To a Young Minister and His Wife
287
things? I could answer them: Yes; yes, the angel of God has spoken
to me. But what they mean is: Have the brethren and sisters been
exposing their faults? For the future, I shall not belittle the testimonies
that God has given me, to make explanations to try to satisfy such
narrow minds, but shall treat all such questions as an insult to the Spirit
[315]
of God. God has seen fit to thrust me into positions in which He has
not placed any other one in our ranks. He has laid upon me burdens
of reproof that He has not given to any other one. My husband has
stood by my side to sustain the testimonies and to give his voice in
union with the testimony of reproof. He has been compelled to take a
decided stand to press back the unbelief and rebellion which has been
bold and defiant, and which would break down any testimony that I
might bear, because the ones reproved were cut and felt deeply over
the reproof given. This is exactly as God designed. He meant that they
should feel. It was necessary that they should feel before their proud
hearts would yield up their sins and they would cleanse their hearts
and lives from all iniquity.
In every advance move that God has led us to make, in every step
gained by God’s people, there have been ready tools of Satan among us,
to stand back and suggest doubts and unbelief, and to throw obstacles
in our way, to weaken our faith and courage. We have had to stand
like warriors, ready to press and fight our way through the opposition
raised. This has made our work tenfold harder than it otherwise would
have been. We have had to stand as firm and unyielding as a rock. This
firmness has been interpreted to be hardheartedness and willfulness.
God never designed that we should swerve, first to the right and then
to the left, to gratify the minds of unconsecrated brethren. He designed
that our course should be straightforward. One and another have come
to us, professing to have a great burden for us to have us go this
way or that, contrary to the light that God has given us. What if we
had followed these false lights and fanatical impressions? Surely our
people should not then put confidence in us. We have had to set our
faces as flints for the right and then press on to work and duty.
Some among us have been ever ready to carry matters to extremes,
to overreach the mark. They seem to be without an anchor. Such have
greatly injured the cause of truth. There are others who seem never
[316]
to have a position where they can stand firmly and surely, ready to
battle if need be when God calls for faithful soldiers to be found at