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Testimonies for the Church Volume 2
evening devotions because it was not always convenient. Your son’s
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wife caused you trials of a peculiar, aggravating character, which
had considerable to do in discouraging you from continuing family
devotions. Your house became a prayerless house. Your business
was made primary, and the Lord and His truth were made secondary.
Look back to the days of your earlier experience; would these trials
then have driven you from family prayer?
Here, in the neglect of vocal prayer, you lost an influence in
your house which you could have retained. It was your duty to
acknowledge God in your family, irrespective of consequences. Your
petitions should have been offered to God morning and evening. You
should have been as priest of the household, confessing your sins
and the sins of your children. Had you been faithful, God, who had
been your guide, would not have left you to your own wisdom.
Means were expended needlessly for show. Over this sin in
others you had felt deeply grieved. And while thus using means,
you were robbing God. Then the Lord said: “I will scatter. I will
permit her for a time to walk in the way of her own choosing. I
will blind judgment, and remove wisdom. I will show her that her
strength is weakness, and her wisdom foolishness. I will humble
her, and open her eyes to see how far she has departed from Me. If
she will not then turn unto Me with her whole heart, and in all her
ways acknowledge Me, My hand shall scatter, and the pride of the
mother and of the children shall be brought down, and poverty shall
again be their lot. My name shall be exalted. The loftiness of man
shall be brought down, and the pride of man shall be laid low.”
The above view was given December 25, 1865, in the city of
Rochester, New York. Last June I was shown that the Lord was
dealing with you in love, that He now invited you to turn to Him that
you might live. I was shown that for years you have felt that you
were in a backslidden state. If you had been consecrated to God you
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might have done a good and great work in letting your light shine to
others. To everyone there is given a work to do for the Master. To
each of His servants are committed special gifts, or talents. “Unto
one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every
man according to his several ability.” Every servant has some trust
for which he is responsible; and the varied trusts are proportioned to
our varied capabilities. In dispensing His gifts, God has not dealt