Entire Consecration
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your own; you have been purchased by the blood of Christ. He claims
all that you are capable of doing; your time and strength are not your
own.
God indicated that you could be educated to act a part in His cause,
but it was necessary that your mind should be trained and disciplined
to work in harmony with the plan of God. You could gain the required
experience if you would; you had the privilege presented before you
of denying your inclination, as your Saviour had given you an example
in His life. But you have not placed yourself in a position to learn all
that you could and all that it was important for you to learn in order to
become a correct worker in the cause of God. There were some things
to reform in yourself before the Lord could use you effectually as His
instrument.
Brother C, it was a sacrifice for you to leave your farm; you enjoyed
your life there. You did not come to-----from choice. You had no
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knowledge of the work in connection with the publishing interest. But
you were determined to do the best you could, and in many respects
you have done well. But many things have arisen as stumbling blocks
in your way. The course of Brother F was wrong in many respects;
but you did not preserve your consecration to God; you united with
him in spirit, and did not stand free; you displeased God in many
things and separated your soul from Him. Satan was obtaining great
power over you; your steps had well-nigh slipped; you were almost
gone in unbelief, when sickness arrested your course. It was in great
mercy that God spared you and gave you a new lease of life. But you
have not made an entire surrender to Him; your stubborn will has not
been subdued and softened; you need a new conversion. You have
been easily fretted and annoyed; you have braced yourself to resist
everything that you thought reflected upon you; your feelings have
arisen like a flash when anything has touched your pride. Now, my
dear brother, this is all wrong. This you must over come, or the enemy
will gain the victory over you.
You have felt sick at heart because you did not love the work in-
----. You have looked back toward-----, for your heart is there, and
your body should be where your heart is. God has been testing and
proving you; how have you borne the test? You needed to be planed
and polished, to have the rough and jagged points of your character
removed, that you might become refined for the kingdom of heaven.