78
Counsels for the Church
The church of Christ may be fitly compared to an army. The life
of every soldier is one of toil, hardship, and danger. On every hand
are vigilant foes, led on by the prince of the powers of darkness, who
never slumbers and never deserts his post. Whenever a Christian is
off his guard, this powerful adversary makes a sudden and violent
attack. Unless the members of the church are active and vigilant,
they will be overcome by his devices. What if half the soldiers in an
army were idling or asleep when ordered to be on duty; the result
would be defeat, captivity, or death. Should any escape from the hands
of the enemy, would they be thought worthy of a reward? No; they
would speedily receive the sentence of death. And is the church of
Christ careless or unfaithful, far more important consequences are
involved. A sleeping army of Christian soldiers—what could be more
terrible! What advance could be made against the world, who are
under the control of the prince of darkness? Those who stand back
indifferently in the day of battle, as though they had no interest and
felt no responsibility as to the issue of the contest, might better change
their course or leave the ranks at once
A Place for Each Member of the Family
Women as well as men can engage in the work of hiding the truth
where it can work out and be made manifest. They can take their place
in the work at this crisis, and the Lord will work through them. If they
are imbued with a sense of their duty, and labor under the influence of
the Spirit of God, they will have just the self-possession required for
this time. The Saviour will reflect upon these self-sacrificing women
the light of His countenance, and this will give them a power that
will exceed that of men. They can do in families a work that men
cannot do, a work that reaches the inner life. They can come close to
the hearts of those whom men cannot reach. Their work is needed.
Discreet and humble women can do a good work in explaining the
truth to the people in their homes. The word of God thus explained
will do its leavening work, and through its influence whole families
will be converted
All can do something. In an effort to excuse
[61]
themselves, some say: “My home duties, my children, claim my time
41
Testimonies for the Church 5:394
42
Testimonies for the Church 9:128, 129