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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
their course. Do these disaffected ones think that they are right and
the body of Sabbathkeepers deluded? By their fruits ye shall know
them.” Whom is God blessing? Whom is He leading? Who are at
work for Him? Who are doing good in laboring to get the truth before
other minds? Do these men think that the body will come to them and
give up their experience and views to follow the judgment of these
unconsecrated ones? or will they come into harmony with the body?
Brother G boasts of his independence of mind and judgment, while
he is blocking up the way of sinners by his unconsecrated life and his
opposition to the work in blindly warring against Christ in the persons
of His servants; but he is deceived in the quality of true independence.
Independence is not obstinacy, although obstinacy is often confounded
with independence. When Brother G has formed an opinion, and
expressed it in his family or in the church with considerable confidence
and with some publicity, he is then inclined to make it appear that he is
right by every argument he can produce. He is in danger, great danger,
of closing his eyes and violating his conscience by his persistency; for
the temptation of the enemy is strong upon him. His pride of opinion
is hard to yield, even in the face of light and evidence sufficient to
convince him if he would be convinced. He thinks that if he should
admit that he was wrong, it would be a reflection on his judgment and
discernment.
Brother G, you are in great danger of losing your soul. You want to
have the pre-eminence. At times you feel deeply if you think you are
slighted. You are not a happy man. You will not be happy if you leave
the people of God, taking offense at plain words and facts, as did many
of the followers of Christ, because the truth spoken was too close. You
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will not be a happy man, for you will take yourself with you. You
are not right; you make trouble for yourself. Your temperament is
your enemy, and go where you will you will take yourself with your
burden of unhappiness. It is an honor to confess a wrong as soon as it
is discerned.
There are many matters in connection with the work of God with
which you find fault, because it is natural for you to do so. And since
you have turned your face against the light God revealed to you in
regard to yourself, you are fast losing your discernment and are more
than ever ready to find fault with everything. You give your opinion
with dictatorial confidence and treat the queries of others in regard