When Brother D first engaged in the work of teaching the truth, he was little in his own eyes, and God used him as His instrument. But I saw that for some time in the past he has not humbled himself under the hand of God. He has trusted to his own wisdom and weak judgment, and Satan has been obtaining an advantage over him. Instead of relying solely upon God, and staying himself upon His strength, he has had his judgment perverted by the influence of his wife. She has stood in a position to see, to hear, to understand, all that was going on around her. Did she possess a sanctified judgment and heavenly wisdom, then would she see through sanctified eyes, and hear through sanctified ears. She would make a right use of her eyes and ears. She has not done this. “Who is blind, but My servant? or deaf, as My messenger that I sent?” God does not wish us to hear all that is to be heard, or to see all that is to be seen. It is a great blessing to close the ears, that we hear not, and the eyes, that we see not. The greatest anxiety should be to have clear eyesight to discern our own shortcomings, and a quick ear to catch all needed reproof and instruction, lest by our inattention and carelessness we let them slip and become forgetful hearers and not doers of the work. {1T 707.2}

Da bror D første gang involverede sig i at undervise i sandheden, var han i sine egne øjne lille og Gud brugte ham som et redskab. Men jeg så at han ind i mellem ikke havde ydmyget sig for selv under Guds hånd. Han har stolet på sin egen klogskab og svage dømmekraft og Satan har udnyttet ham. I stedet for at stole på Gud alene og holde sig til hans styrke, har han fået sin egen dømmekraft fordærvet af sin hustrus påvirkning. Hun har kunnet se, høre og forstå alt hvad der foregik omkring hende. Havde hun en helliggjort dømmekraft og himmelsk klogskab, så ville hun se gennem helliggjorte øjne og høre gennem helliggjorte ører. Hun kunne have gjort en forstandig brug af hendes øjne og ører. Hun gjorde det ikke. »Hvo er blind, om ikke min tjener og døv som buddet, jeg sendte? Gud ønsker ikke at vi skal høre alt hvad der kan høres, eller at se alt hvad der kan ses. Det er en stor velsignelse at lukke ørerne, så vi ikke hører og øjne, som vi ikke ser. Den største bekymring burde være at have klart øjesyn til at se vor egen ufuldkommenhed og et kvikt (708) øre til at opfange al den manglende irettesættelse og belæring, så du ikke lader den glide forbi din opmærksomhed og bliver en glemsom lytter og ikke værkets gører.