1892年8月30日写于北菲茨罗伊
致密歇根州巴特尔克里克乌利亚·史密斯长老
亲爱的弟兄：
我深切关心你所采取的每一步骤都应该有主同行。上帝赐给祂子民忠心正直的传道人，就是赐给他们大福气。祂在历代都藉着人行事，赐给祂子民明确的警告信息，以便唤醒他们知罪，引导他们悔改和改革。然而正当祂这样用祂的圣灵赋予人们能力去大声喊叫，不可止息;扬起声来，好像吹角，向祂的百姓说明他们的过犯;向雅各家说明他们的罪恶时，却另有一些势力在运行，要抵消上帝藉着祂指定的媒介所做的工作。有些人正适合这段经文所描绘的：“他们轻轻忽忽地医治我百姓的损伤，说：平安了!平安了!其实没有平安”(耶6:14)。……{PC 145.2}
正是罪以某种形式带来分歧与分裂。感情需要转变，必须亲自获得基督再生之能的经验。“我们藉这爱子的血得蒙救赎，过犯得以赦免，乃是照祂丰富的恩典”(弗1:7)。使徒对蒙上帝恩召的基督信徒说：“我们若在光明中行，如同上帝在光明中，就彼此相交，祂儿子耶稣的血也洗净我们一切的罪”(约壹1:7)。这里清楚地说明了条件。我们若在光明中行，如同上帝在光明中，结果就必随之而来：我们就彼此相交。……{PC 146.1}
真正的基督教总是积极进取的，它无论在哪里都会引起敌意。凡本着良心过生活，为上帝的要求、罪的邪恶、要来的审判作见证的人，都会被称为扰害以色列的。{PC 146.2}
那些其见证唤起人心忧惧的人，冒犯了骄傲并引起反对。恶对善的仇恨如今确实存在，就像在基督的日子一样，那时众人喊着说：“除掉祂!”“释放巴拉巴给我们。”世上的每种邪恶都有人有兴趣维持之。恶总是与善对抗的。我们既然知道与黑暗之君的斗争是持久的而且必定是激烈的，那么就让我们在战斗中团结起来吧。要停止与你们同信仰的人作战。不要让一个人帮助撒但的工作。……{PC 146.3}
在人类堕落之后记载在圣经历史中的第一件事，就是亚伯遭迫害。而圣经预言的最后一件事乃是那些拒绝接受兽的印记之人受迫害。我们应该成为地上最不可能对那些正在向世人传上帝信息之人有一点逼迫精神的人。这是自从明尼阿波利斯会议以来在我们中间表现出的非基督化精神的最可怕的特征。有时它会显出其真面目，及其所导致的一切祸患。{PC 146.4}
一种被动的虔诚不会符合这时代的需要;让被动表现在需要它的地方吧，在忍耐和宽容上吧。但我们必须向世人传一道明确的警告信息。和平之君这样宣布祂的工作：“我来并不是叫地上太平，乃是叫地上动刀兵”(太10:34)。必须攻击邪恶;必须显明谎言与谬论的真面目;必须谴责罪恶;每一位相信真理之人的见证必须如同一人。你所有小小的异议，会在弟兄中间引起好斗的精神，这乃是撒但的诡计，要使人心从我们面前严肃而重大的问题上转移。当上帝的子民藉着同心恳切的祷告破除在很大程度上存在的虚假平安时，真正的平安才会临到他们身上。现在有一项认真的工作要做。现在正是表现你精兵素质的时候。上帝的子民应该在上帝、真理和公义之敌面前呈现统一战线。……{PC 146.5}
当圣灵倾降在早期教会的时候，“那许多信的人都是一心一意的”(徒4:32)。基督的灵使他们合而为一。这就是住在基督里的结果。然而我们结出的果子若是意见不和、猜忌、嫉妒和纷争，我们就不可能住在基督里。从那棵活葡萄树汲取营养就是基督所说的吃祂的肉，喝祂的血。我们若以祂为食，就必彰显祂的精神。{PC 147.1}
耶稣渴望将天赋大量倾降在祂百姓身上。人们每一天都在祈求上帝实现祂的应许;这样凭信心而发出的祈祷一个也不会落空。基督升上高天的时候，掳掠了仇敌，将各样的恩赐赏给人。基督升天之后，按着应许赐下了圣灵，好像一阵大风吹过，充满了他们所坐的屋子，结果如何?一天之内有数千人悔改归主。我们已受教导，我们期待一位天使从天而降，地要因他的荣耀发光，那时我们要看到主收聚生灵，与五旬节所见到的相似。{PC 147.2}
但是这位大能的天使来传的不是柔和平衡的信息，而是要激动人心最深入处的信息。那位天使被描绘为大声喊叫说：“巴比伦大城倾倒了!倾倒了!成了鬼魔的住处和各样污秽之灵的巢穴，并各样污秽可憎之雀鸟的巢穴。”“我的民哪，你们要从那城出来，免得与她一同有罪，受她所受的灾殃”(启18:2,4)。我们确实作为人间的代表在与神圣的媒介合作传扬这位大能天使的信息吗?全地要因他的荣耀发光。……
(签名)
怀爱伦{PC 147.3}
August 30, 1892 North Fitzroy,
Elder Uriah Smith Battle Creek, Michigan
Dear Brother,
I am deeply interested that in every move you make, you should have the Lord with you. God bestows upon His people great blessings in giving them faithful, upright ministers. In all ages He has wrought through human instrumentalities to give decided messages of warning to His people, that they may be aroused and convicted of their sins, and be led to repent and reform. But at the very time when He is thus empowering men by His Holy Spirit to cry aloud, to spare not, to lift up the voice like a trumpet, and to show His people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins, there are?other influences at work to counteract the work of God through His appointed agencies. There are those to whom this Scripture is applicable, “They have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” ...?{PC 145.2}
It is sin in some form that brings variance and disunion. The affections need transforming, a personal experience of the renewing power of Christ must be obtained. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace;” The apostle speaking to Christian believers, called by God’s grace says, “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sins.” Here are conditions plainly stated, If we walk in the light as He is in the light, the sure result will follow; We have fellowship one with another....?{PC 146.1}
True Christianity will always be aggressive, and wherever it exists, it will arouse enmity. All who live a conscientious life, who bear testimony of the claims of God, of the evil of sin, of the judgment to come, will be called the disturbers of Israel.?{PC 146.2}
Those whose testimony awaken the apprehension of the soul, offend pride, and arouse opposition. The hatred of evil against good exists as surely now as in the days of Christ, when the multitude cried, “Away with Him!” “Release unto us Barabbas.” There is no kind of evil in our world, but that some have an interest in maintaining it. Evil is ever warring against good. And since we know that the conflict with the prince of darkness is constant, and must be severe, let us be united in the warfare. Cease to war against those of your own faith. Let no one help Satan in his work....?{PC 146.3}
The first thing recorded in Scripture history after the fall was the persecution of Abel. And the last thing in Scripture prophecy is the persecution against those who refuse to receive the mark of the beast. We should be the last people on the earth to indulge in the slightest degree the spirit of persecution against those who are bearing the message of God to the world. This is the most terrible feature of unchristlikeness that has manifested itself among us since the Minneapolis meeting. Sometime it will be seen in its true bearing, with all the burden of woe that has resulted from it.?{PC 146.4}
A passive piety will not answer for this time; let the passiveness be manifested where it is needed, in patience, kindness, and forbearance. But we must bear a decided message of warning to the world. The Prince of Peace thus proclaimed His work, “I come not to send peace on earth but a sword.” Evil must be assailed; falsehood and error must be made to appear in their true character; sin must be denounced; and the testimony of every believer in the truth must be as one. All your little differences, which arouse the combative spirit among brethren, are devices of Satan to divert minds from the great and fearful issue before us. The true peace will come among God’s people when through united zeal and?earnest prayer the false peace that exists to a large degree is disturbed. Now there is earnest work to do. Now is the time [to] manifest your soldierly qualities; let the Lord’s people present a united front to the foes of God and truth and righteousness....?{PC 146.5}
When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early church, “The whole multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.” The spirit of Christ made them one. This is the fruit of abiding in Christ. But if dissensions, envy, jealousy, and strife are the fruit we bear, it is not possible that we are abiding in Christ. To draw nourishment from the Living Vine is the same that Christ represents as eating His flesh and drinking His blood. And if we are feeding upon Him, we shall manifest His spirit.?{PC 147.1}
Jesus longs to bestow the heavenly endowment in large measure upon His people. Prayers are ascending to God daily for the fulfillment of the promise, and not one of the prayers put up in faith is lost. Christ ascended on high, leading captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. When after Christ’s ascension the Spirit came down as promised, like a rushing, mighty wind, filling the whole place where the disciples were assembled, what was the effect? Thousands were converted in a day. We have taught, we have expected that an angel is to come down from heaven, that the earth will be lighted with his glory. Then we shall behold an ingathering of souls similar to that witnessed on the day of Pentecost.?{PC 147.2}
But this [mighty] angel comes bearing no soft, smooth, message, but words that are calculated to stir the hearts of men to their very depths. That angel is represented as crying mightily with a strong voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” “Come out of her, My people that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Are we indeed as the human agencies, to cooperate with the divine instrumentalities in sounding the message of this mighty angel who is to lighten the earth with his glory? ...?{PC 147.3}
(Signed)
Ellen G. White -
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