Opposition to Faithful Warnings
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reproof which the Lord in pitying tenderness gave them. Brother G has
naturally a kind and tender heart, but it is crusted over with self-love,
vanity, and evil surmising. His heart is not callous, but he lacks moral
power. He is a coward as soon as the necessity of self-denial and
self-sacrifice is brought before him, for he loves himself. To control
self, to put a watch upon his words, to acknowledge that he has done
wrong or spoken wrongly, is a cross which he feels is too humiliating
to lift; and yet if he is ever saved this cross must be lifted.
Brother and Sister G, both of you need to watch your words; for
just as surely as there is not a sentinel placed over your thoughts and
actions, you will discourage each other and make it a sure case that
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neither of you can be saved. Both of you need to guard against a hasty
spirit, which prompts hasty words and actions. Resentment, which
is indulged because you think you have been misused, is the spirit
of Satan and leads to great moral evil. When you are controlled by
a hasty spirit you deprive your reason, for the time, of the power of
regulating your words and your conduct, while you make yourselves
responsible for all the evil consequences. That which is done in haste
and anger is not excusable. The action is bad. You may, by a single
word spoken in haste and passion, leave a sting in the hearts of friends
which may never be forgotten. Unless you exercise self-control you
will be a most unhappy couple. You each ascribe your unhappy life
to the faults of the other; but do this no more. Make it a rule never
to speak a word of censure to each other, but commend and praise
whenever you can.
Some think it is a virtue to be unrestrained, and they will speak
in praise of their outspoken habit of talking out disagreeable things
which are in the heart. They let an angry spirit exhaust itself in a
torrent of reproach and faultfinding. The more they talk, the more
excited they become, and Satan stands by to help on the work, for it
suits him. The words irritate the one to whom they are spoken, and
they will be thrown back, giving provocation for still harder words,
until a little matter has blazed into a great flame. Both of you feel
that you have all the trials that you can possibly endure and that your
lives are most unhappy. Resolutely commence the work of controlling
your thoughts, your words, your actions. When either of you feels the
rising of resentment, make it a rule to go by yourself and humbly pray