Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 13 (1898)

Lt 51, 1898

Brethren

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

June 6, 1898

See also Lt 51b, 1898. Portions of this letter are published in 11MR 217-218.

Dear Brethren in Battle Creek:

There are times when the truth must be spoken, whether men will hear or whether they will forbear. The Lord is greatly dishonored when those who claim to believe the truth make their appeals to lawyers. Will you read your Bibles, and practice the Word of God on this point? The interests of the cause of God are not to be committed to men who have no connection with heaven. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 1

Matters have been presented before me that have filled my soul with keen anguish. I saw that men are linking up arm in arm with lawyers, but God was not in their company. I am commissioned to say to you that you are not moving under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 2

Brother Smith, have you not been united with W. C. Gage long enough to know that his counsel and influence are misleading? Is it necessary for the Lord to come to you with a rod to show you that you need a higher experience before you can be fitted for connection with the family above? Will you link up with men who have a faculty of accusing, and thinking and speaking evil of the things that God approves? In the name of the Lord, I tell you that you need clear discernment and spiritual eyesight. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 3

Again and again the Lord has pointed out the work which the church in Battle Creek and those all through America are to do. They are to reach a much higher standard in spiritual advancement. They are to wake out of sleep, and go without the camp, working for souls that are ready to perish. Doctor Kellogg is doing the very work which God has given to the church in Battle Creek—the last call to the supper He has prepared. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 4

The many interests centering in Battle Creek should be divided and subdivided and placed in other cities. You who think you are wise men may say, It will cost too much. We can do the work here in Battle Creek at less expense. Well, does not the Lord know all this? Is He not a God who understands all your unbelieving reasoning that holds so many interests in Battle Creek? He has revealed to you that centers should be made in all the cities. This would call many out of Battle Creek to work in other places. In order to be carried forward aright, the medical missionary work needs talent, wise discrimination, but can this work be done while those in responsible places, presidents of conferences and ministers, bar the way? I say to the president of the Michigan [Conference], to Elder Smith, and to others, Remove the stumbling block that you are surely placing before the people. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 5

The people in Battle Creek have not exercised their talents in devising and planning how they may plant the standard of truth in regions where decided efforts should be made, and the Lord has moved upon Doctor Kellogg to do the work offered to those in Battle Creek, which they did not choose to accept. The work which God has given to the Battle Creek church has not been done, and while some of you are repeating the very work that has been done over and over again, the work of blinding the spiritual eyesight, God has placed His work in the hands of those who will take it up and carry it forward. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 6

God is in His holy place, and He dwells also with him that is of a humble and contrite spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Those who are doing medical missionary work in Battle Creek should have the full sanction and cooperation of the church. If they do not have this, they are bound about. Nevertheless, they will advance, though without the cooperation of those who refuse to help. There will be two churches in Battle Creek in regard to principle of action. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 7

If the workers engaged in medical missionary work will carry this special line into the churches, if they will work in the fear of God, they will find doors opened before them. But how much better it is to seek for unity of action. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 8

If no help is given, by the presidents of our conferences and ministers to those engaged in our work, Doctor Kellogg will no longer pay in the tithe from the workers in the Sanitarium. They will appropriate this to carry forward the work that is in harmony with the light of God’s Word. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 9

Please read the invitation to the supper, and the last call made. Study to see what is being done to meet the command of Jesus. I cannot understand why this indifference is manifested, why you should stand off and criticize and draw away. The gospel net is to be cast into the sea, and it draws both good and bad. But because this is so, shall men and women ignore the efforts made to save those who will believe, and who will unite in the work of reaching that class of which Christ spoke in His rebuke to the Pharisees? “Sinners and harlots,” He said, “go into the kingdom before you?” [Matthew 21:31.] Will you not see that in every church there are those who have no connection with God? But Christ says, “Let the tares and the wheat grow together until the harvest, then I will send my angel to gather out the tares and burn them, but the wheat will I gather into my barn.” [See Matthew 13:30, 39.] 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 10

When the Lord moves upon the churches, bidding them do a certain work, and they refuse to do that work, and someone consents to reach to the very depths of human woe and misery, God’s blessing will rest upon him. Even though but few souls accept the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, His work will not be in vain; for one soul is precious, very precious in the eyes of God. Christ died for that soul, in order that he might live through eternal ages. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 11

Please read the eighteenth chapter of Matthew. The whole chapter should be an eye opener. “Take heed,” said Christ, “that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, He rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” [Verses 10-14.] 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 12

There are many souls that are being rescued, wrenched from Satan’s hand by faithful workers. Someone must have a burden of soul to find the souls that have been lost to Christ, and one soul redeemed, over whom Satan has triumphed, causes joy among the heavenly angels. There are those who have destroyed the moral image of God in themselves. The gospel net must gather in these poor outcasts. Angels of God will co-operate with those who are engaged in this work, who make every effort to save perishing souls, to give them a chance which, perhaps, they have never had. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 13

There is no other way to reach them but by the medical missionary work. Only thus can they be taken from the depths of hell. The workers must do their work in love, feeding, cleansing, and clothing them. In this way these outcasts are prepared to know that someone cares for their souls. The Lord has shown me that many of these poor outcasts from society will, through the ministration of human agents who co-operate with the divine, seek to restore the moral image of God in others for whom Christ has paid the price of His own blood. They will be called the elect of God, precious, and will stand next to the throne of God. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 14

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with the sound of a great trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. ... Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 15

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, who his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [Matthew 24:30, 31, 42-51.] 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 16

Brethren, be careful, very careful. There is a work being done in Battle Creek which answers to the description given in Matthew 24:48-51. The Lord is working to reach the most depraved. Many will know what it means to be drawn to Jesus Christ, but will not have moral courage to war against appetite and passion. There are those in the ministry who have had light and a knowledge of the truth, but who will not be overcomers. They will not restrict their appetite or deny themselves for Christ’s sake, and many poor outcasts, even publicans and sinners, will grasp the hope set before them in the gospel, and go into the kingdom of heaven before the ones who have had great opportunity and great light, yet who have walked in darkness. In the last great day, many will say, Lord, Lord, open unto us. But the door will be shut, and their knock will be in vain. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 17

I feel deeply over these things, for they are truth. If you have an estimate of the value of truth and of your own souls, for Christ’s sake I beg of you to come to your senses and walk circumspectly with God. Time is short, and there is a great work to be done. If you feel no interest in the work that is going forward, if you will not encourage medical missionaries to work in the churches, they will do it without your consent, for this work must and will be done. Brother Smith, Brother Durland, Brother Evans, Brother Irwin, in the name of the Lord, I call upon you to take your position on the Lord’s side. Do not be found fighting against God. 13LtMs, Lt 51, 1898, par. 18