Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 7 (1891-1892)

Lt 38, 1892

Smith, Brother and Sister

Preston, Victoria, Australia

June 29, 1892

Portions of this letter are published in 7MR 145-147.

Dear Brother and Sister Smith,

I do not wish to weary you with my letters but an apology is due you from me. On account of the hurry in getting off the mail last month, your letter was sent to you as I had written it. I feared that it would be difficult for you to read and had it copied on the typewriter; but in the hurry of the last moments, a blunder was made, and the original was sent to you. 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 1

Mail week is a very important event in our history. All have all they can possibly do in preparing for mail day. I had written over 125 pages of letter paper, expecting to get some copied, and knowing that I should have to send others as they came from my pen. Friday I was straining every nerve to close up the mail and did not see the letter which was to go to you. I was very weary, and I had a keen realization that someone said, “I will take care of the enveloping and addressing of your letters.” After the letters were sealed and sent to the office, I was altogether too weary to have a thought about it. 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 2

Sunday I had asked for the manuscript of the letters they had copied for you and was told they had sent the whole batch to you. I was surprised enough, for one portion I designed should go to you and the other was to be prepared for an article. I had said, “Copy all you can, and I will risk Elder Smith and his Harriet to read that which cannot be copied.” Well, you might have had a good copied letter; but they sent that large batch of matter just as I wrote it. It is not a dreadful matter, but I thought you might think Sister White a little out of her mind, so I write explanations. I will say pardon me, I will try to have things all straight if I can. 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 3

If anyone asks you how Sister White is healthwise, tell them I have long, suffering nights. I am more than ever convinced that it is not rheumatism that is causing me such suffering, but the exhausting of the nerves. Neuralgia has taken hold of the nerves. I have never had anything like this before. I cannot lie on either side because of pain in my hips, and when the spinal nerves are so tender, I can lie but a short time on my back. So I have to change my position many times in order to get rest. Night before last I dressed at midnight, for I suffered too much to lie in bed. I have an extra good bed. What could I do if I had not? My nerves are so tender I cannot endure a wrinkle or a seam. The easiest bed in the world would scarcely be easy to me. But those long, tedious, Australian winter nights are a terrible tax on me. Many nights I cannot sleep more than two hours; but this is the sad side of the picture. I have a great deal for which to be thankful, for I am not like some poor, suffering mortals who have not the necessaries of life, neither comfortable clothing, or nourishing food. 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 4

But again, you may tell all inquirers that I am of good courage in the Lord. In the midst of the fiercest pain, Satan presents temptations to doubt the goodness and love of God to me; but I resist him. I find comfort in prayer. I go back over our past history and “Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.” [Hebrews 10:32.] What a multitude of blessings we received! The presence of Jesus was often in our very midst. We could not doubt it. The bright rays of the Sun of Righteousness shone upon us. The proclamation of the mercy and love of God was to us rich morsels of food from heaven’s storehouse. Oh, what a wealth of experience have all those who acted a part in the first part of the proclamation of the third angel’s message! I am living over again those precious experiences. They are now of great value to us, Brother and Sister Smith. We are standing on solid rock, and we can say, “We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” [2 Peter 1:16.] 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 5

I thank the Lord I have had an active part in this work from the beginning, and amid all my pain, I have comfort and assurance and peace and hope. What should I do without the grace of Christ? I am filled with the tenderest love for Jesus, and for precious souls for whom He died. When I consider that Jesus gave His precious life for me, and that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life” [John 3:16], I want to have health that I may speak of His love and tell of His power in the congregation of the saints. 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 6

Who can withhold from Jesus His purchased possession? O, why does not the message of such love break every barrier down, and all who hear receive, believe, and live? When pain seems unbearable to me, I cry out aloud, “Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” [Psalm 61:2.] Precious is His all-atoning blood. Precious is His justifying righteousness. He is all and in all to me. He comes very preciously near to me in my most trying times and I feel such an assurance that His everlasting arms are beneath me. “To you therefore that believe he is precious.” [1 Peter 2:7.] I know this; I have proved this; it is to me a reality. What should I do if I could not put my entire trust in Him, commit soul, body, and spirit to the Lord. 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 7

I have asked the Lord to restore me to health, but I will not be impatient. I will not become discouraged. I will not look on the dark side. I have peace and joy in Jesus and the treasures of His love. I can say, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. I would know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. I am not sure that I shall ever recover, but I know that Jesus is my Saviour; I am His child, and whether I live or die, I am the Lord’s. Jesus is my precious Saviour. I want to copy the Pattern. How exact in principle and upright in conduct was He! He gave no place to Satan when He was tempted. How wide-awake He had to be to discern the tempter’s wiles. 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 8

O, if we would only walk and work as Jesus worked, how strict would be all our transactions with believers and unbelievers; how tender, how charitable, how meek and lowly of heart would we become, because we had learned of Him. How dimly we reflect the great glory of our Lord! We ought to be faithful depositaries of so rich a treasure. Thank the Lord. O, I will praise Him that I am His child. Thank God that I have my reason. 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 9

I feel so sad that the professed children of God should bring so little glory to our Redeemer. We need to behold Him more steadfastly, that we may be changed into His image. “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” [John 15:4.] How He longs to help every soul. He bids them, “Let him take hold of my strength, that he make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.” [Isaiah 27:5.] Are any burdened? He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” How is the rest found? “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11:28, 29.] Do we believe this? Will we draw near and repose in His love? 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 10

I hope you will both be of good courage; never look on the dark side or talk doubts. Whatever your circumstances, whatever your trials, whatever your adversities, you know just where to flee for refuge. As the watchful shepherd, Jesus labors for His sheep and lambs. He bids His flock draw near, and He will lead them to green pastures, to living streams of water to quench their thirst and refresh their spirits. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” [1 John 3:2.] 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 11

I have felt deeply since coming to Australia the necessity of well balanced, experienced, symmetrical characters in all parts of the great mission field. Why? Because in the perfected Christian character we represent Christ. Having enlisted in the army of the Lord as His loyal subjects, we are to enlarge our knowledge, by putting into practical use the ability God has given us that we may be apt, intelligent, and be able to work in harmony with the vast machinery of His providence in restoring, in building up, in strengthening the Redeemer’s kingdom. 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 12

Everyone is needed to engage with the heavenly intelligences in the work, that the will of God may be done in the earth. Many tell doleful stories of their inefficiency. O, that they would place themselves in vital connection with the God of wisdom and power, that they may become better qualified to do His sacred work. What an influence would go forth from them to the world! No one will be saved standing on neutral ground. Said Christ, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” [Matthew 12:30], but those who confess Christ before men, Christ will confess before His Father and before His angels. “With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” [Romans 10:10.] 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 13

Brother and Sister Smith, heaven is worth everything to us, and if we appreciate the gift of eternal life, our influence will be a savor of life unto life to the world. We owe everything to Jesus, and shall we withhold our heart service from Him? God forbid. But this letter is more than I intended to write. Look up, and believe, and receive the Holy Spirit of God. My heart is full of His praise. Much love to yourselves and each of your children. God forbid that one should be missing when the roll of heaven is called. If we gain heaven, we gain everything. 7LtMs, Lt 38, 1892, par. 14