Warning And Appeal
I was given words of warning and appeal to parents and ministers. Turning from one to another, I told them of their need of being converted daily, of the great importance of having the Spirit of God resting upon them. I said, My brethren and sisters, we have no time to spend in glorifying the enemy of all righteousness. Individually we are to strive for the mastery over all foolishness; we are to strengthen our souls by training our minds to dwell upon the sound, sensible truths of the word of God, that when the enemy seeks to take possession of the mind and to lead us into sin, we shall have strength to act like Christians. If we will let the Spirit of God make its impression on our minds, and will yield our lives to His control, we shall not dishonor God before the world.PH145 40.1
I asked the youth and those more advanced in years what impression such scenes were likely to make on the minds of unbelievers; what influence this folly would have upon those to whom it was their privilege to minister the things of eternal life.PH145 40.2
As I spoke with great earnestness, pointing them to their privileges as sons and daughters of God, some were overcome with a sense of their wrong-doing. And as the conviction of the Spirit of God came upon them, they fell on their knees and prayed for forgiveness.PH145 40.3
When I awoke, I supposed that these things presented to me related to something that would transpire in the future; and I thought I would wait before saying anything to my brethren. I had not heard of anything that was going on at the sanitarium the day before; but I felt discouraged and disappointed.PH145 41.1
The gatherings together in our institutions should never be of such a nature as to give the stamp of pleasure-loving and worldliness. There is enough of foolishness in the world. It should be the endeavor of the workers, not to encourage a delight in these things in those who come to our institutions, but to learn how to fill the mind with the things of God. Our ministers need to work during the vacation time to strengthen and steady the minds of the youth.PH145 41.2
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God: having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” This class will be developed among us as a people as well as in the world. Great, then, is the need that we stand in that position where every jot of our powers may be used to magnify God and His truth.PH145 41.3
“Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine,” the apostle enjoins: “that the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young man likewise exhort to be sober-minded, in all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.”PH145 41.4