Faithful Reproofs Necessary
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you “would not” humble yourself to be truly converted and live in
obedience to God’s requirements.
The unreconciled feelings and murmurings which have been ex-
pressed by some have also been festering in your soul, although you
have not dared to speak out plainly to the same effect. It would have
been better for the office and for all concerned had you been sep-
arated from it years ago. The more light you have had, the more
privileges you have enjoyed, the less sincerity and righteousness have
you manifested. Your heart has been carnal, and you have neglected
the expressed word of God. Although you have been hedged about
with warnings and counsels, and have had the strongest evidence that
God was in this work and that His voice was speaking to you, yet you
have slighted and rejected solemn reproofs, and gone on in your own
selfish, willful way.
Sometimes your fears have been aroused, but still you have never
realized your wretched spiritual condition and absolute danger. You
have repeatedly fallen back again into the same state of indifference
and selfishness. Your repentance has never gone deep enough to perfect
a thorough reformation. You have had a surface work, but not that
entire transformation which is necessary in order to bring you into
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acceptance with God. “He that followeth Me,” says Christ, “shall
not walk in darkness.” But through the greater part of your professed
Christian life you have walked in darkness because you have failed to
connect with heaven and receive the pure light of God’s Spirit.
If you were in daily communion with the Lord and cultivated a love
for souls you would grow out of self and become an earnest worker
in the vineyard of the Lord. You would perceive how the faithful
performance of the duties of life would preserve you from self-love
and self-gratification. You have not been diligent, seeking to gain an
advanced experience every day. You should be at this time a trusty
man in any position of responsibility, but selfishness has marked the
performance of everything you have set your hand to do. You have
been wise in your own conceit, but have failed to gain wisdom from
the experience of many years.
B has been vain. He might have moved steadily forward, growing
in grace, but the external appearance has seemed to him more impor-
tant than the inward adorning, even the garment of a meek and quiet
spirit, which God accounts of great value. Unbelievers who have been