Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

414 Testimonies for the Church Volume 1[445]of themselves. They do not possess becoming modesty and havealtogether too high an opinion of their own abilities. Ministers ofexperience, who realize the sacredness of the work, and feel the weightof the cause upon them, are jealous of themselves. They considerit a privilege to advise with their brethren and are not offended ifimprovements are suggested in their plans of labor or in their mannerof speaking.Those ministers who have come out from the different denominationsto embrace the third angel’s message often wish to teach whenthey should be learners. Some have a great share of their former teachingto unlearn before they can fully learn the principles of presenttruth. Ministers will injure the cause of God by going forth to laborfor others when there is as great a work to be done for them to fitthem for their labors as they may wish to do for unbelievers. If theyare unqualified for the work, it will require the labor of two or threefaithful ministers to follow after and correct their wrong influence. Inthe end it would be cheaper for the cause of God to give such ministersa good support to remain at home and do no injury in the field.Preachers have been regarded by some as especially inspired, asbeing only mediums for the Lord to speak through. If the aged andthose of long experience see failings in a minister and suggest improvementsin his manners, in the tone of his voice, or in his gestures,he has sometimes felt hurt, and has reasoned that God called him justas he was, that the power was of God and not of himself, and that Godmust do the work for him, that he did not preach according to man’swisdom, etc. It is a mistake to think that a man cannot preach unless hebecomes wrought up to a high degree of excitement. Men who are thusdependent upon feeling may be of use in exhortation when they feeljust like it; but they will never make good, burden-bearing laborers.When the work moves hard and everything assumes a discouragingaspect, the excitable and those dependent upon feeling are not preparedto bear their share of the burdens. In times of discouragementand darkness how important to have calm-thinking men, who are notdependent on circumstances, but who trust God and labor on in thedarkness as well as in the light. Men who serve God from principle,although their faith may be severely tried, will be seen leaning securelyupon the never-failing arm of Jehovah.