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Severity in Family Government
235
your nature softened. You need to be refined by the influences of the
Spirit of God. You need a thorough conversion; then you can work
from the right standpoint. You need to let love into your soul and
permit it to occupy the place of self-dignity; self must die.
Your wife needs tenderness and love. The Lord loves her. She
is much nearer the kingdom of heaven than you. But she is dying
by inches, and you are the one who is slowly taking her life. You
can make her life happy if you will. You can encourage her to lean
upon your large affections, to confide in you and love you. You are
weaning her heart from you. She shrinks from opening to you all the
emotions of her soul, for you have treated her feelings with contempt;
you have ridiculed her fears and pompously advanced your opinion
as though there were no appeal from that. Her respect for you will
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surely die if you continue the course you have commenced; and
when respect is gone, love does not long abide.
I implore you to turn rightabout and humble yourself to confess
that you have wronged your wife. She is not perfect. She has faults,
but she sincerely desires to serve God and to patiently endure your
course toward her and your children. You are quick to detect your
wife’s errors, and when you can pick a flaw you will. She is weak;
yet with her weaker strength she glorifies God better than you do
with your stronger powers.
Battle Creek,
January 17, 1869.
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