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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
If the divine harmony of truth and love exists in the heart, it will
shine forth in words and actions. The most careful cultivation of the
outward proprieties and courtesies of life has not sufficient power to
shut out all fretfulness, harsh judgment, and unbecoming speech. The
spirit of genuine benevolence must dwell in the heart. Love imparts
to its possessor grace, propriety, and comeliness of deportment. Love
illuminates the countenance and subdues the voice; it refines and
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elevates the entire man. It brings him into harmony with God, for it is
a heavenly attribute.
Many are in danger of thinking that in the cares of labor, in writing
and practicing as physicians, or performing the duties of the various
departments, they are excusable if they lay down prayer, neglect the
Sabbath, and neglect religious service. Sacred things are thus brought
down to meet their convenience, while duties, denials, and crosses
are left untouched. Neither physicians nor helpers should attempt to
perform their work without taking time to pray. God would be the
helper of all who profess to love Him, if they would come to Him in
faith and, with a sense of their own weakness, crave His power. When
they separate from God, their wisdom will be found to be foolishness.
When they are small in their own eyes and lean heavily upon their God,
then He will be the arm of their power, and success will attend their
efforts; but when they allow the mind to be diverted from God, then
Satan comes in and controls the thoughts and perverts the judgment.
None are in greater danger than he who feels that his mountain
standeth sure. It is then that his feet will begin to slide. Temptations
will come, one after another, and so imperceptible will be their influ-
ence upon the life and character, that, unless kept by divine power,
he will be corrupted by the spirit of the world and will fail to carry
out the purpose of God. All that man has, God has given him, and he
who improves his abilities to God’s glory will be an instrument to do
good; but we can no more live a religious life without constant prayer
and the performance of religious duties than we can have physical
strength without partaking of temporal food. We must daily sit down
at God’s table. We must receive strength from the living Vine, if we
are nourished.
The course which some have pursued, in using worldly policy to
accomplish their purposes, is not in harmony with the will of God.
They see evils which need correcting, but they do not wish to bring