Testimonies for the Church Volume 1 - A New You Ministry

that of nominal professors, as the heavens are higher than the earth.The people are asleep in their sins and need to be alarmed before they can shake offthis lethargy. Their ministers have preached smooth things; but God’s servants, whobear sacred, vital truths, should cry aloud and spare not, that the truth may tear off thegarment of security and find its way to the heart. The straight testimony that shouldhave been given to the people in—–was shunned by the ministers; the seed of truth wassown among thorns and has been choked by them. With some, evil besetments haveflourished, and the heavenly graces have died out.God’s servants must bear a pointed testimony, which will cut the natural heart anddevelop character. Brethren N and O moved with a perfect restraint upon them whilein—–. Such preaching as was given there will never do the work that God designsshould be accomplished. Ministers of the nominal churches do enough cringing, andwrapping up of the pointed truths which rebuke sin.Unless persons embrace the message aright, and their hearts are prepared to receiveit, they would better let it entirely alone. I was shown that the church in—–have anexperience to obtain; but it will be much harder for them to obtain it now than if thepointed testimony had been given them at the very commencement, when they firstdiscovered that they were in error. Then the thorns could have been more easily rootedout. Yet I saw that there were men of moral worth in—–, some who will yet be testedupon present truth. If the church will arise and be converted, the Lord will return untothem and give them His Spirit. Then their influence will tell for the truth.249