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Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

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Chapter 28—<strong>Church</strong> TrialsThe following view was given at Ulysses, Pennsylvania, July 6,1857. It relates to things as <strong>the</strong>y have existed in-----and o<strong>the</strong>r places inNew York.There have been so many church trials among <strong>the</strong> brethren in<strong>the</strong> State of New York, that God has not had <strong>the</strong> least to do with,that <strong>the</strong> church have lost <strong>the</strong>ir strength, and <strong>the</strong>y know not how toregain it. Love <strong>for</strong> one ano<strong>the</strong>r has disappeared, and a faultfinding,accusing spirit has prevailed. It has been considered a virtue to hunt upeverything about one ano<strong>the</strong>r that looked wrong, and make it appearfully as bad as it really was. The bowels of compassion that yearnin love and pity toward brethren, have not existed. The religion ofsome has consisted in faultfinding, picking at everything bearing <strong>the</strong>appearance of wrong, until <strong>the</strong> noble feelings of <strong>the</strong> soul are wi<strong>the</strong>red.The mind should be elevated to dwell upon eternal scenes, heaven, itstreasures, its glories, and should take sweet and holy satisfaction in <strong>the</strong>truths of <strong>the</strong> Bible. It should love to feed upon <strong>the</strong> precious promisesthat God’s word af<strong>for</strong>ds, draw com<strong>for</strong>t from <strong>the</strong>m, and be lifted abovetrifles to weighty, eternal things.But, oh, how differently has <strong>the</strong> mind been employed! Picking atstraws! <strong>Church</strong> meetings, as <strong>the</strong>y have been held, have been a livingcurse to many in New York. These manufactured trials have given fullliberty to evil surmising. Jealousy has been fed. Hatred has existed,but <strong>the</strong>y knew it not. A wrong idea has been in <strong>the</strong> minds of some,to reprove without love, hold o<strong>the</strong>rs to <strong>the</strong>ir idea of what is right, andspare not, but bear down with crushing weight. [165]I saw that many in New York have had so much care <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>irbrethren, to keep <strong>the</strong>m straight, that <strong>the</strong>y have neglected <strong>the</strong>ir ownhearts. They are so fearful that <strong>the</strong>ir brethren will not be zealous andrepent, that <strong>the</strong>y <strong>for</strong>get that <strong>the</strong>y have wrongs that must be righted.With <strong>the</strong>ir own hearts unsanctified, <strong>the</strong>y try to right <strong>the</strong>ir brethren.Now <strong>the</strong> only way <strong>the</strong> brethren and sisters in New York can rise is<strong>for</strong> each to attend to his own individual case, and set his own heart in157

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