Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 13 (1898)

Lt 94, 1898

Robinson, Brother and Sister [A. T.]

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

November 16, 1898

Previously unpublished.

Dear Brother and Sister Robinson:

I have just written a letter to Brother Salisbury in response to a letter recently received from him by W. C. White. He sets matters before W. C. White, representing the great advantages to be gained by his visiting America by the way of Capetown and London, and seeing what can be done by business negotiations to procure facilities to use in the production of books, also in the market for books. The light given me when you were holding your last council in Melbourne was of that character that I felt pained, because there was heart-consecration needed to prepare the workers for the work already being handled. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 1

Brother Salisbury seems to treat the matter as if he had the sanction of W. C. White, and that would be sufficient to open the subject to the proper ones. I know not how much encouragement Brother Salisbury has received in regard to this anticipated journey, but I have much reluctance in regard to W. C. White taking responsibilities in encouraging any such movements. The light which the Lord has given me is that W. C. White’s work is in connection with my work, that he should bend his mind and thoughts and powers in this direction. The last time he was called to Melbourne, the outcome was that movements were made that you could not feel were as they should be, and the dissatisfaction mainly was charged upon W. C. White, as working in a way that was not agreeable to yourself and others. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 2

The whole difficulty lies in your minds, but it is not clearly defined. One thing is certain. I feel that in view of the light given me in regard to the work of God, W. C. White had better not put his neck under a yoke which shall be made galling to him. There is an abundance of responsibilities resting upon him in New South Wales, and if he shall take the responsibility in Melbourne, there are those who would see defects, and would charge them to him as responsible for movements made with which they could not harmonize. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 3

I cannot give any encouragement for Brother Salsibury to now expend the means which is so limited in such an enterprise as he is contemplating. If you that are in Melbourne see sufficient interests to be promoted by justifying such a movement, then I have nothing more to say; but I do not want W. C. White to have any responsibility in encouraging such a movement, for if difficulties appear, they will be made to rest on him. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 4

When the truth is more clearly distinguished from humah wisdom, when those who handle the truth are themselves more decidedly consecrated to God, the work will progress, because the workers will be charged with that earnestness that bears the sanctification of the Spirit of God. The Lord inspires no censuring, no accusing. He will lead all who will learn of the great Teacher. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 5

There is but a feeble sense of the sacredness of the things we are handling. “Take my yoke upon you,” says the great Teacher. “Learn of me, and ye shall find rest unto your souls; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11:29, 30.] We are to walk as Christ walked, live as Christ lived. It is now, just now, that zeal is required. This zeal is to be purged from all selfishness, and there is to be an increase of every good work. Our work is to be under the supervision of the Holy Spirit. Have ye received the baptism of the Holy Ghost? If not, is it not high time that we had this blessing, which purges away our unsanctified words and enables us to use the talent of speech as a most sacred, entrusted gift? 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 6

We are to get out of self, and abide in Christ. Then much more good will be done to the souls and bodies of those who have need to be healed of their infirmities. These signs shall follow those that believe. As the time of Christ’s labor upon this earth grew shorter, His work became more intense, His energies were called out, and there seemed to be no limit to His work. Thus it will be with every true worker. The failures of the year 1898 cannot now be repaired, but we may prepare for the coming year, 1899. We may make such a consecration of self to God that the Holy Spirit will control the whole man. We may redeem the time and redouble our earnest, sanctified exertions. Wherever Christ’s cause has a claim, wherever God’s people have necessities to be met, there our obligation begins. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 7

We are responsible to God for all the good we can do. We are to encourage gratitude, praise, and thanksgiving, not allowing our minds to become Satan’s workshop to create dissension and strife; for this is the foundation of so much weakness and so little of the real, genuine working of the Spirit of God in our churches. The Lord invites us to look to Him, to trust in Him, to walk with Him, to talk with Him, to keep step with Him. Then duty will be clear before us. The Lord can use pure, unselfish, holy hearts to His own name’s glory. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 8

While your meeting was in session in Melbourne, it was presented before me that there needed to be a cleansing of the soul and spirit before the Holy Spirit could mold and fashion mind and character. There must be more of Christ, all of Christ, and none of self. Then there will be patience, longsuffering, gentleness, and love for one another. This pulling apart will not be. We have need of patience, that after we have done the will of God, we shall receive the promise, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 9

It has been presented to me that the richest blessings are awaiting those who will appreciate them. But many of those who claim to believe carry such a bundle of self along with them that there is no room for Christ. There is to be and must be a reformation in the heart, else ere long we shall understand fully what it means to come to the banquet of God’s Word without the wedding garment. This point is to be considered carefully, else many who are now professedly believing the truth will be found to be unsanctified. They did not accept and wear the garment of Christ’s righteousness. They will learn that they have not represented Christ in character. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 10

We may go all over the world full of the talk of the Word, and yet keep Christ out of the heart. The truth is kept in the outer court, and Christ meets us with the words, Friend, how camest thou in hither without the wedding garment? The voice may even utter the highest oracles of God’s Word, yet the men may not have put on the wedding garment. They are building on a sandy foundation. Hearers of the Word, they come to the banquet, but they have not put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness. The work of the Holy Spirit is to them a strange work. They are not doers of the Word. The living oracles are not their guide and directory. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 11

We all need to study as never before the parable of the ten virgins. Five of them were wise, and five were foolish. The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. This is the Holy oil represented in Zechariah. “I answered again, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches, which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” [Zechariah 4:11-14.] This representation is of the highest consequence to those who claim to know the truth. But if we do not practice the truth, we have not received the holy oil, which the two golden pipes empty out of themselves. The oil is received into vessels prepared for the oil. It is the Holy Spirit in the heart which works by love and purifies the soul. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 12

We must have greater confidence and earnestness in practicing a “Thus saith the Lord.” We are not to listen to any voice that will benumb our senses in regard to the white garment of character that we must put on. There is to be no party spirit. We are to be united with God and with one another. Then the prayer of faith will heal the sick. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 13

Satan is working with all his hellish power to quench that light which should burn brightly in the soul and shine forth in good works. The words of God to Zechariah show from whence the holy oil comes, and its bright light which the Lord kindles in the chambers of the soul gives light through good works to the world. Satan will work to quench the light God has for every soul by casting his shadow across the pathway to intercept every ray of heavenly light. He knows that his time is short. The people of God must cleave to God, else they will lose their bearings. If they cherish hereditary and cultivated traits of character that misrepresent Christ, while professedly His disciples, they are represented by the man coming to the gospel feast without having on the wedding garment, and by the foolish virgins which had no oil in their vessels with their lamps. We must cleave to that which God pronounces to be truth, though the whole world may be arrayed against it. 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 14

(I shall not be able to get more copied this morning, but there is more to come if I have strength to write it.) 13LtMs, Lt 94, 1898, par. 15