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Testimonies for the Church Volume 3
on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungered, and ye
gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a
stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick,
and in prison, and ye visited Me not. Then shall they also answer Him,
saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger,
or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee? Then
shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye
did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. And these
shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life
eternal.”
Here in His sermon Christ identifies Himself with suffering hu-
manity and plainly impresses upon us all that indifference or injustice
done to the least of His saints is done to Him. Here is the Lord’s side,
and whoever will be on the Lord’s side, let him come over with us. The
dear Saviour is wounded when we wound one of His humble saints.
Righteous Job moans because of his afflictions and pleads his own
cause when unjustly accused by one of his comforters. He says: “I
was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the
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poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. And I brake the
jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.”
The sin of one man discomfited the entire army of Israel. A wrong
course pursued by one toward his brother will turn the light of God
from His people until the wrong is searched out and the cause of
the oppressed is vindicated. God requires His people to be tender
in their feelings and discriminations, while their hearts should be
enlarged, their feelings should be broad and deep, not narrow, selfish,
and penurious. Noble sympathy, largeness of soul, and disinterested
benevolence are needed. Then can the church triumph in God. But just
as long as the church suffer selfishness to dry up kindly sympathy and
tender, thoughtful love and interest for their brethren, every virtue will
be corroded. Isaiah’s fast should be studied and close self-examination
made with a spirit to discern whether there is in them the principles
which God’s people are required to possess in order that they may
receive the rich blessings promised.
God requires that His people should not allow the poor and afflicted
to be oppressed. If they break every yoke and release the oppressed,
and are unselfish and kindly considerate of the needy, then shall the