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Testimonies for the Church Volume 7
To Brethren Entrusted With Responsibilities in the Publishing
Houses—
I urge upon you the importance of attending our annual meetings,
not merely the business meetings, but the meetings that will be for your
spiritual enlightenment. You do not realize the necessity of having a
close connection with heaven. Without this connection not one of you
is safe; not one is qualified to do God’s work acceptably.
In this work more than in any secular business, success is propor-
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tioned to the spirit of consecration and self-sacrifice with which the
work is done. Those who bear responsibility as mangers in the work
need to place themselves where they can be deeply impressed by the
Spirit of God. You should have as much greater anxiety than do others
to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and a knowledge of God and
Christ, as your position of trust is more responsible than that of the
common worker.
Natural and acquired endowments are all gifts of God and need to
be constantly held under the control of His Spirit, of His divine, sanc-
tifying power. You need to feel most deeply your lack of experience in
this work and put forth earnest endeavor to acquire needed knowledge
and wisdom, that you may use every faculty of body and mind in such
a way as to glorify God.
“A new heart also will I give you.” Christ must dwell in your
hearts, as the blood is in the body, and circulate there as a vitalizing
power. On this subject we cannot be too urgent. While truth must
be our panoply, our convictions need to be strengthened by the living
sympathies that characterized the life of Christ. If the truth, living
truth, is not exemplified in the character, no man can stand. There
is only one power that can either make us steadfast or keep us so—
the grace of God, in truth. He who confides in aught else is already
tottering, ready to fall.
The Lord desires you to rely on Him. Make the most of every
opportunity to come to the light. If you remain apart from the holy
influences that come from God, how can you discern spiritual things?
God calls upon us to make use of every opportunity for securing a
preparation for His work. He expects you to put all your energies into
its performance and to keep your hearts alive to its sacredness and its
fearful responsibilities. God’s eye is upon you. It is not safe for any
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