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116
Early Writings
and then faithfully watch that his sins do not overcome him, but that
he gets the victory over them. Then can we have confidence toward
God, and great trouble will be saved the church.
The messengers of God, as they leave their homes to labor for
the salvation of souls, spend much of their time in laboring for those
who have been in the truth for years, but who are still weak, because
they needlessly let loose the reins, cease watching over themselves,
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and, I sometimes think, tempt the enemy to tempt them. They get
into some petty difficulty and trial, and the time of the servants of
the Lord is spent to visit them. They are held hours and even days,
and their souls are grieved and wounded by hearing little difficulties
and trials talked over, each magnifying his own grievances to make
them look as serious as possible, for fear the servants of God will
think them too small to be noticed. Instead of depending on the
Lord’s servants to help them out of these trials, they should break
down before God and fast and pray until the trials are removed.
Some seem to think that all that God has called messengers into
the field for, is to go at their bidding and to carry them in their arms;
and that the most important part of their work is to settle the petty
trials and difficulties which they have brought upon themselves by
injudicious moves, and by giving way to the enemy, and indulging
an unyielding, faultfinding spirit toward those around them. But
where are the hungry sheep at this time? Starving for the bread
of life. Those who know the truth and have been established in it,
but obey it not—if they did, they would be saved many of these
trials—are holding the messengers, and the very object for which
God has called them into the field is not accomplished. The servants
of God are grieved and their courage taken away by such things in
the church, when all should strive not to add a feather’s weight to
their burden, but by cheering words and the prayer of faith, should
help them. How much more free would they be if all who profess
the truth would look about them and try to help others, instead of
claiming so much help themselves. As it is, when the servants of
God enter dark places, where the truth has not yet been proclaimed,
they carry a wounded spirit caused by the needless trials of their
brethren. In addition to all this, they have to meet the unbelief and
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prejudice of opposers and be trampled upon by some.