Danger of Self-Confidence
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you will retain your physical and mental vigor, and render your labor
much more efficient. Brother F, you are a nervous man and move much
from impulse. Mental depression influences your labor very much. At
times you feel a want of freedom and think it is because others are in
darkness or wrong, or that something is the matter, you can hardly tell
what, and you make a drive somewhere and upon somebody, which
is liable to do great harm. If you would quiet yourself when in this
restless, nervous condition, and rest and calmly wait on God and
inquire if the trouble is not in yourself, you would save wounding your
own soul and wounding the precious cause of God.
I saw that Brother F was in danger of becoming lifted up if he
was enabled in his discourses to strongly move the feelings of the
congregation. He would often think himself the most effectual preacher
on that account. Here he sometimes deceives himself. Although he
may be for the time the most acceptable preacher, yet he may fail to
accomplish the most good. The preacher who can affect the feelings to
the greatest degree does not thereby give evidence that he is the most
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useful.
When Brother F is humble and makes God his trust, he can do
much good. Angels come to his help, and he is blessed with clearness
and freedom. But after a time of special victory he has too often been
lifted up and thought himself equal to anything, thought that he was
something, when he was only an instrument in the hands of God. After
such seasons angels of God have left him to his own weak strength, and
then, though he himself was the one at fault, he would too frequently
charge upon his brethren and the people the darkness and weakness
he felt. While in this unhappy state of mind he frequently bears down
upon this one and that one, and, even when his work is not half done,
feels that he must remove and commence labor elsewhere.
I saw that Brother F was in danger of going into battle in his own
strength, but he will find that strength but weakness in the conflict.
While he made God his trust, he has often been successful in combats
with opposers of our faith. But he has sometimes felt elated with the
victory which God has given truth over error, and has taken the glory
to himself in these conflicts. Self has been magnified in his eyes.
I was shown that in his last two discussions he did not have the
right spirit. Previous to the first he became exalted by the flattery of
men who love not the truth. As he listened to, and acted some part