Grief
73
against God. I saw you all dwelling upon your bereavement, and
giving way to your excitable feelings, until your noisy demonstrations
of grief caused angels to hide their faces and withdraw from the scene.
While thus giving way to your feelings, did you remember that
you had a Father in heaven who gave His only Son to die for us that
death might not be an eternal sleep? Did you remember that the Lord
of life and glory passed through the tomb and brightened it with His
own presence? Said the beloved disciple: “Write, Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that
they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” The
apostle well knew what he was talking about when he wrote these
[461]
words; but when you give way to uncontrollable grief, is your conduct
consistent with the comfort which they express?—
Testimonies for the
Church 5:313
(1885).
Dwelling Upon Oneself Is Selfishness (counsel to a grief-
stricken minister)—Now Brother_____, it is a species of selfishness
to keep your mind dwelling upon yourself. It is not at all like the apos-
tle Paul, who was a man of infirmities, yet himself was the last subject
of his thoughts. He had trials such as you have never experienced nor
ever will be called upon to endure, and yet he turns away from these;
he does not dwell upon them but magnifies the grace of God.
Your wife was the subject of disease and death. Your grief was
just as intense as all your other troubles. You hugged the grief to your
bosom, you loved to dwell upon it, and you allowed your mind and
thoughts to be selfishly occupied with your grief, and as a consequence
your health suffered. Then your daughter’s death was indeed a sad
blow, but others have passed through the same under more trying
circumstances. You allowed this affliction to unman you; you dwelt
upon it, you talked of it, you aggravated your soul over a matter you
could not change or help. It was a sin to take any of these afflictions
as you have done.
I know whereof I speak. If the mind is permitted to be clouded
with grief, the food is not digested and as a result the system is not
well nourished.—Lt 1, 1883.
Grief Causes Blood to Rush to Brain (a personal experience)—
While thus laboring in speaking and writing, I received letters of a
discouraging character from Battle Creek. As I read them I felt an
inexpressible depression of spirits, amounting to agony of mind, which