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Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers
than beneficial. Wrong prevails, man is made an offender for a word,
and suspicion, distrust, jealousy, evil-surmising, evilspeaking, and
injustice reproduce themselves even in connection with the cause of
God. A false zeal passes for jealousy for the cause of God; but the
miserable, filthy garment of self must be destroyed, and in its place
men must accept the righteousness of Christ. The persecution that
is carried on among church members is a most terrible thing. It is
true that some have committed errors and made mistakes, but it is
equally true that these errors and mistakes are not nearly as grievous
in the sight of God as is the harsh and unforgiving spirit of those
who are criticizers and censors. Many of those who are free to pass
judgment on others are committing errors which, although not made
manifest, are tainted with deadly evil that is corrupting their spiritual
life.
Love and Unity
God would open the eyes of His professed people in order that
they may see that they must love God supremely, and their neighbors
as themselves, if they would be saved in His kingdom. Many are
making manifest that they are not controlled by the Spirit of Christ
but by another spirit. The attributes they display are as unlike the
attributes of Christ as are the characteristics of Satan. It is high time
that believers should stand shoulder to shoulder and strive together
for eternal life, in place of holding themselves aloof and expressing
by word and action, “I am holier than thou.” Those who would
exert all their powers for the salvation of perishing souls must come
heart to heart, and be bound together in cords of sympathy and love.
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The brethren should manifest the same spirit as that manifested
by our merciful and faithful High Priest, who is touched with the
feeling of our infirmities. We may inspire fainting, hopeless ones
with new life. We may achieve victories which our own erroneous
and misconceived opinions, our own defects of character, our own
smallness of faith, have made to seem impossible. Faith! we scarcely
know what it is.
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