Let the Truth Cut—Christ said to His disciples: “Behold, I send you

forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and

harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16.
Satan’s attacks against the advocates of the truth will wax more bitter and
determined to the very close of time. As in Christ’s day the chief priests and rulers
stirred up the people against Him, so today the religious leaders will excite
bitterness and prejudice against the truth for this time. The people will be led
to acts of violence and opposition which they would never have thought of
had they not been imbued with the animosity of professed Christians against
the truth.
What course shall the advocates of truth pursue? They have the
unchangeable, eternal word of God, and they should reveal the fact that they
have the truth as it is in Jesus. Their words must not be rugged and sharp. In
their presentation of truth they must manifest the love and meekness and
gentleness of Christ. Let the truth do the cutting; the word of God is as a sharp,
two-edged sword, and will cut its way to the heart. Those who know that they
have the truth should not, by the use of harsh and severe expressions, give
Satan one chance to misinterpret their spirit.
No Railing Accusation—As a people, we must stand as did
the world’s Redeemer. When in controversy with Satan in regard to the body
of Moses, Christ durst not bring against him a railing accusation. He had every
provocation to do this, and Satan was dis- appointed because he could not arouse
in Christ a spirit of retaliation. Satan was ready to misinterpret everything that
was done by Jesus; and the Saviour would give him no occasion, not the
semblance of an excuse. He would not turn from His straightforward course
of truth in order to follow the wanderings, and twistings, and turnings, and
prevarications of Satan.
We read in the prophecy of Zechariah that when Satan with all his synagogue
stood up to resist the prayers of Joshua the high priest,
and to resist Christ, who was about to show decided favor to Joshua, “The Lord
said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen
Jerusalem rebuke thee; is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” Zechariah 3:2.
The course of Christ in dealing even with the adversary of souls, should be an
example to us in all our intercourse with others, never to bring a railing accusation
against any; much less should we employ harshness or severity toward those
who may be as anxious to know the right way as we are ourselves.
Those who have been educated in the truth by precept and ex- ample,
should make great allowance for others who have had no knowledge of the
Scriptures except through the interpretations given by ministers and church
members, and who have received traditions and fables as Bible truth. They are
surprised by the presentation of truth; it is as a new revelation to them, and
they cannot bear to have all the truth, in its most striking character, presented
to them at the outset. All is new and strange, and wholly unlike that which they
have heard from their ministers; and they are inclined to believe what the
ministers have told them,—that Seventh-day Adventists are infidels, and do not
believe the Bible. Let the truth be presented as it is in Jesus, line upon line,
precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little.
Unkind Thrusts and Personal Allusions—Let not those who
write for our papers make unkind thrusts and allusions that will certainly do
harm, and that will hedge up the way and hinder us from doing the work that
we should do in order to reach all classes, the Catholics included. It is our work
to speak the truth in love, and not to mix in with the truth the unsanctified
elements of the natural heart, and speak things that savor of the same spirit
possessed by our enemies. All sharp thrusts will come back upon us in double
measure when the power is in the hands of those who can exercise it for our injury.
Over and over the message has been given to me that we are not to say one word,
not to publish one sentence, especially by way of personalities, unless
positively essential in vindicating the truth, that will stir up our enemies against
us, and arouse their passions to a white heat. Our work will soon be closed up,
and soon the time of trouble, such as never was, will come upon us, of which we
have but little idea.