Sympathy is one of the strongest emotions and determinants of human behavior. Sympathy had a great deal to do with the fall of one-third of the angels in heaven. (See The Great Controversy, 495.) Sympathy had a great deal to do with the children of Israel staying in the wilderness for 40 years. (See Sermons and Talks, vol. 2, 78.) And sympathy today is causing the eternal destruction of millions of human beings.
The letter that we have been studying addresses this problem to the person who was in trouble. We each need to pray that the Lord will help us to avoid losing our souls as a result of sympathy with that which is opposed to the ways and truths of God and the reproofs and warnings which He sends to us. Here is the next part of the letter:
“Brother M, you have so presented matters to others that you have gained their sympathy. Your friends and sympathizers have lost faith in the testimonies. You have gained their sympathies by misstatements and misapplication of that which the Lord has sent you to save you from ruining your soul and the souls of others. You have planted the seeds of doubt and unbelief, and when your own soul may be rescued and faith takes the place of doubts, can you gather up the evil seeds of doubt you have planted in the minds of others? Will you be pleased to meet this work in the judgment?
“You cannot now see the work you have done. A power from beneath has taken possession of your soul. . . . Those who work under deception to gain this sympathy and support will surely meet with great loss and obtain the disfavor of God.
“You have said that Brother G has told me things to prejudice me against you. My brother, it is exactly the opposite of this. You have had evil surmising and imaginings and hatred to him, when he has not by word or action tried to injure you. He has treated you like a brother. Your course of action has gone a great ways in its influence to demoralize, because you were a minister, a professed representative of Jesus Christ. . . .
“Now look at your work and see if you are pleased with the outlook. You have created doubts in the minds of those who had but a limited knowledge of my work. And the very ones who had been the strongest in the condemnation of your course . . . listened to your statements, and your words have had an influence on them.
“Doubts were created, and seeds of unbelief sown in regard to my work. Your only objection to the testimonies is similar to the objection of skeptics and infidels to the Bible; it condemns their course of sin and evil. The testimonies condemn your course, point out your transgressions, and will not vindicate or praise in you a course of sin. . . .
“I am so sorry that you have acted the part of a traitor. . . . You have been envious and jealous. You have been doing the work of the great adversary of souls by suffering yourself to be the accuser of your brethren.
“Last night I received increased light. The words were spoken to me that were spoken to Joshua: ‘Why are you full of distress and anguish? Arise and set things in order. There has been falsehood and dissembling and iniquitous practices. God cannot bless His people until these sins are put away from among you.’ The lessons that you have given by precept and example have done a work, the results of which eternity alone will reveal, while you were concealing your own wrongs. You have imparted all you knew that was faulty in others, purely out of bitterness and revenge which strengthened and confirmed him [Brother G] to vindicate his unrighteous course, when you yourself were a far greater sinner in the sight of God.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 162–164.