Another year has now passed into eternity with its burden of record; and the light which shone from heaven upon you was to prepare you to arise and shine, to show forth the praises of God to the world as his commandment-keeping people. Your were to be living witnesses; but if no special endeavor of a high and holy character bears testimony before the world, if no higher effort has been made than that which is seen in the popular churches of the day, then the name of God has not been honored, and his truth has not been magnified before the world, by presenting divine credentials in the people who have received great light. If they have had no greater appreciation of the manifest power of God than to eat and drink, and rise up to play, as did ancient Israel, then how can the Lord trust his people with rich and gracious manifestations? If they act directly contrary in almost every respect to the known will of God, and are found in carelessness, in levity, in selfishness, in ambition and pride, corrupting their way before the Lord, how can he give them another outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

Så er endnu et regnskabets år, gået over i evigheden. Lyset som skinnede på jer fra himmelen, skulle have gjort jer rede til at stå op og blive lys. Som hans lydige folk skulle I have forkyndt hans storhed for verden. I skulle have været levende vidner. Men hvis der ikke bliver gjort alvorlige og interessante forsøg på at forkynde hans budskab for verden, hvis indsatsen ikke er større end i tidens populære kirkesamfund, så bliver Guds navn ikke æret og hans sandhed, bliver ikke stor for verden. Det bliver den når det folk som har fået stort lys, er Guds levende breve. Hvordan kan Herren betro sit folk rige og store velsignelser hvis de ikke sætter mere pris på hans åbenbarede kraft end at de spiser og drikker og står op for at lege som det gamle Israel gjorde? Kan Gud endnu engang udøse sin Ånd over dem hvis de på næsten alle områder åbent går imod Guds åbenbarede vilje og er ligeglade, letsindige, egenkærlige, ærekære og stolte og går på de onde veje?