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Severity in Family Government
231
You have been greatly at fault in your religious experience. You
have stood to one side as a looker-on, as a spectator, watching the
deficiencies and faults of others, and building yourself up because
you see wrongs in them. You have been careful, and upright in
deal, and as you have seen slackness in this respect in others who
make a high profession, you have contrasted their wrong with your
principles in reference to deal, and have said in your heart, “I am
better than they,” while at the same time you were standing off from
the church, watching and finding fault, yet doing nothing, not coming
up to the help of the Lord, to remedy the evil. You had a standard by
which you measured others. If they failed to meet your idea, your
sympathy was not with them, and you had a self-complacent feeling
in regard to yourself.
You have been exacting in your religious experience. Should
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God deal with you as you would have dealt with those you supposed
in error in the church, and as you have dealt with your own family,
your condition would be bad indeed. But a merciful God, who is of
tender pity, whose loving-kindness changeth not, has been forgiving,
and has not cast you aside nor cut you off for your transgressions,
your numerous errors and backsliding. Oh, no! He has loved you
still.
Have you really considered that “with what measure ye mete, it
shall be measured to you again”? You have seen pride, and vanity,
and a world-loving spirit in some who profess to be Christians in----
-. This is a great evil; and because this spirit is indulged, angels are
grieved. Those who thus follow the example of the unconsecrated
are exerting an influence to scatter from Christ, and are gathering in
their garments the blood of souls. If they continue the same course
they will lose their own souls, and will know one day what it is to
feel the terrible weight of other souls who have been led astray by
their unconsecration, while professing to be governed by religious
principles.
You have just reason to be grieved with the pride and lack of
simplicity in those who profess better things. But you have watched
others, and talked of their errors and wrongs, and neglected your own
soul. You are not accountable for any of the sins of your brethren,
unless your example has caused them to stumble, caused their feet
to be diverted from the narrow path. You have a great and solemn