The fires of the day of God will consume the stubble and chaff, and there will be nothing left of any who continue in the ungodly course which they have so long loved. This class have a disrelish for the society of those whom God is truly with. Their religious experience is of so low an order that they have no part nor lot in a rational, intelligent religious experience; therefore they have despised the society of those whom God leads and is teaching. Sarcasm and irony is the stronghold of some peculiar minds of this class. They are bold and insolent, and do not regard good manners. They have no care to discriminate and render honor to whom honor is due. They manifest a proud, rebellious, defiant spirit against those who differ from their opinions. Their boisterous manners and wrong course lead the true servant of God to feel that they have resisted the efforts made for them, and he becomes disheartened in reference to laboring any further in their behalf. They engage in a contemptible triumph of exactly the same nature as that which Satan and evil angels engage in over the souls whom they secure. They have Satan and evil angels on their side to exult with them. The cases of the persons in whom this cast of character is peculiarly and strikingly developed are hopeless. They are incased in self-righteousness, and everything like refinement and elevation of character with which they are brought in contact is termed by them pride and lack of humility. Coarseness and ignorance are regarded as humility. {2T 554.2}

Denne lektie fra vor Frelser er til dig og mig. Ingen bitterhed må komme ind i vore hjerter. Når vi bliver forhånet, må vi ikke håne igen. Oh skinsyge og onde tanker, hvilken skade har I ikke gjort! hvordan har I vendt venskab og kærlighed til bitterhed og had! Vi må være mindre stolte, mindre følsomme, have mindre egenkærlighed og døde i egennytte. Vore interesser må nedsænkes i Kristus og vi kan sige: »Det er ikke længer mig, der lever, men Kristus lever i mig.« Kristus har fortalt os hvordan (567) alt kan gøres let og lykkeligt idet vi vandrer: »Kom hid til mig, alle I, som er trætte og tyngede af byrder og jeg vil give jer hvile. Tag mit åg på jer og lær af mig, thi jeg er sagtmodig og ydmyg af hjertet; så skal I finde hvile for jeres sjæle.« Den store vanskelighed er at der er så lidt sagtmodighed og ydmyghed så åget gnaver og byrden er tung. Selvom vi har sand ydmyghed og sagtmodighed er vi så fortabte i Kristus at vi ikke tager forsømmelser og ringeagt alvorligt; vi er døve for bebrejdelser og blinde over for foragt og forhånelse.