Basic HTML Version
Address to Ministers
455
souls,—those who made the sacrifice in sincerity of soul, with an
eye single to the glory of God, will not lose their reward.
Those who have made a wrong use of means dedicated to God
will be required to give an account of their stewardship. Some have
selfishly grasped means because of their love of gain. Others have
not a tender conscience; it has become seared through long-cherished
selfishness. They view sacred and eternal things from a low stand-
point. Through their long continuance in a wrong course their moral
sensibilities seem paralyzed. It seems impossible to elevate their
views and feelings to the exalted standard clearly brought to view
in the word of God. Unless there is a thorough transformation by
the renewing of the mind, this class will find no place in heaven.
Those who have pursued a course of selfishness and wrong, not
regarding even the treasury of God as sacred, could not appreciate
the purity and holiness of the sanctified in the kingdom of heaven,
or the value of the rich glory, the eternal reward, reserved for the
faithful overcomers. Their minds have so long run in a low, self-
ish channel that they cannot appreciate eternal things. They do not
value salvation. It seems impossible to elevate their minds to rightly
estimate the plan of salvation or the value of the atonement. Selfish
interests have engrossed the entire being; like a loadstone they hold
the mind and affections, binding them down to a low level. Some of
these persons will never attain to perfection of Christian character
[520]
because they do not see the value and necessity of such a character.
Their minds cannot be elevated so that they will be charmed with
holiness. Self-love and selfish interests have so warped the character
that they cannot be made to distinguish the sacred and eternal from
the common. God’s cause and His treasury are no more sacred to
them than common business or means devoted to worldly purposes.
Duties in this direction are binding upon all who profess to be
followers of Christ. God’s law specifies their duty to their fellow
men: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” By a disregard
of justice, mercy, and benevolence to their neighbor, some have
so hardened the heart that they can go still further, and even rob
God without compunctions of conscience. Do such close their eyes
and their understanding to the fact that God knows, that He reads
their every action and the motive which impelled them to it? His
reward is with Him, and His work before Him, to give to every man