Testimonies for the Church Volume 1 - A New You Ministry

Then his talents and skill were employed against the government of God, to cause allwhom he could control to despise the authority of heaven. Those who are charmedwith his Satanic majesty may choose to imitate this fallen general and share with himhis fate at last.Purity of life imparts refinement, which will lead those possessing it to shrink moreand more from coarseness and indulgence in sin. Such will not be led away from thetruth or be given up to doubt the inspiration of the word of God. On the contrary, theywill engage in the daily study of the sacred word with ever-increasing interest, and theevidences of Christianity and inspiration will stamp their impress on the mind and life.Those who love sin will turn away from the Bible, will love to doubt, and will becomereckless in principle. They will receive and advocate false theories. Such will ascribeman’s sins to his circumstances, and when he commits some great sin they make hima subject of pity instead of looking upon him as a criminal to be punished. This willalways suit a depraved heart, which in course of time will develop the principles offallen nature. By some general process, men abolish sin at once to avoid the unpleasantnecessity of individual reformation and exertion. In order to free themselves from theobligation of present effort, many are ready to declare of no account all the labor andeffort of their lives while following the sacred principles of God’s word. Elder Hull’sphilosophical necessity has its stronghold in the corruptions of the heart. God is raisingup men to go forth to labor in the harvest field, and if they are humble, devoted, andgodly, they will take the crowns which those ministers lose who concerning the faithare reprobate.November 5, 1862, I was shown that some men mistake their calling. They thinkthat if a man cannot labor with his hands, or if he is not a business character, he willmake a minister. Many make a great mistake here. A man who has441