Words of Caution
43
No Gall.—Every article you write may be all truth, but one drop of
gall in it will be poison to the reader. One reader will discard all your
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good and acceptable words because of that drop of poison. Another
will feed on the poison, for he loves such harsh words.—
Letter 91,
1899
.
Facing Readers in Judgment—My attention has been called to
your articles in our papers in reference to the Woman’s Christian
Temperance Union. In the work of temperance all church members
are supposed to stand upon the platform of union. Your putting on the
appearance of antagonism is natural to you, but it is not after the order
of Christ. You are building up barricades that should not be made to
appear. After reading your articles, will those who know not what our
faith is feel inclined to make an attempt to unite with us? The tone of
your articles savors of pharisaism. The man who expects to enlighten
a deceived people must come near to them and labor for them in love.
He must become a center of holy influences....
The ideas expressed in your articles savor so strongly of antag-
onism that you will do harm, more than you can possibly conceive.
Remember that if by the injudicious use of your pen you close the
door to even one soul, that soul will confront you in the judgment. O,
how much has been said that has turned souls to bitterness and gall
against the truth. Words that should have been a savor of life unto
life have been made a savor of death unto death by the spirit which
accompanied them.—
Letter 17, 1900
.
In the Spirit of Christ—We cannot help the Christless by finding
fault with them. We have not been given the work of reproving or
giving personal thrusts in our periodicals. This attitude is misleading,
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We are to be “not easily provoked.” We are to remember that by our
spiritual attitude we are to show that we are feeding on Christ, the
bread of life. By our words, our tempers, and our works, we may
testify to those with whom we come in contact, that the Spirit of Christ
dwells in us.—
Manuscript 46, 1898
.
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