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Testimonies for the Church Volume 2
in the earth, and lead others to love, serve, and honor Thee? Let me
only desire and choose Thy will. Let the words and example of my
Redeemer be the light and strength of my heart. While I follow and
trust in Him, He will not leave me to perish. He will be my crown
of rejoicing.
If we mistake the wisdom of man for the wisdom of God we
are led astray by the foolishness of man’s wisdom. Here is the
great danger of many in-----. They have not an experience for them-
selves. They have not been in the habit of prayerfully considering
for themselves, with unprejudiced, unbiased judgment, questions
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and subjects that are new and that are ever liable to arise. They
wait to see what others will think. If these dissent, that is all that is
needed to convince them that the subject under consideration is of
no account whatever. Although this class is large, it does not change
the fact that they are inexperienced and weak-minded through long
yielding to the enemy, and will always be as sickly as babes, walk-
ing by others’ light, living on others’ experience, feeling as others
feel, and acting as others act. They act as though they had not an
individuality. Their identity is submerged in others; they are merely
shadows of those whom they think about right. Unless these become
sensible of their wavering character and correct it, they will all fail
of everlasting life; they will be unable to cope with the perils of the
last days. They will possess no stamina to resist the devil, for they
do not know that it is he. Someone must be at their side to inform
them whether a foe or a friend is approaching. They are not spiritual,
therefore spiritual things are not discerned. They are not wise in
those things which relate to the kingdom of God. Neither young
nor old are excusable in trusting to another to have an experience
for them. Said the angel: “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man,
and maketh flesh his arm.” A noble self-reliance is needed in the
Christian experience and warfare.
Men, women, and youth, God requires you to possess moral
courage, steadiness of purpose, fortitude and perseverance, minds
that cannot take the assertions of another, but which will investigate
for themselves before receiving or rejecting, that will study and
weigh evidence, and take it to the Lord in prayer. “If any of you
lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” Now the condition: “But