elasticity and strength, so that when they did exercise,
their joints were stiff and their muscles feeble, and every move re-
quired great effort and of course caused pain. Yet this very weariness
would have proved a blessing to them had they, irrespective of feeling
or unpleasant symptoms, perseveringly resisted their inclinations to
inactivity.
I saw that it would be far better for Sister F to be with her family
by herself and feel the responsibilities resting upon her. This would
awaken into life her dormant energies. I was shown that the broken-
up condition of this dear family while at-----was unfavorable to the
education and training of their children. For their own good these
children should be learning to take responsibilities in household labor
and should feel that some burdens in life rest upon them. The mother,
engaged in the education and training of her children, is employed in
the very work which God has assigned to her and for the sake of which
He has in mercy heard the prayers offered for her recovery. While
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she should shun wearing labor, she should above all avoid a life of
inactivity.