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Chapter 47—A Forgetful Hearer
Dear Brother Y,
In the last view given I was shown that you do not understand
yourself. You have a work to do for yourself which no one can do
for you. Your experience in the truth is short, and you have not been
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thoroughly converted. You place a higher estimate upon yourself
than you will bear. I was pointed back to your past life. Your mind
has not been elevated, but has dwelt upon subjects not calculated to
lead to purity of action. You have had habits which were corrupt,
and which have tainted your morals. You have been too familiar
with the other sex, and have not possessed modesty of deportment.
You would be well suited were there greater familiarity encouraged
between men and women, much after Dr. A’s theory. Your influence
at-----was not good. You were not a proper person for that place;
your light and trifling conversation disqualified you to exert a good
influence. The character of your music was not such as to encourage
elevated thoughts or feelings, but rather to degenerate.
For some weeks in the past your influence has been improving;
but you lack firmness of principle. You are deficient in many things,
and in some things you must know where you fail. The follies of
your youth have left their impress upon you; you can never recover
what you have lost through impure habits. These things have so
benumbed your sensibilities that sacred things are not clearly dis-
cerned. You cannot, with your present experience, resist temptation.
You cannot endure trials. You are not sanctified through the truth.
You have taken hold of the truth, but it has not taken hold upon
you to transform you by the renewing of your mind. You are a
self-deceived man. Oh, do not, I entreat you, remain deceived in
regard to your true condition! You have not felt deep conviction
because of your sins, and in humility sought the Lord with anguish
of heart that your transgressions might be blotted out. You could not
see that your ways were so sinful before God. Therefore the work
of reformation has not been wrought in your soul.
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