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Testimonies for the Church Volume 5
thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from
his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”
In a recent dream I was brought before an assembly of people,
some of whom were making efforts to remove the impression of a
most solemn testimony of warning that I had given them. They said:
“We believe Sister White’s testimonies; but when she tells us things
that she has not directly seen in vision in the particular case under
consideration, her words are of no more account to us than the words
of any other person.” The Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and I arose
and rebuked them in the name of the Lord. I repeated in substance that
which I have presented above in regard to the watchman. This, I said,
is appropriate to your case and to mine.
Now if those to whom these solemn warnings are addressed say,
“It is only Sister White’s individual opinion, I shall still follow my own
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judgment,” and if they continue to do the very things they were warned
not to do, they show that they despise the counsel of God, and the result
is just what the Spirit of God has shown me it would be—injury to the
cause of God and ruin to themselves. Some who wish to strengthen
their own position will bring forward from the Testimonies statements
which they think will support their views, and will put the strongest
possible construction upon them; but that which questions their course
of action, or which does not coincide with their views, they pronounce
Sister White’s opinion, denying its heavenly origin and placing it on a
level with their own judgment.
If you, my brethren, who have been acquainted with me and my
work for many years, take the position that my counsel is of no more
value than the counsel of those who have not been specially educated
for this work, then do not ask me to unite with you in labor; for while
you occupy this position, you will inevitably counteract the influence
of my work. If you feel just as safe in following your own impulses
as in following the light given by God’s delegated servant, the peril
is your own; you will be condemned because you rejected the light
which heaven had sent you.
While at-----, the Lord came to me in the night season and spoke
precious words of encouragement concerning my work, repeating the
same message that had been given me several times before. With
regard to those who have turned from the light sent them, He said: “In