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The Publishing Ministry
with power. If you wait to measure every difficulty and balance every
perplexity you meet you will do but little. You will have obstacles and
difficulties to encounter at every turn, and you must with firm purpose
decide to conquer them, or they will conquer you.
Sometimes various ways and purposes, different modes of opera-
tion in connection with the work of God, are about evenly balanced
in the mind; but it is at this very point that the nicest discrimination is
necessary. And if anything is accomplished to the purpose it must be
done at the golden moment. The slightest inclination of the weight in
the balance should be seen and should determine the matter at once.
Long delays tire the angels. It is even more excusable to make a wrong
decision sometimes than to be continually in a wavering position, to be
hesitating, sometimes inclined in one direction, then in another. More
perplexity and wretchedness result from thus hesitating and doubting
than from sometimes moving too hastily.
I have been shown that the most signal victories and the most fear-
ful defeats have been on the turn of minutes. God requires promptness
of action. Delays, doubtings, hesitation, and indecision frequently give
the enemy every advantage. My brother, you need to reform. The tim-
ing of things may tell much in favor of truth. Victories are frequently
lost through delays. There will be crises in this cause. Prompt and
decisive action at the right time will gain glorious triumphs, while
delay and neglect will result in great failures and positive dishonor to
God. Rapid movements at the critical moment often disarm the enemy,
and he is disappointed and vanquished, for he had expected time to lay
plans and work by artifice.
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God wants men connected with His work in Battle Creek whose
judgment is at hand, whose minds, when it is necessary, will act like
the lightnings. The greatest promptness is positively necessary in the
hour of peril and danger. Every plan may be well laid to accomplish
certain results, and yet a delay of a very short time may leave things
to assume an entirely different shape, and the great objects which
might have been gained are lost through lack of quick foresight and
prompt dispatch. Much may be done in training the mind to overcome
indolence. There are times when caution and great deliberation are
necessary; rashness would be folly. But even here, much has been lost
by too great hesitancy. Caution, up to a certain point is required; but