Reproofs always hurt human nature. Many are the souls that have been destroyed by the unwise sympathy of their brethren; for, because the brethren sympathized with them, they thought they must indeed have been abused, and that the reprover was all wrong and had a bad spirit. The only hope for sinners in Zion is to fully see and confess their wrongs, and put them away. Those who step in to destroy the edge of sharp reproof that God sends, saying that the reprover was partly wrong and the reproved was not just right, please the enemy. Any way that Satan can devise to make the reproofs of none effect will accomplish his design. Some will lay blame upon the one whom God has sent with a message of warning, saying, He is too severe; and in so doing they become responsible for the soul of the sinner whom God desired to save, and to whom, because He loved him, He sent correction, that he might humble his soul before God and put his sins from him. These false sympathizers will have an account to settle with the Master by-and-by for their work of death. {3T 329.1}

(329) Irettesætteler sårer altid menneskenaturen. Mange er de sjæle der er blevet ødelagt af deres brødre ukloge sympati; for, fordi brødrene har sympatiseret med dem, troede de faktisk at de var blevet misbrugt og at den som irettesatte var forkert og ikke var rigtig klog. Det eneste håb for synderene i Zion, er at se det hele og bekende deres fejl og lægge dem bort. Dem som går ind og ødelægger den skarpe irettesættelsesbrod som Gud har sendt, siger at den som irettesætter var delsvis forkert og den som blev irettesat ikke var helt rigtig. Disse behager fjenden. Satan vil få fuldbyrdet sine planer, hvis irettesættelserne ikke har virkning. Nogle sender skam over ham, som Gud har sendt med et advarselsbudskab, ved at sige at han er for streng og derved gør ham ansvarlig for synderens sjæl, hvem Gud havde planlagt at frelse og for hvem han sendte irettesættelser, fordi han elskede ham, så han kan ydmyge sin sjæl for Gud og lægge sine synder fra sig. Disse falske sympatisørere vil, om lidt, have et regnskab at gøre med Mesteren, for deres dødens gerninger.