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Pastoral Ministry
hearts of the convicted ones, and they leave the meeting feeling less
inclined to accept the service of Christ than when they came. They
decide to wait for a more favorable opportunity, but it never comes.
That godless discourse, like Cain’s offering, lacked the Saviour. The
golden opportunity is lost, and the cases of these souls are decided. Is
not too much at stake to preach in an indifferent manner and without
feeling the burden of souls?—
Testimonies for the Church 4:446
.
Give an invitation for people to come forward—The Lord es-
pecially blessed in speaking Sunday afternoon. All listened with the
deepest interest, and at the close of the discourse an invitation was
given for all who desired to be Christians, and all who felt that they
had not a living connection with God, to come forward, and we would
unite our prayers with theirs for the pardon of sin, and for grace to re-
sist temptation. This was a new experience for many of our brethren in
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Europe, but they did not hesitate. It seemed that the entire congregation
were on their feet, and the best they could do was to be seated, and all
seek the Lord together. Here was an entire congregation manifesting
their determination to put sin away, and to engage most earnestly in
the work of seeking God. In every company there are two classes, the
self-complacent and the self-abhorring. To the first class the gospel
has no charms except as they can construe detached portions to flatter
their vanity. They love those peculiar features of lofty morality which
they think they possess. But many of those who view Jesus in the
perfection of His character see their own imperfections in such a light
that they are almost in despair. Such was the case here; but the Lord
was present to instruct and reprove, to comfort and bless as the several
cases required. Earnest prayer was then offered, not for a happy flight
of feeling, but for a true sense of our sinfulness, and of our hopeless-
ness without the atoning sacrifice. Never did Jesus seem dearer than
on this occasion. There was weeping throughout the congregation.
The promise was grasped, “Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise
cast out.” If the vail could have been withdrawn, we should have seen
angels of God standing to minister to the humble, penitent ones. After
prayer, one hundred testimonies were borne. Many of these showed
a real, genuine experience in the things of God.—
The Review and
Herald, November 3, 1885
.