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Testimonies for the Church Volume 3
of light and power and strength until the clouds break away and the
darkness disperses. Faith grows strong by coming in conflict with
doubts and opposing influences. The experience gained in these trials
is of more value than the most costly jewels.
The result of your labors, Brother R, should make you ashamed.
God cannot accept them. It would be better for the cause of God if
you would cease preaching, and take up a work which involves less
responsibility. It would be better for you to go to work with your
hands. Humble your heart before God; be faithful in temporal matters;
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and when you show that you are faithful in the smaller responsibilities,
God may commit to you higher trusts. “He that is faithful in that which
is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is
unjust also in much.” You need a deeper experience in religious things.
I advise you to go to work with your hands and earnestly plead with
God for an experience for yourself. Cling to Jesus and never, never
dare to assume the responsibilities of a gospel minister until you are a
converted man and have a meek and peaceable spirit. You need to tarry
away from the work of God till you are endowed with power from on
high. No man can make a success of saving souls unless Christ works
with his efforts and self is put out of sight.
A minister of Christ should be thoroughly furnished unto all good
works. You have made a miserable failure. You must show in your
family that kindly consideration, that tenderness, love, gentleness,
noble forbearance, and true courtesy, that is becoming to the head of
a family, before you can make a success of winning souls to Christ.
If you have not wisdom to manage the small number with whom you
are closely united, how can you make a success of managing a larger
company, who are not especially interested in yourself? Your wife
needs to be truly and thoroughly converted to God. Neither of you
are in a condition to correctly represent our faith. You both need a
thorough conversion.
Retirement from the work of God at present is best for you. Brother
R, you have neither perseverance nor moral backbone. You are very
deficient in those traits of character which are necessary for the work
of God at this time. You have not received that education in practical
life that is necessary for you in order to make a success as a practical
minister of Christ. Your education has been deficient in many respects.
Your parents have not read your character, nor trained you to overcome