Earlier text: SENSUALITY IN THE YOUNG.Bro. M.: At Adams Center I was shown that you greatly lacked an unselfish spirit while at the Institute; you did not exert the influence that you should. You might have let your light shine there; but you did not. You often neglected your duty for amusements. You failed to take care and to bear responsibility. You do not enjoy active exercise. You love your ease; you and hard work are at variance. This is selfish. You allowed the property of the Institute to run down and be destroyed, when it was your business to see that it was kept up, and that everything was in order, and preserved with greater interest and care than if it were your own. You were an unfaithful steward. Every time you permitted yourself to engage in amusements, playing croquet or anything of the kind, you were using time for which you were paid, and which did not belong to you. You would be just as excusable should you take money which you had not earned, and appropriate it to yourself. Brn. Loughborough, Andrews, Aldrich, and others did not know you. They estimated you too highly.412 You could not fill the place they employed you to fill. They erred in judgment when they paid you so high a price for your labor. You did not earn the money that you received. You were very slow, and lacked greatly in energy. You were not enough interested and awake to see and do, and things were terribly neglected by you. My brother, you are far from God; you are in a state of backsliding. You do not possess noble moral courage. You yield to your own desires, instead of denying self. In seeking after happiness, you have attended places of amusement which God does not approve, and in so doing have weakened your own soul. My brother, you have much to learn. You indulge your appetite by eating more food than your system can convert into good blood. It is sin to be intemperate in the quantity of food eaten, even if the quality is unobjectionable. Many feel that if they do not eat meat and the grosser articles of food, they may eat of simple food until they cannot well eat more. This is a mistake. Many professed health reformers are nothing less than gluttons. They lay upon the digestive organs so great a burden that the vitality of the system is exhausted in the effort to dispose of it. It also has a depressing influence upon the intellect; for the brain nerve power is called upon to assist the stomach in its work. Overeating, even of the simplest food, benumbs the sensitive nerves of the brain, and weakens its vitality. Overeating has a worse effect upon the system than overworking; the energies of the soul are more effectually prostrated by intemperate eating than by intemperate working. The digestive organs should never be burdened with a quantity or quality of food which it will tax the system to appropriate. All that is taken into the stomach, above what the system can use to convert into good blood, clogs the machinery; for it cannot be made into either flesh or blood, and its413 presence burdens the liver, and produces a morbid condition of the system. The stomach is overworked in its efforts to dispose of it, and then there is a sense of languor, which is interpreted to mean hunger, and without allowing the digestive organs time to rest from their severe labor, to recruit their energies, another immoderate amount is taken into the stomach, to set the weary machinery again in motion. The system receives less nourishment from too great a quantity of food, even of the right quality, than from a moderate quantity taken at regular periods. My brother, your brain is benumbed. A man who disposes of the quantity of food that you do, should be a laboring man. Exercise is important to digestion, and to a healthy condition of body and mind. You need physical exercise. You move and act as if you were wooden, as though you had no elasticity. Healthy, active exercise is what you need. This will invigorate the mind. Neither study nor violent exercise should be engaged in immediately after a full meal; this would be a violation of the laws of the system. Immediately after eating there is a strong draught upon the nervous energy. The brain force is called into active exercise to assist the stomach; therefore, when the mind or body is taxed heavily after eating, the process of digestion is hindered. The vitality of the system, which is needed to carry on the work in one direction, is called away and set to work in another. You need to exercise temperance in all things. Cultivate the higher powers of the mind, and there will be less strength of growth of the animal. It is impossible for you to increase in spiritual strength while your appetite and passions are not under perfect control. Says the inspired apostle, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” My brother, arouse yourself, I pray you, and let414 the work of the Spirit of God reach deeper than the external; let it reach down to the deep springs of every action. It is principle that is wanted, firm principle, and vigor of action in spiritual as well as temporal things. Your efforts lack earnestness. Oh, how many are low in the scale of spirituality, because they will not deny their appetite! The brain nerve energy is benumbed and almost paralyzed by over-eating. When such go to the house of God upon the Sabbath, they cannot hold their eyes open. The most earnest appeals fail to arouse their leaden, insensible intellects. The truth may be presented with deep feeling; but it does not awaken the moral sensibilities, or enlighten the understanding. Have such studied to glorify God in all things? It is impossible to have clear conceptions of eternal things, unless the mind is trained to dwell upon elevated themes. All the passions must be brought under perfect subjection to the moral powers. When men and women profess strong faith and earnest spirituality, I know that their profession is false, if they have not brought all their passions under control. God requires this. The reason why such spiritual darkness prevails is that the mind is content to take a low level, and is not directed upward in a pure, holy, and heavenly channel. I saw in regard to your family, Bro. M, that you were not happy. Your wife has been disappointed, and you have been disappointed. Your wife expected to find in you a person of more noble, refined organization. She has been very unhappy. She has a large amount of pride. Her family connections, upon her mother’s side, are naturally conscientious, yet proud and aristocratic. She partakes largely of these traits of character. She is not demonstrative. It is not natural for her to make advances and manifest affection. She looks upon the manifestation of affection between husband and wife as weak and childish. She has felt that if she encouraged affection,415 it would not be answered by fine, elevated love, but by the lower order of passions; that these would be strengthened, but not pure, deep, holy love. Your wife should make strong efforts to come out of her retired, dignified reserve, and cultivate simplicity in all her actions. And when the higher order of faculties is aroused in you, and strengthened by exercise, you will better understand the wants of women; you will understand that the soul craves love of a higher, purer order than exists in the low order of the animal passions. These passions have been strengthened in you by encouragement and exercise. If now in the fear of God you keep your body under, and seek to meet your wife with pure, elevated love, the wants of her nature will be met. Take her to your heart; esteem her highly. You have been exalted, and have taken a position above your wife. You have not understood yourself. You have had a high appreciation of your religious experience and advancement in the divine life. These things have hindered, instead of helping, your wife. She feared for you,—feared that you did not really understand yourself, and that you would go too fast. Your union has not been happy. You have been unsuited to each other. Your wife has a timid, fearful, shrinking nature. You have utterly failed to understand her. She hesitates and fears to move out, because she is afraid of going too fast. She needs confidence in herself, and should encourage independence. Bro. M, you fail to encourage the confidence of your wife. You are lacking in courteousness, and in constant, kindly regard for her. You sometimes manifest love, but it is a selfish love. It is not principle with you, reaching down deep, and underlying all your actions. It is not an unselfish love, which prompts a continual forethought for her, and a care to have her in your society, showing her that you prefer her company above all others. You have416 sought for your own amusement, leaving her at home lonely and often sad. You pursued this course before moving to this place, and have continued to do so since, in a less degree for want of opportunity or excuse. Your wife would scorn to let you know that she marked the deficiencies in you. She has a fear of you. Had you possessed genuine love, which such a nature as hers requires, you would have found an answering chord in her heart. You are too cold and stiff. You have at times manifested affection, but it has not awakened love in return, because you have not been courteous and attentive, and manifested a kind regard for your wife by consulting her happiness. You have too many times felt at liberty to saunter off in pursuit of your own pleasure, without consulting her pleasure or happiness at all. True, pure love is precious. It is heavenly in its influence. It is deep and abiding. It is not spasmodic in its manifestations. It is not a selfish passion. It bears fruit. It will lead to a constant effort to make your wife happy. If you have this love, it will come natural to make this effort. It will not appear to be forced. If you go out for a walk, or to attend a meeting, it will be as natural as your breath to choose your wife to accompany you, and to seek to make her happy in your society. You regard her spiritual attainments as inferior to your own; but I saw that God was better pleased with her spirit than with that possessed by yourself. You are not worthy of your wife. She is too good for you. She is a frail, sensitive plant; she needs to be cared for tenderly. She earnestly desires to do the will of God. But she has a proud spirit, and is timid, shrinking from reproach. It is as death to her to be the subject of observation or remark. Let your wife be loved, honored, and cherished, in fulfillment of the marriage vow, and she will come out of that reticent, diffident position which is natural to her. Only let a woman realize that she is appreciated by her husband, and is precious to him, not merely because she is useful and convenient in his house, but because she is a part of himself, and she will respond to his affection, and reflect the love bestowed upon her. Let your wife be the object of your special and hearty attention. When you feel as God would have you, you will feel lost without the society of your wife. You think her faith not worth having, yet it will bring answers sooner than the faith which you possess. Bro. M, you fail to understand the heart of a woman. You do not reason from cause to effect. You know that your wife is not so cheerful and happy as you wish to see her, but you do not investigate the cause. You do not analyze your deportment to see if the difficulty does not exist in yourself. Love your wife. She is hungering for deep, true, elevating love. Let her have tangible proof that her care and interest for you, shown in her attention to your comfort, is appreciated and returned. Seek her opinion and approval in whatever you engage in. Respect her judgment. Do not feel that you know all that is worth knowing. A house with love in it, where love is expressed in words and looks and deeds, is a place where angels love to manifest their presence, and hallow the scene by rays of light from glory. There the humble household duties have a charm in them. None of life’s duties will be unpleasant to your wife under such circumstances. She will perform them with cheerfulness of spirit, and will be like a sunbeam to all around her; and she will be making melody in her heart to the Lord. At present she feels that she has not your heart’s affections. You have given her occasion to feel thus. You perform the necessary duties devolving upon you as head of the family, but there is a lack. There is a serious lack of love’s precious influence, which leads to kindly attentions.418 Love should be seen in the looks and manners, and heard in the tones of the voice. Your wife does not venture to open her heart to you; for as soon as she utters a sentiment differing from you, you repel it. You talk so strong that she has no courage to say another word. You are not one in heart. You take a position above her, and maintain a bearing as though her judgment and opinion were of no account. You consider your spiritual attainments far in advance of hers. My brother, you do not know yourself. God looks at the heart, not at the words or profession. The externals do not weigh with God as with men. A humble heart and a contrite spirit God values. Our Saviour is acquainted with the life conflicts of every soul. He judgeth not according to appearances, but righteously. Your spirit is strong. When you take a position, you do not weigh the matter well, and consider what must be the effect of your maintaining your views, and in an independent manner weaving them into your prayers and conversation, when you know that your wife does not hold the same views that you do. Instead of respecting the feelings of your wife, and kindly avoiding, as a gentleman would, those subjects upon which you know you differ, you have been forward to dwell upon objectionable points, and have manifested a persistency in expressing your views regardless of any around you. You have felt that others had no right to see matters differently from yourself. These fruits do not grow upon the Christian tree. In the case of Sister N, you did not view things in their true light. If she had been healed in answer to the prayers of yourself and others, it would have proved the ruin of more than two or three of you. A wise God had oversight of this matter. He could read the motives and purposes of the heart. Your wife has just as much right to her opinion as you have to yours. Her marriage relation does not419 destroy her identity. She has an individual responsibility. You will not feel clear till you take things out of her way, and manifest toward her a more charitable, Christ-like spirit of forbearance, and regard others in the light in which you wish to be regarded. You have yet to learn to “let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” CONDUCTING SOCIAL MEETINGS.
I was shown, Bro. M, that you need a great work done for you, before you can exert an influence in the church to correct their errors, or bring them up. You do not possess that humbleness of mind that can reach the hearts of God’s people. You are exalted. You need to examine your motives and your actions, to see if your eye is single to the glory of God. Neither Bro. O nor yourself is exactly fitted to meet the wants of the youth and the church generally. You do not come right down in simplicity to understand the best manner to help them. It does not have the best influence for you and Bro. O to leave your seats, and take your position upon the platform in front of the people. When you occupy that position, you feel that you must say or do something in accordance with the position you have taken. Instead of getting up and speaking a few words to the point, you frequently make lengthy remarks, which really hurt the spirit of the meeting. Many feel relieved when you sit down. Were you in a country place where there were but few to improve the time, such lengthy remarks would be more appropriate. The work of the Lord is a great work, and wise men are needed to engage in it. Men are wanted who can adapt themselves to the wants of the people.420 If you expect to help the people, you must not take your position above them, but right down among them. This is Bro. O’s great fault. He is too stiff. It is not natural for him to use simplicity. He does not reason from cause to effect. He will not win affection and love. He does not come right down to the understanding of the children, and speak in a touching manner which will melt its way to the heart. He stands up and talks to the children in a wise way; but it does them no good. His remarks are generally lengthy and wearisome. Sometimes if but one-fourth was said that is said, a much better impression would be left on the mind. Those who instruct children should avoid tedious remarks. Short remarks and to the point will have a happy influence. If much is to be said, make up for briefness by frequency. A few words of interest, now and then, will be more beneficial than to have it all at once. Long speeches burden the small minds of children. Too much talk will lead them to loathe even spiritual instruction, just as overeating burdens the stomach and lessens the appetite, leading even to a loathing of food. The minds of the people may be glutted with too much speechifying. Labor for the church, but especially for the youth, should be line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little. Give minds time to digest the truths you feed them. Children must be drawn toward Heaven, not rashly, but very gently.
Battle Creek, Mich., Oct. 2, 1868. IMPORTANCE OF SELF-GOVERNMENT.
DEAR BRO. P: I have several times attempted to write to you, but have as often been hindered. I will delay no longer. I have felt for a few days past especially anxious in regard to you. Last June, some things were shown me in regard to you. I was carried back in the past, and shown your unsettled, roving life. You were without God. Yours has been a hard, reckless life. Yet I saw that God had in mercy spared your life many times when it seemed that no human power or wisdom could preserve it. You now stand a miracle of mercy. When your life has been in imminent peril, Christ, your advocate, has pleaded in your behalf: “Father, spare his life a little longer. He has been an unfruitful tree, which has cumbered the ground; yet cut it not down. I will patiently wait a little longer, and see if it will not bear fruit. I will impress his heart with the truth. I will convict him of sin.” I was shown that the Lord opened the way for you to obey and serve him. Your steps were directed West, where your surroundings would be more favorable to a growth in grace, and where it would be less difficult for you to form a character for Heaven. You came into our family, and were received into our hearts. This was all ordered of the Lord. You had not the experience which was necessary in order to live a life that God would approve. You were situated where in a few short months you could obtain more light, and a more correct knowledge of present truth, than you could have obtained in years if you had remained East. Our compassionate High Priest was acquainted with your weakness and your errors, and did not leave you in your inexperience to battle with the great foe amid unfavorable surroundings. Had you remained in ——, you would not have retained the422 truth. The opposition you would have received, would have raised your combativeness, and you would have dishonored the truth by a hasty spirit; and then, as obstacles arose in your Christian journey, you would have become discouraged and yielded the truth. You have much to be thankful for. Your heart should be filled with gratitude to your loving Saviour for his mercy to you, to you who have so long abused his love. I was shown that you were a rough stone from the quarry, which needed much hewing, squaring, and polishing before it could fill a place in the heavenly building. Some of this work has been done for you; but, oh, there is a much greater work yet to be done! You have had a very unhappy spirit. You have seen the rough side of life. You have not had much happiness; but you were the one who stood in your own light, debarring yourself from good. In your youth, you encouraged a spirit of discontent; you would not be ruled; you chose to walk in your own way, irrespective of others’ judgment or counsel. You would not submit to be controlled by your step-father, because you wanted to follow your own way. He did not understand the best way to manage you, and you were determined not to respect his authority. As soon as he would speak to you, you would place yourself upon the defensive. Your combativeness was large; and you would battle everything and everybody that crossed your plans. Even when suggestions were made of a better course to pursue in your plans and labors, you would fly in an instant. You thought you were censured, thought you were blamed, and felt grieved with those who were your true friends. Your imagination was diseased. You thought that everybody was against you, and that your lot was exceedingly hard. It has been hard, but you have made it so. Your course toward your step-father was unbecoming. He did not deserve to be treated by you as he423 was. He had faults, and had committed errors; but while you were awake to see these in an aggravated light, you did not see your own errors. In the providence of God, your wife was prostrated by disease. She was a proud-spirited woman, but she repented of her sins, and her repentance was accepted of God. Your way has been hedged up, on the right hand and on the left, to hinder your progress to perdition. The Lord has brought your unruly, untamable spirit to submit to him. By a mixture of judgment and mercy, you have been brought to repentance. Like Jonah, you fled from present duty to sea. God hedged up your way by the visitations of his providence. You could not prosper or be happy, because you could not leave yourself behind. You took self and sin with you. You cherished a discontented, restless spirit, and would not do the duties in your path. You wanted a change—some larger work. You became roving in disposition. The eye of the dear Saviour has been upon you, or you would have been left in your unsettled state, and in your sins, to become abandoned in character and miserable in circumstances. While in the land of strangers and in the hour of sickness, you have sadly felt your forlorn, desolate condition. You have passed long nights and weary days of restlessness and pain, away from your mother and sisters, with none but stranger hands to do a kindly office for you, and no Christian hope to sustain you. You were seeking after happiness, but did not obtain it. You had neglected the advice of your mother, and her entreaties not to violate the commands of God. At times this neglect has caused you bitterness of spirit. But I cannot enter into every particular, for I am not strong. I will dwell upon the most essential things shown me. I saw that a work is before you which you do not comprehend. It is to die to self, to crucify self. You424 have a quick, impetuous temper, which you must subdue. You possess noble traits of character, which will secure you friends if your hasty spirit does not wound. You have a strong attachment for those who manifest an interest for you. When you comprehend things aright, you are conscientious, but you often move from impulse, without stopping to reflect. You pass your judgment upon individuals, and comment upon their ways and manners, when you do not understand their position or their work. You view things from your stand-point, and then are ready to question or condemn the course they pursue, without candidly viewing matters on all sides. You have no knowledge of the duties of others, and should not feel responsible for their acts, but do your duty, leaving others with the Lord. Possess your spirit in patience, preserve peace and calmness of mind, and be thankful. I saw that the Lord had given you light and experience, that you might see the sinfulness of a hasty spirit, and control your passions. So surely as you fail to do this, just so surely you will fail of everlasting life. You must overcome this disease of the imagination. You are extremely sensitive, and if a word is spoken favoring an opposite course from that which you have been pursuing, you are hurt. You feel that you are blamed, and that you must defend yourself, save your life; and in your earnest effort to save your life, you lose it. You have a work to do to die to self, and to cultivate a spirit of forbearance and patience. Get over the idea that you are not used right, that you are wronged, that somebody wants to crowd or harm you. You see through false eyes. Satan leads you to take these distorted views of things. Dear Bro. P, at Adams Center your case was again shown me. I saw that you had ever failed to exercise true self-government. You have made efforts, but these efforts have only reached the external;425 they have not touched the spring of action. Your hasty temper often causes you sincere and painful regret and self-condemnation. This passionate spirit, unless subdued, will increase to a peevish, fault-finding spirit; indeed, this is already upon you in a degree. You will be ready to resent everything. If jostled upon the sidewalk, you will be offended, and a word of complaint will spring to your lips. When driving in the street, if full half the road is not given you, you will feel stirred in a moment. If asked to put yourself out of your course to accommodate others, you will chafe and fret, and feel that your dignity is imposed upon. You will show to all your besetting sin. Your very countenance will indicate an impatient spirit, and your mouth will seem always ready to utter an angry word. In this habit, as in tobacco-using, total abstinence is the only sure remedy. An entire change must take place in you. You frequently feel that you must be more guarded. You resolutely say, “I will be more calm and patient;” but in doing this you only touch the evil on the outside; you consent to retain the lion and watch him. You must go farther than this. Strength of principle alone can dislodge this destroying foe, and bring peace and happiness. You have repeatedly said, “I can’t keep my temper.” “I have to speak.” You lack a meek, humble spirit. Self is all alive, and you stand guard continually to preserve it from mortification or insult. Says the apostle, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Those who are dead to self will not feel so readily, and will not be prepared to resist everything which may irritate. Dead men cannot feel. You are not dead. If you were, and your life were hid in Christ, a thousand things which you now notice, and which afflict you, would be passed by as unworthy of notice; you would then be grasping the eternal, and would be above the petty trials of this life. “The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.” “The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.” “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding; but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.” “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” “He that hath knowledge spareth his words; and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.” Margin, cool spirit. Our great Exemplar was exalted to be equal with God. He was high commander in Heaven. All the holy angels delighted to bow before him. “And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.” Jesus took upon himself our nature, laid aside his glory, majesty, and riches to perform his mission, to save that which was lost. He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister unto others. Jesus, when reviled, abused, and insulted, did not retaliate. “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again.” When the cruelty of man caused him to suffer painful stripes and wounds, he threatened not; but committed himself to Him who judgeth righteously. The apostle Paul exhorted his Philippian brethren, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” Is the servant greater than his master? Christ has given us his life as a pattern, and we dishonor him when we become jealous of every slight, and are ready to resent every injury, supposed or real. It is not an evidence of a noble mind to be prepared to defend self, to preserve our own dignity. We,427 would better suffer wrongfully a hundred times than wound the soul by a spirit of retaliation, or by giving vent to wrath. There is strength to be obtained of God. He can help. He can give grace and heavenly wisdom. If you ask in faith, you will receive; but you must watch unto prayer. Watch, pray, work, should be your watchword. Your wife might be a blessing if she would only take upon her the responsibility that it is her duty to take. But she has shunned responsibility all her life, and now is in danger of being influenced, instead of influencing you. Instead of having a softening, elevating influence upon you, there is danger of her thinking as you think, and acting as you act, without reaching down deep to be guided by principle in all her actions. You sympathize with each other, and, unfortunately, help each other to view matters incorrectly. She can exert an influence for good; but she possesses a spirit which savors of spiritual indolence and sloth. She is reluctant to engage in any good work if it is not pleasant and agreeable. What was the sin of Meroz? Doing nothing. It was not because of great crimes that they were condemned, but because they did not come up to the help of the Lord. I was shown that your wife does not understand herself. She shunned care-taking in her youth, and is not disposed to engage in it even now. She is inclined to lean upon others, rather than upon her own powers. She has not encouraged a noble independence. She should, for years back, have been educating herself to bear burdens. She is not in health. She is predisposed to torpidity of the liver, and is not inclined to exercise. She has not the faculty of setting herself to work unless she sees that she must. She eats nearly double the amount which she ought to eat. All that she takes into her stomach, above that which her system can convert into good blood, becomes waste matter, to burden nature in the disposal of it. Her system is clogged with a mass of matter,428 which hinders her in her work, clogs the machinery, and weakens the life-forces. Taking more food into the system than it can convert into good blood, causes a depraved quality of blood, and taxes the vitality to a much greater degree than labor or physical exercise. This overeating causes a dull stupor. The brain nerves are called upon to aid the digestive organs, and are thus constantly overtaxed, weakened, and benumbed. This leaves a sense of dullness in the head, and makes your wife liable to a shock of paralysis any day. What she requires is not encouragement to cease exercise. There would be nothing so dangerous for her as to remain where her physical powers would not be called into active exercise. Physical exercise is very essential. This will strengthen her body and mind. When she awakes to the responsibility of her position, and sees the benefit which will result from her seeking to have an aim in life, she will not be so disposed to sink down in indolence and to shun hardships. She does not put her heart into what she does; therefore she moves about too much like a machine, feeling that labor is a burden. She cannot, while she feels thus, realize that new life and vigor which it is her privilege to have. She lacks spirit and energy. She is too much inclined to be lost in dullness and leaden insensibility. The heavy torpor she feels can only be overcome by a spare diet, perfect control over her appetite and all her passions, and by calling her will to aid her in taking exercise. She wants the will to electrify the nerve-power so that she may resist indolence. Sister P, you never can be of use in the world, unless your purposes are strong enough to enable you to overcome this unwillingness to take care and bear burdens. As you daily exercise the forces within you, the task will grow less difficult, until it will become second nature for you to do duty, to be careful and diligent. You can accustom yourself to429 think, when you lay less burden upon your stomach. This burden taxes the brain. You should also have an aim, a purpose, in life. Where there is no purpose, there is a disposition to indolence; but where there is a sufficiently important object in view, all the powers of the mind will come into spontaneous activity. In order to make life a success, the thoughts must be steadily fixed upon the object of life, and not left to wander off and be occupied with unimportant things, or to be satisfied with idle musing, which is the fruit of shunning responsibility. Castle-building depraves the mind. Take up present duty. Do it with a will, with all the heart. You should resolve to do something which will require an effort of the mental as well as the physical powers. Your heart should be in your present labor. The duty now before you is the very work which Heaven wishes you to do. To dream of a work far off, and imagine and plan in regard to the future, will prove unprofitable, and will unfit you for the work, small though it may be, which Heaven now places before you. It should not be your study to do some great work, but to do cheerfully and well the work which you see to do to-day. Talents are entrusted to your care, to be doubled. You are responsible for their proper use or their abuse. You are not to aspire after great things, in order to do great service; but to do your little work. Improve your talents, even though they are few, and let a sense of your responsibility to God for their right use rest upon you. You need not expect to avoid pain and weariness in the toils and trials of life. The Son of God was partaker of the human frame. He was frequently wearied in body and spirit. Said he, “I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work.” You should cease your far-off dreaming, and bring your mind to present duties, and cheerfully perform them. This world is not the Christian’s Heaven. It is merely the fitting-up place. It is the scene of our life-battles, our conflicts and sorrows; and it is important that we all have a firm grasp of the better world, where will be found, when the warfare is ended, peace, joy, and bliss, to be enjoyed forever. I saw that you would both be in greater danger of making shipwreck of faith were you united, because you would look upon matters in a false light. You both have a great work to do for yourselves; but you are in danger of blinding your eyes to each other’s faults. Sister P should be guarded so as not to stir up the hasty spirit of her husband by relating her supposed grievances to him, to obtain sympathy. He views things in a strong light, and feels deeply over matters which are not worthy of notice. She will have to learn this, and understand that it is wisdom to be silent. She needs the power of endurance. It is much easier to throw a thing into the mind, than to get it out when once it is there. It is easier to dwell upon a supposed wrong, than to pacify or control the feelings when once aroused. Bro. P has qualities which would be excellent, if they were refined by the elevating influences of pure religion. He can be useful. Sincere piety alone can qualify him to perform his duties well in this world, and give him a fitness for Heaven. A heavenly character must be acquired upon earth, my brother, or you will never possess it; therefore you should engage at once in the work which you have to do. You should labor earnestly to obtain a fitness for Heaven. Live for Heaven. Live by faith. Bro. P, you are a rough stone; but the hand of a skillful workman is upon you. Will you let Him hew and square you, and polish you for that building which is coming together without the sound of ax or hammer? Not a blow is to be struck after probation closes. You must now, in the hours of probation, overcome your impetuous temper, or be separated from God at last. Jesus loves you both, and will save you if you will be saved in his own appointed way. You may have experimental religion, if you really hunger and thirst for it. Go to God in faith and humility and ask, and you will receive; but remember that the disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant greater than his Lord. You need to cherish that humility and humbleness of mind which dwelt in Christ.
Battle Creek, Mich., Feb. 9, 1869.