246
Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
them all the good that lies in their power. The Redeemer of the world
did not consult His own pleasure, but went about doing good. He
bound Himself closely to the Father, that He might bring Their united
strength to bear upon the souls of men to save them from eternal ruin.
In like manner should His servants cultivate spirituality if they expect
to succeed in their work.
Jesus pitied poor sinners so much that He left the courts of heaven
and laid aside the robes of royalty, humiliating Himself to humanity,
that He might become acquainted with the needs of man and help him
to rise above the degradation of the Fall. When He has given to man
such unquestionable evidence of His love and tenderest sympathy,
how important that His representatives should imitate His example
in coming close to their fellow men and helping them to form a true
Christian character. But some have been too ready to engage in church
trials, and have borne sharp and unsympathizing testimony against the
erring. In thus acting, they have yielded to a natural propensity that
should have been firmly subdued. This is not the calm justice of the
[269]
Christian executive, but the harsh criticism of a hasty temperament.
The churches need education more than censure. Instead of blam-
ing them too severely for their want of spirituality and neglect of duty,
the minister should, by precept and example, teach them to grow in
grace and in the knowledge of the truth. “Whereof I am made a min-
ister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for
you, to fulfill the word of God; even the mystery which hath been
hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His
saints; to whom God would make known what is the riches of the
glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the
hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching
every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in
Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working,
which worketh in me mightily.”
Our ministers who have reached the age of forty or fifty years
should not feel that their labor is less efficient than formerly. Men of
years and experience are just the ones to put forth strong and well-
directed efforts. They are specially needed at this time; the churches
cannot afford to part with them. Such ones should not talk of physical
and mental feebleness nor feel that their day of usefulness is over.