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Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce
His hatred of sin. He did indeed realize, “Be sure your sin will find
you out.”
But David showed the fine gold of his character under adversity
and while suffering the retributive justice of God, in refusing to be
avenged on Shimei, and in refusing to stoop to strategy or the arts of
base expediency to gain his honor and his kingdom....
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He recalled how ofttimes God had worked for him, and thought,
“If He accepts my repentance He may yet give me His favor and turn
my mourning to joy. He may remove my sackcloth and give me the
garment of goodness. On the other hand, if He has no delight in me, if
He has forgotten me, if He will leave me to exile or to perish, I will
not murmur. I deserve His judgments and will submit to it all. I will
bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him,
until He plead my cause and execute judgment for me.”
Oh, what a wonderful change for David! From his throne and
kingdom he is fleeing into a barren dry land with no water.
A Contrast With David’s Case—I bring before you this lesson
that you may see the contrast between your course under the reproof
and displeasure of God and the course pursued by David. You have
ever been ready to charge your discomfiture to somebody prejudiced
against you. Instead of seeing that no one can have too strong feelings
against a man professing to be a shepherd of the flock, who will corrupt
the minds of the unsuspecting, you act as though you were a martyr
suffering unjustly—a persecuted man who deserves the sympathy of
the people. You have not a proper sense of sin. You are not right before
God in motive or spirit....
Confession, But No Real Penitence—After you changed your
location to Texas and had shown by confessing some things that you
were sorry for your sins, your course was not what the course of a
penitent man should be. You felt aggrieved that you were assailed and
your name reproached. You sympathized with yourself in this matter,
and then settled back in a state of helpless backsliding. Your example
and your influence were not those of a penitent man.
Meanwhile we felt sad indeed on your account and that of your
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wife. Both of you have had great light and great privileges, and both
gave yourselves into the enemy’s hands while in the midst of light and
opportunities and privileges. But we felt deep sorrow for you. We
placed ourselves in your place and made the case our own. To have