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Testimonies for the Church Volume 2
pray to know what the Lord would have him do. His talent is buried
in the earth. The cares of this life have swallowed up his interest in
eternal things. The kingdom of God and the righteousness of Christ
are secondary. He loves business; but I saw that unless he changes
his course, the hand of God will be against him. He may gather, but
God will scatter. He could do good. But many have the idea that
if their life is a working, business life, they can do nothing for the
salvation of souls, nothing to advance the cause of their Redeemer.
They say they cannot do things by the halves, and therefore turn
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from religious duties and religious exercises, and bury themselves up
in the world. They make their business primary, and forget God, and
He is displeased with them. If any are engaged in business where
they cannot advance in the divine life and perfect holiness in the fear
of God, they should change to a business in which they can have
Jesus with them every hour.
Brother F, you do not honor your profession. Your zeal is a
worldly zeal, your interest a worldly interest. You are dying spiritu-
ally. You understand not your perilous condition. The love of the
world is swallowing up your religion. You must awake; you must
seek God and repent of your backslidings. In contrition take words
and return to the Lord. Your religious duties have become merely
a form. You do not enjoy religion; for this enjoyment is dependent
upon willing obedience. The willing and obedient shall eat the good
of the land. You do not possess a bright evidence that you will dwell
with God in His kingdom. You occasionally engage in the outward
performance of religious duties, but your heart is not in the exercise.
You occasionally drop a word of warning to sinners, or a word in
favor of the truth; but it is a reluctant service, as though rendered
to a taskmaster, instead of the cheerful service of filial affection. If
your heart is aglow with Christian zeal, the most arduous duties will
be pleasant and easy.
Why the Christian life is so difficult to many is that they have a
divided heart. They are double-minded, which makes them unstable
in all their ways. Were they richly imbued with Christian zeal, which
is ever the result of consecration to God, instead of the mournful
cry, “My leanness, my leanness,” the language of the soul would be:
“Hear what the Lord has done for me.” Even if you are saved, which
is very doubtful, in the course you are pursuing, how limited will