I was shown the case of dear Brother and Sister S. They had been passing through the dark waters, and the billows had nearly gone over their heads; yet God loved them, and if they would only trust their ways to Him He would bring them forth from the furnace of affliction purified. Brother S has looked upon the dark side, and doubted whether he was a child of God—doubted his salvation. I saw that he should not labor too hard to believe, but should trust in God as a child would confide in its parents. He worries too much—he worries himself out of the arms of Jesus, and gives the enemy a chance to tempt and annoy him. God knows the feebleness of the body and of the mind, and will require no more of him than He will give him strength to perform. He has tried to be faithful and true to his profession. He has failed in his life in a number of things, all ignorantly. In regard to the discipline of his children, he has considered it his duty to be strict, and has carried this discipline too far. He has treated small offenses with too great severity. This has had an influence to wean, in a degree, the affection of the son from the father. During his sickness Brother S has had a diseased imagination. His nervous system has been all deranged, and he has thought that his children did not feel for him and love him as they should; but this was the result of disease. Satan wished to destroy him and dishearten and discourage his poor children. But God has not laid this to his charge. His children have greater burdens to bear than many that are older than they, and they deserve careful discipline, judicious training, mingled with sympathy, love, and great tenderness. {2T 97.1}

Jeg fik vist kære bror og søster S sag. De har været igennem vanskeligheder og bølgerne har næsten gået over deres hoveder; alligevel elskede Gud dem og hvis de blot ville stole på ham ville han føre dem rensede fremad fra lidelsens ovn. Bror S har set på den mørke side og været i tvivl hvorvidt han var et Guds barn - betvivlet sin frelse. Jeg så at han ikke skulle arbejde så hårdt for at tro, men skulle stole på Gud som et barn har tillid til sine forældre. Han bekymrer sig for meget - (98) han spekulerer sig selv ud af Jesu arme og giver fjenden en chance til at friste og genere ham. Gud kender legemets og sindets svagheder og vil ikke kræve mere af ham end han giver ham styrke til. Han har prøvet at være trofast og oprigtig over for sin bekendelse. I nogen ting i sit liv har han svigtet, alt i uvidenhed. Med hensyn til hans børns opdragelse har han anset det for sin pligt at være striks og har ført denne disciplin for langt. Han har behandlet små forseelser for strengt. Denne indflydelse har i nogen grad vænnet sønnens hengivenhed fra faderen. I løbet af hans sygdom har bror S haft en sygelig indbildning. Hans nervøse organisme har været helt forstyrret og han har troet at hans børn ikke følte for ham og elskede ham som de skulle; men dette var følgen af sygdomme. Satan ønskede at ødelægge ham og gøre hans stakkels børn modløse. Men Gud har ikke pålagt ham dette. Hans børn har større byrder at bære end mange ældre end dem har og de fortjener omhyggelig disciplin, retfærdig opdragelse, opblandet med sympati, kærlighed og stor ømhed.