Suspension of Students
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you will cut off from them the last thread of hope, spoil your influence
and ruin the soul. Will it pay? No, I say no, a hundred times no.
Bind these souls who need all the help it is possible for you to give
them close to a loving, sympathizing, pitying heart, overflowing with
Christlike love,
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and you will save a soul from death and hide a multitude of sins. Had
we not better try the love process?
Be careful what you do in the line of suspending students. This
is a solemn business. It should be a very grave fault which requires
this discipline. Then there should be a careful consideration of all the
circumstances connected with the case. Students sent from home a
short distance or a long distance, thousands and thousands of miles, are
away from and deprived of the advantages of home, and if expelled are
refused the privileges of school. All their expenses have to be met by
some one who has had hope and confidence in these subjects that their
money would not be invested in vain. The student enters into, or falls
into, temptation, and he is to be disciplined for his wrong. He feels
keenly that his record is marred, and he disappoints those who have
trusted him to develop a character under the influence of his training
in his scholastic life, which will pay all that has been invested in his
behalf. But he is suspended for his foolish course of action. What will
he do? Courage is at the lowest ebb, courage and even manliness are
not cherished. He is on expense, and precious time is lost. Who is
tender and kind, and feels the burden of these souls? What wonder that
Satan takes advantage of the circumstances. They are thrust on Satan’s
battle ground and the very worst feelings of the human heart are called
into exercise and strengthened and become confirmed. I put the case
as it has been presented to me. I wish all could view this as it has in
all its bearings been shown me. I think there would be radical changes
made in many rules and methods of dealing with human minds. There
would be more physicians to heal human souls, who understand how
to deal with human minds. There would be far more forgiveness and
sympathy and love practiced, and far less discouraging, tearing down
influences exercised. Supposing that Christ should deal with all His
sons and daughters who learn of Him, as the human agent, as teachers,
deal with those under their charge; that when the law of the Lord,
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His rules, His injunctions have been disregarded by us, the guilty
are expelled or suspended, turning the erring away from His saving,