Industry in the Ministry
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by shirking duties and responsibilities, and giving up to indolence and
selfish love of ease and pleasure.
Brother R is not lacking in ability to clothe his ideas in words, but
he is lacking in spirituality and true heart holiness. He has not drunk
deeply himself at the fountain of truth. Had he improved his golden
moments in studying the work of God he might now have been an able
workman, but he is too indolent to make close application of the mind
and to learn for himself the reasons of our hope. He is content to take
material which other minds and other pens have labored to produce,
and to use their thoughts, which are prepared to his hand, without
effort or exertion of mind, careful thought, or prayerful meditation
himself.
Brother R does not love close application either in the study of the
Scriptures or in physical labor. He prefers an easier way, and as yet
knows nothing experimentally of the burden of the work of God. It is
easier for him to repeat the thoughts of others than to diligently search
for the truth himself. It is only by personal effort, close application
of the mind, and thorough devotion to the work that men become
competent for the ministry.
Says Christ: “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost
his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?” The savor of the salt is divine
grace. All the efforts made to advance the truth are of but little value
unless the Spirit of God accompanies them. You have made child’s
play of teaching the truth. Your mind has been on your own ease and
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pleasure, following your inclination. You and your wife have no real
sense of the sacredness of the work of God. You both think more of
pleasing your fancies and studying to gratify your desires for ease and
enjoyment than of engaging in the stern duties of life, especially the
responsibilities connected with the work of warning the world of the
coming judgment.
You have seen Brother S weighed down with burdens and wearied
with physical labor; but you have had so great a love for your ease
and such a desire to maintain your own importance that you have
held yourself aloof, excusing yourself from engaging in the duties
which someone was obliged to perform. You have passed days in
easy indolence without benefiting anyone, and then your conscience
could permit you without compunction to bring in time mostly spent
in indolence and to receive pay from God’s treasury.