Lack of Consecration
13
course. A place has opened for all such now, where they can go and
find pasture with those of their kind. And we should praise God that in
mercy he has rid the church of them. God has given many of them up
to their own ways, to be filled with their own doings. An excitement
and sympathy now leads them, which will deceive some; but every
honest one will be enlightened as to the true state of this company, and
they will remain with God’s peculiar people, and not be affected by
the influence of those who have been given up by God to their own
ways, to be filled with their own doings. I saw that God had given
these people opportunity to reform, had enlightened them as to their
love of self and other sins; but they would not heed it. They would not
be reformed, and he mercifully relieved the church of them.
[10]
I saw that the people of God must put on the armor and arouse.
Christ is coming, and the great work of the last message of mercy is of
too much importance for us to leave it, and come down to answer such
falsehoods, and misrepresentations, and slander, as the Messenger
party has fed upon, and has scattered abroad. Truth, present truth, we
must dwell upon it. We are doing a great work, and cannot come down.
Satan is in all this, to divert our minds from the present truth, and the
coming of Christ. Said the angel, “Jesus knows it all. In a little from
this their day is coming. All will be judged according to the deeds
done in the body. The lying tongue will be stopped. The sinners in
Zion will be afraid, and fearfulness will surprise the hypocrites.”
I saw that we should not put off the coming of the Lord. Said the
angel, “Prepare, prepare, for what is coming upon the earth. Let your
works correspond with your faith.” I saw that the mind must be staid
upon God, and our influence should tell for God and his truth. (We
cannot honor God when we are careless and indifferent. We cannot
glorify him when we are desponding). We must be in earnest and
secure our soul’s salvation, and try to save others. All importance
should be attached to this, and everything besides should come in
secondarily.
I saw the beauty of Heaven. I heard the angels sing their rapturous
songs; I heard them sing praise, honor, and glory, to Jesus. I could
then realize something of the wondrous love of the Son of God. He
left all the glory, all the honor he had in Heaven, and was so interested
for our salvation that he patiently and meekly bore every indignity and
slight that man could heap upon him. He was wounded, smitten, and