Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)

Lt 287, 1904

Kellogg, J. H.

College View, Nebraska

September 21, 1904

Portions of this letter are published in 5Bio 353.

Dr. J. H. Kellogg

Dear Brother,—

I ought to have answered your letter before this, but travelling from place to place and attending meetings has taken all my strength. The camp-meeting at Omaha was a very large one, and one Sabbath afternoon I spoke to over fifteen hundred people, among them many Germans and Scandinavians. I found that in order to make my words heard in all parts of the tent, I must breathe deeply and speak slowly. Were I to speak quickly, my throat and lungs would suffer. And when I speak slowly, the hearers are given an opportunity to take in sentence after sentence and to gather up ideas that would otherwise be lost. 19LtMs, Lt 287, 1904, par. 1

I spoke three times during my stay at the Omaha camp-meeting. I was glad to be able to speak to the people assembled there. 19LtMs, Lt 287, 1904, par. 2

I entreat you to take hold firmly of the hand of the One who can deliver you from the temptations of the enemy. His promise is that if you will lay hold upon His strength, you will make peace with Him. Place your feet on vantage ground. Christ’s strong right hand will uphold you. His efficiency will be your strength. “Abide in Me, and I in you,” He says. “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. 19LtMs, Lt 287, 1904, par. 3

“I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 19LtMs, Lt 287, 1904, par. 4

“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples. As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you; continue ye in My love. 19LtMs, Lt 287, 1904, par. 5

“If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 19LtMs, Lt 287, 1904, par. 6

“This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” [John 15:4-14.] 19LtMs, Lt 287, 1904, par. 7

I present these precious words to you as truth. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16.] By sin man separated himself from God, but the stream of divine benevolence never ceased to flow earthward, increasing in volume with successive ages. And when the fulness of time had come, Deity poured forth the healing flood of heavenly grace in one great gift of love. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” [1 John 4:10.] 19LtMs, Lt 287, 1904, par. 8

If you will put your whole trust in Christ, if you will come to Him just as you are, casting your helpless soul upon Him, He will receive you. And when you are one with Christ, you will begin to see ways out of your entanglement. But do not come out of any troublous matter crookedly. Come out holding firmly to the hand of Christ. The Lord will certainly help, strengthen, and uphold you if you will work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God who is working in you, to will and to do of His good pleasure. When you take your position on the sure foundation of eternal truth, Satan will make every effort to hinder you and block your way. But the Lord has wrought for you, and He will continue to work in your behalf if you will be His consecrated channel. 19LtMs, Lt 287, 1904, par. 9