Cause at Battle Creek
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they teach them to be independent and not to mind the opinions and
judgment of others. The influence of this class has been secretly
at work. Some are unconscious of the harm they are doing; but,
unconsecrated, proud, and rebellious themselves, they lead others
in the wrong track. A poisonous atmosphere is inhaled from these
unconsecrated ones. The blood of souls is in the garments of such,
and Christ will say to them in the day of final settlement: “Depart
from Me, all ye workers of iniquity.” Astonished they will be; but their
professedly Christian lives were a deception, a fraud.
If all in Battle Creek stood true to the light God has given them,
true to the interests of the church, feeling the worth of souls for whom
Christ died, a different influence would be exerted. But here we see
acted over to a great extent the experience of the children of Israel. As
the people stood before Mount Sinai, listening to the voice of God,
they were so forcibly impressed with His sacred presence that they
retreated in terror and cried out to Moses: “Speak thou with us, and
we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” There before
the mount they made solemn vows of allegiance to God; but scarcely
had the thunders and the trumpet and the voice of the Lord ceased,
when they were bowed upon their knees before an idol. Their leader
had been called away from their sight and was enveloped in a thick
cloud, in converse with God.
The fellow laborer of Moses, who was left with the solemn charge
of the people in his absence, heard them uttering complaints that Moses
had left them, and expressing a desire to return to Egypt; yet, through
fear of offending the people, he was silent. He did not stand up boldly
for God, but to please the people he made a golden calf. He seemed
to be asleep to the beginning of the evil. When the first rebellious
word was spoken, Aaron might have checked it; but so fearful was he
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of offending the people that he apparently united with them and was
finally persuaded to make a golden calf for them to worship.
Ministers should be faithful watchmen, seeing the evil and warning
the people. Their dangers must be set before them continually and
pressed home upon them. The exhortation given to Timothy was:
“Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.”
There have been marriage relations formed in Battle Creek with
which God has had nothing to do. Marriages have been ill-assorted in
some cases, immature in others. Christ has warned us that this state of