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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
praise of men. It is a work which but few will appreciate. But those
who seek to make my labor doubly hard by their misrepresentations,
jealous suspicions, and unbelief, thus creating prejudice in the minds
of others against the Testimonies God has given me, and limiting my
work, have the matter to settle with God, while I shall go forward
as Providence and my brethren may open the way before me. In the
name and strength of my Redeemer I shall do what I can. I shall warn
and counsel and reprove and encourage as the Spirit of God dictates,
whether men will hear or whether they will forbear. My duty is not to
please myself, but to do the will of my heavenly Father, who has given
me my work.
Christ warned His disciples: “Beware of false prophets, which
come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns,
or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit;
but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring
forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every
tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the
fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Here is a test, and,
Brother G, you can apply it if you will. You need not go in uncertainty
and doubt. Satan is at hand to suggest a variety of doubts, but if you
will open your eyes in faith you will find sufficient evidence for belief.
But God will never remove from any man all causes for doubts. Those
who love to dwell in the atmosphere of doubt and questioning unbelief
can have the unenviable privilege. God gives sufficient evidence for the
candid mind to believe; but he who turns from the weight of evidence
because there are a few things which he cannot make plain to his finite
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understanding will be left in the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief
and questioning doubts, and will make shipwreck of faith. You have
seemed to consider it a virtue to be on the side of the doubting rather
than on the side of the believing. Jesus never praised unbelief; He
never commended doubts. He gave to His nation evidences of His
Messiahship in the miracles He wrought, but there were some who
considered it a virtue to doubt and who would reason these evidences
away and find something in every good work to question and censure.
The centurion who desired Christ to come and heal his servant felt
unworthy to have Jesus come under his roof; his faith was so strong
in the power of Christ that he entreated Him just to say the word and