Lack of Appreciation of the Ministry Vermont June 1857 Portions of this manuscript are published in LDE 234-235. See also Annotations.
I was shown some things concerning the preaching brethren. I saw their energies and strength were exhausted in laboring for a church that does not generally appreciate their labors. I saw that it would be better for the church to be thrown upon their own effort for a time. I saw they must be laborers. I saw that the principal part of Bro. Hutchins’ and Bro. Sperry’s labor has been to keep the church together. They have taken the burden of the church upon themselves, to dig around it, labor and labor for them until the church would, after the brethren had gotten a little victory, enjoy it, but make scarcely any effort for it themselves. [Then] in a few weeks [they] are sleepy and need the same effort made for them again. They tire and exhaust the strength of the worn-out servants of God. Again the servants of God plow through and get a little victory, [only] to be lost as easily as before. But when, with their own faith and wrestling with God, they obtain the victory, then it is lasting. They know then how much it costs, and they will preserve their consecration. I saw that so much of the efforts of these brethren should not be spent upon a world-loving and sleepy church. I saw that those who have not yet embraced the truth are anxious to hear, and these brethren should go where, at the present time, they can accomplish the most good with their feeble strength.
(1LtMs, Ms 1, 1857, 1)
The church must arise. They do not half heed the message to the Laodicean church. There are those in the church who love this world better than they love Jesus. They love their treasures here better than they love heaven or eternal life, and with their earthly treasure they will perish. The True Witness now speaks to a lukewarm church. Be zealous and repent; but they scarcely hear or heed the message. A few are afflicting their souls. A few are heeding the counsel of the True Witness. Unless the church speedily arouses they will go into darkness, be ensnared and overcome by the enemy.
(1LtMs, Ms 1, 1857, 2)
I saw we are in the investigative judgment. Soon judgment will be pronounced on our works and our actions which are passing in review before God. A solemn, awful period! Who realize this great work? I saw that those who do not now appreciate, study, and dearly prize the Word of God, spoken by His servants, will have cause to mourn bitterly hereafter.
(1LtMs, Ms 1, 1857, 3)
I saw that the Lord in judgment will, at the close of time, walk through the earth; the fearful plagues will begin to fall. Then those who have despised God’s Word, those who have lightly esteemed it, shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord and shall not find it. A famine is in the land for hearing the Word. The ministers of God will have done their last work, offered their last prayers, shed their last bitter tear for a rebellious church and an ungodly people. Their last solemn warning has been given.
(1LtMs, Ms 1, 1857, 4)
O then how quickly would houses and lands, dollars that have been miserly hoarded and cherished and tightly grasped, be given for some consolation by those who have professed the truth and have not lived it out, for the way of salvation to be explained or to hear a hopeful word, or a prayer, or an exhortation from their ministers. But no, they must hunger and thirst on in vain; their thirst will never be quenched, no consolation can they get; their cases are decided and eternally fixed. It is a fearful, awful time. There can much be done now to bring in those jewels who are hid beneath the rubbish, who will highly prize the truth as it falls from the lips of God’s servants.
(1LtMs, Ms 1, 1857, 5)
I was shown that many of the church have at this time of peril more care for their farm and their cattle than they have for the servants of God, or the truth which they preach; their labors are so common among them that the laborers are not considered worthy of their hire. His strength must be exhausted, his life embittered by scarcely a well day, must spend and be spent, and yet the church asleep as to these things.
(1LtMs, Ms 1, 1857, 6)
But I saw that God was not asleep. Said the angel, Jesus says, I know thy works; yes, selfish, professed Sabbath-keepers. God knows thy works. Ye covetous, world-loving Sabbath-keepers, said the angel, God knows thy works. I saw that every privation the servants of God have endured are all written in the book, every tear is bottled up. Every pang of agony they have endured is recorded in the book. I know thy works, says the True Witness. [Revelation 3:15.] All that has been done to help the servants of God is all recorded; all of it is written in the book. All the selfish withholding from God’s servants are all written in the book. All thy deeds, said the angel, are passing in review before God.
(1LtMs, Ms 1, 1857, 7)
I saw that the church now must afflict their souls. They must labor, they must agonize or go down. I saw it was best to leave the churches to work for themselves now, that they may feel their weakness while there is a chance for them to zealously repent and buy gold, white raiment, and eye salve, the treasures they must possess if they would have eternal life.
(1LtMs, Ms 1, 1857, 8)
Ms 2, 1857
Church Trials Ulysses, Pennsylvania July 24, 1857 Portions of this manuscript are published in 1T 164-168. See also Annotations. Testimony for the Church in Central New York; Vision given at Ulysses, Pennsylvania, July 6, 1857.
I have seen in regard to the state of the cause in New York. I have seen that there have been so many church trials that God had not the least to do with, that the church have lost their strength and they know not how to regain it. The love for one another has been gone; a faultfinding, accusing spirit has prevailed. It has been considered a virtue to hunt up everything about one another that looked wrong and make it appear fully as bad as it was. The bowels of compassion that yearn in love and pity towards brethren have been all dried up by faultfinding, picking at everything bearing the appearance of wrong, until the noble feelings of the soul are withered. The mind should be elevated to dwell upon eternal scenes, heaven, its treasures, its glories, and should take sweet and holy satisfaction in the truths of the Bible and searching up the precious promises that His Word affords to comfort and lift up the mind from trifles to weighty, eternal things.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 1)
But, oh, how different has the mind been employed! Picking at straws! Church meetings, as they have been held, have been a living curse to New York. These manufactured trials have given free liberty to evil surmisings. Jealousy has been fed. Hatred has existed, but they know it not. A wrong idea has been in the minds of the brethren to reprove without love, hold others to your idea of what is right, and spare not, but bear down with crushing weight.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 2)
I saw that many in New York have had so much care for their brethren, to keep them straight, that they have neglected their own hearts. They are so fearful that their brethren will not be zealous and repent [that] they forget that they have wrongs that must be righted, and with their hearts unsanctified they try to right their brethren. Now the only way the church in New York can arise is to attend to their own individual cases, and each set his own heart in order. If sin is plain upon a brother, breathe it not to another, but with love for the brother’s soul, with a heart full of compassion, with bowels of mercies, tell him the wrong, then leave it upon the brother and God. You have discharged your duty. You are not to pass sentence.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 3)
You have made it too light an affair to rein up a brother, condemn him, and hold him under condemnation. There has been a zeal of God but not according to knowledge. If all set their own hearts in order, when they meet together their testimony would be ready to come from a full soul, and the people around that believe not the truth would be moved. The witness of the Spirit would tell to their hearts that you are the children of God. Our love for each other should be visible to all. It will tell. It will have influence.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 4)
I saw that there is a way for the church in New York to arise. Individually take hold of the work in earnest; be zealous and repent. And after all wrongs are righted that you have knowledge of, then believe God accepts. Go not mourning, but take God at His word; seek Him diligently, and believe that He receives you. A part of the work is to believe. He is faithful that has promised. Climb up by faith.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 5)
I saw that in New York they can arise as well as in other places, and they can drink of the salvation of God. They can move understandingly, and each one have an experience for himself in this message of the True Witness to the Laodicean church. The church feel that they are down, but know not how to arise. The intention of some may be ever so good [and] they may confess; yet I saw they were watched with suspicion and so they were made an offender for a word, until they have no liberty, no salvation. They dare not act out the simple feelings of the heart, because they are watched. Everything is stiff and unnatural. It is God’s pleasure that His people should fear Him, and have confidence before each other.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 6)
I saw that many had taken advantage of what God had shown about the sins and wrongs of those in New York. They had taken the extreme meaning of what had been shown in vision, and then confessed it until it has had the tendency to weaken the faith in what God has shown, and also to discourage and dishearten the church. I was also shown that with delicate and tender compassion should brother deal with brother. Delicately should he deal with feeling. And I saw that it is the greatest work that ever yet was done, and the nicest point to touch the wrongs of another. With the deepest humility should a brother do this, considering his own weakness, lest he should also be tempted.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 7)
I have seen the great sacrifice Jesus made to redeem man. He did not consider His own life too dear to sacrifice. “Love one another as I have loved you,” He said. [John 13:34.] Ask yourself the question, Do you feel, when a brother errs, you could give your life to save him from that error, and that danger? It places him in [danger] of losing his soul. If you feel thus, you can approach him and affect his heart. You are just the one to visit that brother. But it is a fearful truth that many who profess to be brethren are not willing to sacrifice their opinions or judgment to save a brother. There is but little love for one another. A selfish spirit has been manifested.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 8)
Discouragement has come upon the church. They have been loving the world, loving their farms, cattle, etc. Now Jesus calls them to cut loose, to lay up treasures in heaven, buy gold, white raiment, and eyesalve—precious treasures that will obtain for the possessor an inheritance in the kingdom of God.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 9)
The people of God must move understandingly. They must know that every known sin is confessed; then it is their privilege and duty to believe that Jesus accepts them. They must not wait for others to plow through the darkness, obtain the victory, then enjoy it. Such enjoyment will last no longer than [until] the meeting closes. There must be a serving God from principle instead of feeling. Morning and night obtain a victory for yourselves in your own family. Let not your daily labor hinder this. Take time to pray, and believe as you pray that God hears you. Have faith mixed with your prayers and it will be effectual. You may not at all times feel the immediate answer, but then it is your faith is tried. You are proved to see whether you will trust God, whether you have living, abiding faith. “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”1 Thessalonians 5:24.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 10)
Walk the narrow plank of faith, trust all on the promises of God. Trust God in darkness; that is the time to have faith. But you often let feeling govern you. You look at yourselves when you do not feel comforted by the Spirit of God. You do not trust enough in Jesus, precious Jesus. You do not make His worthiness to be all, all, as you should. The very best you can do will not make you merit the favor of God. It is Jesus’ worthiness that will save us; His blood cleanses us. Do what you can on your part. Be zealous and repent, then believe.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 11)
Confound not faith and feeling together. They are distinct. Faith is ours to exercise. This faith we must exercise. Believe, believe. Let your faith take hold of the blessing and if your faith takes hold of it, it is yours by faith. Your feelings have nothing to do with this faith. When faith brings the blessing to your heart, then you rejoice in the blessing. It is no more faith but feeling. The feeling has swallowed up the faith.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 12)
The people must steadily arise and come out from their darkness and let their light shine. They are standing right in the way of the work of God. They must let the message of the third angel do its work upon their hearts, clear the rubbish away from the door and open the door and let the Saviour in. God is dishonored by your long, faithless prayers and exhortations—confessing, but no reforming. I saw you must look away from the unworthiness of self and exalt Jesus. Talk of light, of heaven, and you will have light. Talk darkness and you will have darkness.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 13)
I saw that Brother Edson has not taken his place in the church. He has kept back for fear of getting out of his place. I saw that Brother Edson has good judgment in matters of the church. It needs collected, patient, persevering men to judge in matters of the church. A hurried spirit must not decide. Brother Edson must take his place.
(1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, 14)