342
Counsels for the Church
“That ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.”
Exodus
31:13
The Sabbath was made for man, to be a blessing to him by calling
his mind from secular labor to contemplate the goodness and glory of
God. It is necessary that the people of God assemble to talk of Him,
to interchange thoughts and ideas in regard to the truths contained in
His word, and to devote a portion of time to appropriate prayer. But
these seasons, even upon the Sabbath, should not be made tedious by
their length and lack of interest
When the church is without a minister, someone should be ap-
pointed as leader of the meeting. But it is not necessary for him to
preach a sermon or to occupy a large part of the time of service. A
short, interesting Bible reading will often be of greater benefit than
a sermon. And this can be followed by a meeting for prayer and
testimony.
Everyone should feel that he has a part to act in making the Sabbath
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meetings interesting. You are not to come together simply as a matter
of form, but for the interchange of thought, for the relation of your
daily experiences, for the expression of thanksgiving, for the utterance
of your sincere desire for divine enlightenment, that you may know
God, and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. Communing together in
regard to Christ will strengthen the soul for life’s trials and conflicts.
Never think that you can be Christians and yet withdraw yourselves
within yourselves. Each one is a part of the great web of humanity, and
the experience of each will be largely determined by the experience of
his associates
The Sabbath School
The object of Sabbath school work should be the ingathering of
souls. The order of working may be faultless, the facilities all that
could be desired; but if the children and youth are not brought to
Christ, the school is a failure; for unless souls are drawn to Christ,
they become more and more unimpressionable under the influence
of a formal religion. The teacher should cooperate, as he knocks at
477
Testimonies for the Church 6:360, 361
478
Testimonies for the Church 2:583
479
Testimonies for the Church 6:361, 362