Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

Our Ministers 445of the wife and mother, may, as the result, bury the mother and one ormore of the children. Health and life were sacrificed for the love ofmoney. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while somecoveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselvesthrough with many sorrows.”There is a great work to be accomplished for Sabbathkeepers. Their [479]eyes must be opened and they see their true condition, and be zealousand repent, or they will fail of everlasting life. The spirit of the worldhas taken possession of them, and they are brought into captivity by thepowers of darkness. They do not heed the exhortation of the apostlePaul: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformedby the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” With many, a worldly spirit,with covetousness and selfishness, predominates. Those who possessit are looking out for their own special interest. The selfish rich mandoes not interest himself in the things of his neighbors, unless it be tostudy how he can advantage himself at their disadvantage. The nobleand godlike in man is parted with, sacrificed for selfish interests. Thelove of money is the root of all evil. It blinds the vision and preventspeople from discerning their obligations to God or to their neighbors.Some flatter themselves that they are liberal because they at timesdonate freely to ministers and for the advancement of the truth. Yetthese so-called liberal men are close in their deal and ready to overreach.They have abundance of this world, and this binds upon themgreat responsibilities as God’s stewards. Yet, when dealing with apoor, hard-laboring brother, they are exacting to the last farthing. Thepoor side to a bargain is the poor man’s legacy. Instead of favoring hispoor brother, the sharp, exacting rich man takes all the advantage andadds to his already accumulated wealth by the misfortune of the other.He prides himself because of his shrewdness, but with his wealth heis heaping up to himself a heavy curse and laying a stumbling blockin the way of his brother. By his meanness and close calculation heis cutting off his ability to benefit him with his religious influence.All this lives in the memory of that poor brother, and the most earnestprayers and apparently zealous testimonies from his rich brother’s lips [480]will only have an influence to grieve and disgust. He looks upon him asa hypocrite; a root of bitterness springs up whereby many are defiled.The poor man cannot forget the advantages taken of him; neither can