The Home Missionary, Vol. 5 (1893)

1893

April 1893

“An Interesting Letter from London” The Home Missionary, 5.

E. J. Waggoner

[The HOME MISSIONARY is designed to be, in a special sense, a worker’s organ, furnishing suggestive studies on the various lines of missionary work, and giving opportunity for the communication of the best plans and methods, or of the results accomplished which will be an inspiration to others. To this end, we are glad to receive from various parts of the field, articles, short and to the point, or reports of missionary work done, and of blessings in the doing of it. The power of God is attending the efforts of faith, and now is the time for laborers in every department of the one work to fulfill Isaiah 41:6, 7: “They helped everyone his neighbor; and everyone said to his brother, Be of good courage. So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with a hammer him that smote the anvil.” Some portions of a personal letter just received from London, England, will be of interest as showing that the spirit of working for the Master as never before is taking possession of believers in other lands, and we therefore take the liberty of extracting from it:-] HOMI April 1893, page 45.1

We have had quite a revival here in London during this last month. The Spirit of the Lord has been manifested here by waking us up out of the lukewarm state into which we seem to have unconsciously sunk, and impress upon us the shortness of time and the soon return of our Lord. One of the brethren remarked to me the other day, “If we are not careful, the work will close up and we shall find we have had no part in it.” I thought to myself, How true this is. How easy it is to settle down into a comfortable position, rejoicing in the truth, and close our ears to the cries of those around us, who know not God but are seeking after him. HOMI April 1893, page 45.2

As a result of the awakening, several have started out canvassing for Present Truth in the evenings or what other spare time they have. The Lord has blessed wonderfully in this matter. Several have only been able to devote a few hours in the evenings to the work, and as the weather has been so bad lately, we have only been able to get out one or two evenings, but the Lord has blessed those who have gone out, and over sixty subscribers have been secured by about two evenings’ work by six of our brethren and sisters. One of the number, however, was able to devote the greater part of one day to the work. We consider this as but an earnest of what the Lord is willing and waiting to do, if we will but yield ourselves completely into his hands, and let him do the work through us. HOMI April 1893, page 45.3

Last night the missionary meeting was turned into a praise meeting for what the Lord has done and for the assurance of what the Lord is going to do. All were unanimous in giving him the praise. We found much assurance from Psalm 90:16, 17: “Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish about it.” When we realize that it is the Lord’s work that we are engaged in, we can ask in confidence that it shall be established. We may pass away and be forgotten, but the Lord will not, and the results will be seen in eternity, if not before. HOMI April 1893, page 46.1

I have been much struck lately, in reading of how the Lord wrought for his people in times past, and noticing how it is repeated over and over again; that he did it to “make himself an everlasting name.” Isaiah 63:12, 14. Again in Psalm 106:8: “Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.” Doubtless the reason the Lord has not been able to do more through us, is that we would have been uplifted and would have taken a praise to ourselves, and when such a thing as that comes to pass, there is an end to our usefulness. Our God is a jealous God. He will not give his merited praise to another. He inhabits the praises of Israel, and we have no right to rob him of his dwelling-place. HOMI April 1893, page 46.2

In our study of Galatians, we have seen how the apostle Paul grasped this truth. In Galatians 1:16, we find Christ revealed in him, and the result was (verse 24), “And they glorified God in me.” So the Lord was making his mighty power to be known through the apostle to such an extent that man lost sight of him and saw only the Lord manifested through him. It is said that the characteristics of Whitefield’s preaching were such that when the people came away from hearing him, they did not speak of the man nor his preaching, but their minds were so full of Christ who had been uplifted before them as his and their master, that He was the theme of their conversation. If we were all, with the apostle Paul, crucified with Christ, so that Christ might live his life in each one of his followers, what a power we should be in the world. There would be no room then for self to have any place in our hearts, and the Lord could then do great things through us. HOMI April 1893, page 46.3

Of course you have heard about our meetings at the close of last year. We experienced much of the blessing of the Lord there, and the workers have gone back to the work with renewed courage and confidence in the Lord. I have heard from one or two who have engaged in the work, that they much prefer to canvass for “Patriarchs and Prophets” (although they find it a harder book to canvass for than “Bible Readings”) Because Christ is so uplifted in it. HOMI April 1893, page 46.4

Our people everywhere are waking up to the fact that it is the living Saviour that we must present before the people, and not a mere theory of the truth; and is there not assurance and a message that has come to us, that this is the commencement of the loud cry of the third angel’s message? One feels to lose all interest in everything else, as long as they can have the assurance that they are having a part in this work, even though it be in a very small way; and one almost longs for the time when the people of God shall be banded together in one, so that the Lord can work a mighty works through his people, even though it may be persecution and trials that shall bring about the state of things. HOMI April 1893, page 46.5

We have been told that the power of the Spirit of God awaits our demand and reception, but may be the Lord will have to put some of us through the furnace to purge away the dross, that we may come out as refined silver; but whatever may happen, we have the assurance that the furnace will not be any hotter than is absolutely necessary, and we can be joyful in the process. HOMI April 1893, page 46.6

We feel our need of power here in London especially, and the more we realize it, the more we are led to cry out to Him who has “all power” with the assurance that he will “supply all our need according to his riches and glory, by Christ Jesus.” And when we stop and try to take that promise in, we realize there is no limit to what he can do, but it is our unbelief that limits his power and prevents him working through us. HOMI April 1893, page 46.7

We have heard of the glorious time you are having at Battle Creek, and we feel glad to be privileged to share this with you in a measure, by the reading of the Bulletins. Professor Prescott’s talks on “The Promise of the Holy Spirit” are grand, are they not? And Elder Jones’ talks on the “Third Angel’s Message” must prove of great blessing to all our people. Surely we have great cause to praise God for the wonderful flood of light that he is pouring in upon us from the pages of his sacred word, and we need to humble ourselves more than ever before, for with this increased light comes also increased responsibility. “To whom much is given, of him much will be required, and none of us liveth to himself.” We have therefore to “arise and shine” for the light has come, but we need to let the light shine through us in such a manner that men will glorify our “Father which is in heaven.” HOMI April 1893, page 46.8