Testimonies for the Church Volume 1 - A New You Ministry

is in a fearful position when serving the purposes of the tempter, by listening to hiswhisperings, and letting him captivate the mind and guide the thoughts. The minister’smost grievous sin in the sight of God is talking out his unbelief and drawing otherminds into the same dark channel, thus suffering Satan to carry out a twofold purposein tempting him. He unsettles the mind of the one whose course has encouraged histemptations and then leads that one to unsettle the minds of many.It is time that the watchmen upon the walls of Zion understood the responsibilityand sacredness of their mission. They should feel that a woe is upon them if they donot perform the work which God has committed to them. If they become unfaithful,they are endangering the safety of the flock of God, endangering the cause of truth, andexposing it to the ridicule of our enemies. Oh, what a work is this! It will surely meetits reward. Some ministers, as well as people, need converting. They need to be tornto pieces and made over new. Their work among the churches is worse than lost, andin their present weak, tottering condition, it would be more pleasing to God for themto cease their efforts to help others, and labor with their hands until they are converted.Then they could strengthen their brethren.Ministers must arouse. They profess to be generals in the army of the great King,and at the same time are sympathizers with the great rebel leader and his host. Somehave exposed the cause of God, and the sacred truths of His word, to the reproachesof the rebel host. They have removed a portion of their armor, and Satan has hurledin his poisoned arrows. They have strengthened the hands of the rebel leaders, andweakened themselves, and caused Satan and his hellish clan to rear their heads intriumph, and exult on account of the victory they have let him gain. Oh, what a lackof wisdom! What blindness! What foolish generalship, to open their weakest points totheir deadliest foes!379