The Great Controversy The Great Controversy | Page 331

power regarding my duty to the world, in view of the evidence that had
affected my own mind.”—Ibid., page 81. He could not but feel that it
was his duty to impart to others the light which he had received. He
expected to encounter opposition from the ungodly, but was confident
that all Christians would rejoice in the hope of meeting the Saviour
whom they professed to love. His only fear was that in their great joy at
the prospect of glorious deliverance, so soon to be consummated, many
would receive the doctrine without sufficiently examining the Scriptures
in demonstration of its truth. He therefore hesitated to present it, lest he
should be in error and be the means of misleading others. He was thus
led to review the evidences in support of the conclusions at which he had
arrived, and to consider carefully every difficulty which presented itself
to his mind. He found that objections vanished before the light of God’s
word, as mist before the rays of the sun. Five years spent thus left him
fully convinced of the correctness of his position.
And now the duty of making known to others what he believed to be
so clearly taught in the Scriptures, urged itself with new force upon him.
“When I was about my business,” he said, “it was continually ringing in
my ears, ‘Go and tell the world of their danger.’ This text was constantly
occurring to me: ‘When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt
surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that
wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine
hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from
it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou
hast delivered thy soul.” Ezekiel 33:8, 9. I felt that if the wicked could
be effectually warned, multitudes of them would repent; and that if they
were not warned, their blood might be required at my hand.”—Bliss,
page 92.
He began to present his views in private as he had opportunity,
praying that some minister might feel their force and devote himself to
their promulgation. But he could not

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