Words of Caution
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who are in error, will not open their blind eyes, nor attract them to the
truth.
When men lose sight of Christ’s example, and do not pattern after
His manner of teaching, they become self-sufficient, and go forth to
meet Satan with his own manner of weapons. The enemy knows well
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how to turn his weapons upon those who use them. Jesus spoke only
words of pure truth and righteousness.
If ever a people needed to walk in humility before God, it is His
church, His chosen ones in this generation. We all need to bewail
the dullness of our intellectual faculties, the lack of appreciation of
our privileges and opportunities. We have nothing whereof to boast.
We grieve the Lord Jesus Christ by our harshness, by our unchristlike
thrusts. We need to become complete in Him.
Thrusts at the Catholics—It is true that we are commanded to
“cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My
people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”
Isaiah
58:1
. This message must be given, but while it must be given, we
should be careful not to thrust and crowd and condemn those who have
not the light that we have. We should not go out of our way to make
hard thrusts at the Catholics. Among the Catholics there are many
who are most conscientious Christians, and who walk in all the light
that shines upon them, and God will work in their behalf. Those who
have had great privileges and opportunities, and who have failed to
improve their physical, mental, and moral powers, but who have lived
to please themselves, and have refused to bear their responsibility, are
in greater danger and in greater condemnation before God than those
who are in error upon doctrinal points, yet who seek to live to do good
to others. Do not censure others; do not condemn them.
If we allow selfish considerations, false reasoning, and false ex-
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cuses, to bring us into a perverse state of mind and heart, so that we
shall not know the ways and will of God, we shall be far more guilty
than the open sinner. We need to be very cautious in order that we may
not condemn those who, before God, are less guilty than ourselves.
Let everyone bear in mind that we are in no case to invite perse-
cution. We are not to use harsh and cutting words. Keep them out of
every article written, drop them out of every address given. Let the
word of God do the cutting, the rebuking: let finite men hide and abide
in Jesus Christ. Let the spirit of Christ appear. Let all be guarded in