Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

442 Testimonies for the Church Volume 1[475][476]They were blinded, they were not standing in the counsel of God. I liftmy voice of warning against praising or flattering the ministers. I haveseen the evil, the dreadful evil, of this. Never, never speak a word inpraise of ministers to their faces. Exalt God. Ever respect a faithfulminister, realize his burdens and lighten them if you can; but do notflatter him, for Satan stands ready at his watchtower to do that kind ofwork himself.Ministers should not use flattery or be respecters of persons. Thereever has been, and still is, great danger of erring here, of making a littledifference with the wealthy, or flattering them by special attention, ifnot by words. There is danger of “having men’s persons in admiration”for the sake of gain, but in doing this their eternal interests are endangered.The minister may be the special favorite of some wealthy man,and he may be very liberal with him; this gratifies the minister, and hein turn lavishes praise upon the benevolence of his donor. His namemay be exalted by appearing in print, and yet that liberal donor may beentirely unworthy of the credit given him. His liberality did not arisefrom a deep, living principle to do good with his means, to advance thecause of God because he appreciated it, but from some selfish motive,a desire to be thought liberal. He may have given from impulse and hisliberality have no depth of principle. He may have been moved uponby listening to stirring truth which for the time being loosed his pursestrings; yet, after all, his liberality has no deeper motive. He givesby spasms; his purse opens spasmodically and closes just as securelyspasmodically. He deserves no commendation, for he is in every senseof the word a stingy man, and unless thoroughly converted, purse andall, will hear the withering denunciation: “Go to now, ye rich men,weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your richesare corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.” Such will awake atlast from a horrible self-deception. Those who praised their spasmodicliberalities helped Satan to deceive them and make them think thatthey were very liberal, very sacrificing, when they knew not the firstprinciples of liberality or self-sacrifice.Some men and women make themselves believe that they do notconsider the things of this world of much value, but prize the truthand its advancement higher than any worldly gain. Many will awakeat last to find that they have been deceived. They may have onceappreciated the truth, and earthly treasures in comparison with truth