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renew their spiritual strength daily; they must be partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Amid the cares of active life it is sometimes difficult to discern
our own motives, but progress is made daily either for good or evil.
Likes or dislikes, an uprising of personal feelings, will come in to
control our actions; the things of sense will blind our vision. I have
been shown that Jesus loves us; but He is grieved to see such a want
of wise discrimination, of adaptability to the work, and of wisdom to
reach human hearts and enter into the feelings of others. While we
are to guard against the constant danger of forming an alliance with
the enemies of Christ and being corrupted by them, we must guard
against holding ourselves aloof from those whom our Lord claims
as His. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these
My brethren,” He says, “ye have done it unto Me.” If with an earnest,
loving purpose we improve every opportunity to help to their feet those
who have stumbled and fallen, we shall not have lived in vain. Our
manners will not be harsh, overbearing, and dictatorial, but our lives
will be fragrant with the hidden grace of Christ.
Our heavenly Father requires of His servants according to that
which He has entrusted to them, and His requirements are reasonable
and just. He will not accept less of us than He claims; all His righteous
demands must be fully met, or they will testify against us that we
are weighed in the balances and found wanting. But Jesus watches
our efforts with the deepest interest. He knows that men with all the
infirmities of humanity are doing His work, and He notes their failures
and discouragements with the tenderest pity. But the failures and
defects might be far less than they are. If we will move in harmony
with heaven, ministering angels will work with us and crown our
efforts with success.
This is the great day of preparation, and the solemn work going on
in the sanctuary above should be kept constantly before the minds of
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those employed in our various institutions. Business cares should not
be allowed to absorb the mind to such a degree that the work in heaven,
which concerns every individual, will be lightly regarded. The solemn
scenes of the judgment, the great day of atonement, should be kept
before the people, and urged upon their consciences with earnestness
and power. The subject of the sanctuary will give us correct views of
the importance of the work for this time. A proper appreciation of