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Address to Ministers
453
our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and
with His stripes we are healed.” With this example before us, will
we choose to shun the cross, and to be swayed by circumstances?
Shall our zeal, our fervor, be kindled only when we are surrounded
by those who are awake and zealous in the work and cause of God?
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Can we not stand in God, let our surroundings be ever so un-
pleasant and discouraging? “What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own
Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him
also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge
of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?
It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at
the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or dis-
tress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we
are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things
we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am
persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Many ministers have not an undivided interest in the work of
God. They have invested but little in His cause, and because they
have taken so little stock in the advancement of the truth they are
easily tempted in regard to it and moved from it. They are not
established, strengthened, settled. He who understands well his
own character, who is acquainted with the sin which most easily
besets him, and the temptations that will be most likely to overcome
him, should not expose himself needlessly and invite temptation
by placing himself upon the enemy’s ground. If duty calls him
where circumstances are not favorable, he will have special help
from God, and thus go fully girded for a conflict with the enemy.
Self-knowledge will save many from falling into grievous tempta-
tions, and prevent many an inglorious defeat. In order to become
acquainted with ourselves, it is essential that we faithfully investigate
the motives and principles of our conduct, comparing our actions
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