Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 10 (1895)

Lt 93, 1895

White, J. E.

Norfolk Villa, Prospect St., Granville, N. S. W., Australia

June 18, 1895

Previously unpublished. +^Note

Dear Son Edson:

Your letter was duly received by Vancouver mail. I felt rather perplexed to understand in regard to Gospel Primer. You explain nothing, and I am left to read between the lines. This troubles me. 10LtMs, Lt 93, 1895, par. 1

You have asked for The Sufferings of Christ to be simplified, so that you can use it for the class of people for whom you are laboring. This is not as easy a thing to do as you suppose it is. You thought Gospel Primer was just what was needed. What is the matter? I cannot understand—you said the book had a great sale. You need in your work question books, something of the same order as the Gospel Primer, and I thought that the royalty from it would meet the expenses that would occur in your mission to the Southern field. Have you passed it out of your power to control? Please explain. 10LtMs, Lt 93, 1895, par. 2

The Sufferings of Christ, as now prepared, shall go to you. Your last letter gives me to understand that the matter needs to be more simple still, and I will do my best to have it thus. We sincerely desire that you shall move cautiously, looking unto Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of your faith. Keep your soul dedicated to God. Our time to work is very short. Probation is now ours. Souls, sinful and polluted, may come just as they are to Jesus. 10LtMs, Lt 93, 1895, par. 3

I want everything I possess in property, everything I acquire, to be talents wisely employed. We have no time to lose. Every day we need a conversion to God, that we may be as vessels unto honor prepared for the Master’s use. My dear son Edson, make God your only dependence. Do not look to men, or trust in men, or make flesh your arm, even among those who profess to be Sabbathkeepers. You are not to commit yourself unto them, but to God. You are no longer your own, and if you shall meet with disappointments and perplexities, what else can you expect? Live a life of prayer, and daily consecrate yourself to God, as His own son, His subject to work through you. Yoke up with Christ. 10LtMs, Lt 93, 1895, par. 4

Let nothing come in to separate you from Brother Palmer; keep in harmony. Where there is union there is strength. No place can be given to any alienation by the enemy. No despondency should come in to weaken your efforts. Had I allowed the things ever occurring to weaken or affect my faith, I should have been useless. I see human imperfections everywhere; but I look by faith through the hellish shadow of Satan to the perfection of character in my Redeemer. I cling to God more firmly and press on. My face is set as a flint Zionward. Our warfare will soon be ended. No place can be found for discouragement, or weakening of hope or courage. 10LtMs, Lt 93, 1895, par. 5

You are in a hard field, which has been strangely neglected by us as a people, and continues to be. One may start in as you are doing, but he is left to struggle under so many difficulties, almost alone, with few to sympathize or interest themselves to prepare the field to be worked successfully, and as the final outcome they have to leave the field. Who will be responsible for the colored people? Any place where there is work, earnest work, to be done, there is Satan with his army of workers, supernatural agencies to bar the way, and if Satan can move on human agencies who claim to believe the truth to unite with him to make everything hard as possible, his object is gained. That is what you will meet. When any practical movement is made in any line, I counsel you to put your trust not in man but in God who is your sufficiency. 10LtMs, Lt 93, 1895, par. 6

When any practical movement is made in any line for the uplifting of humanity, and for the saving of their souls, the council of the synagogue of Satan says, We will set in operation our forces to set men at variance one with another. W will set one to criticize and bar the way; we will help him to dishearten and discourage; with persevering determination we will hold the field in our own power, under our own jurisdiction; through leading one to discourage another we will absorb money where it will call the attention to one point and make it impossible to work other places which we now control. 10LtMs, Lt 93, 1895, par. 7

Shall we let Satan block the way? We will, unless we look alone to God, trusting in Him to move upon human agencies to do His work with fidelity. The difficulties that seem very large, present before the sincere worker stronger motives for perseverance, for renewed exertion in God, to press forward in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Co-operation with our brethren is essential, but co-operation with Jesus Christ is more essential. If you look to God in faith, with a contrite heart, He will bless you and strengthen you. You have not written a line of being discouraged, but I have been unable to sleep since one o’clock this morning, and my mind is drawn out to write to you. Never was there a time when we need to move with humility and dependence upon God as now. The Lord hath wrought for you in giving you a rich experience, one that is more precious to you than fine gold, and as long as you surrender yourself to God, soul, body and spirit, notwithstanding the discouraging influence of men, you will not be overcome. 10LtMs, Lt 93, 1895, par. 8

We must move with fear and trembling, but in faith looking unto Jesus. Keep your eye steadfastly fixed upon Jesus. We know not what is before us. “God hangs a mist o’er our eyes,” but trust Him still. Pray without ceasing. Let every breath be a prayer. Do not say or do anything which will throw Brother Palmer into temptation, and do not go under temptation yourself. The Lord has <signified to me that He has> blessed you with His presence. The religion of Jesus Christ is the only power which through the grace of Christ will impart firmness and solidity of character to any one of us. God is the living God. Never did I prize these words as now, “In him is no variableness or shadow of turning.” [James 1:17.] 10LtMs, Lt 93, 1895, par. 9

God has His instrumentalities to call into action at any moment to do His work. He has unlimited power. He can take a worm to thresh mountains. Our God lives and reigns. He will not forsake one of His chosen if they will not struggle to work the will of men, but the will of God. He has wrought by His miraculous power, and He will work. The Lord will deliver the godly out of temptation and sustain them, not only for further duty but for further trial. Onward, onward, upward, is the Lord leading His people. Again I say, Walk humbly with God. Let every step be one of consecration. 10LtMs, Lt 93, 1895, par. 10

Service is work, and [let us] work for Him where He places us, not where we place ourselves. You will meet with many discouragements, but there is a way out of them all. Encouragement and sympathy may be withheld, because there is so great an absence of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, but if you do your duty faithfully, it is to God and not to men. True service to the Master will act as leaven in every relationship of life, that individually we may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour. My prayer is ascending to God for you, my son. 10LtMs, Lt 93, 1895, par. 11