Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)
Lt 255, 1904
Magan, P. T.; Sutherland, E. A.
Takoma Park, Maryland
July 23, 1904
Portions of this letter are published in 7ABC 466; SpM 361-365. +Note
Dear Brethren Magan and Sutherland,—
I have words of counsel for you. There must be harmony between you and the men in responsible positions in the General Conference. You catch at straws in matters concerning Elder Daniells and Elder Prescott. Why?—Because they have not harmonized with you in all your plans and have not given you the credit that you deserved. But when the Lord corrected errors, and spoke encouraging words concerning your efforts, why did you not thank Him, and show your gratitude by manifesting forgiveness, and showing an appreciation of the burdens borne by these fellow workers. Why did you cast imputations upon Elders Daniells and Prescott, or allow others to cast imputations upon them? 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 1
Your feelings in regard to Elder Daniells and Elder Prescott are not correct. If you expect them to harmonize with you, you must harmonize with them. The Lord has declared that He will harmonize with Elder Daniells and Elder Prescott. I know of what I am speaking; for these things have been represented to me. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 2
I wish to ask you a question. Whom would you have selected for president of the General Conference? Will you please to name the man? At the time of the last General Conference, the situation was a most trying one, and there needed to be chosen as president a man who was in harmony with the work that God was trying to do through the testimonies. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 3
Elder Daniells and Elder Prescott have made some mistakes. But a grave mistake was made when you and Elder A. T. Jones set yourselves to the defense of the movement for the reopening of the Battle Creek College, the full results of which neither of you understood. The Lord did not inspire the words spoken in defense of that movement and the criticisms which were made against the attitude of the men who felt it their duty to point out the dangers attending the effort to bring a large number of our youth to Battle Creek. Another counsellor had taken the place of the divine counsellor. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 4
In this perilous time the Lord has given us men of His choice to stand as the leaders of His people. If these men will keep humble and prayerful, ever making Christ their confidant, listening to and obeying His words, the Lord will lead and strengthen them. God has chosen Elder Daniells to bear responsibilities and has promised to make him capable, by His grace, of doing the work entrusted to him. And I must strengthen his hands and the work Professor Prescott is doing. They are standing in defense of the truth. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 5
The responsibilities of the position Elder Daniells occupies are great, and the tax upon his strength and courage is severe; and the Lord calls upon His people to hold up Elder Daniells’ hands, as he strives with all the powers of mind and body to advance the work. The Lord desires every church to offer prayer for him as he bears these heavy responsibilities. Our brethren and sisters should not stand ready to criticize and condemn those who are bearing heavy burdens. Let us refuse to listen to the words of censure spoken regarding the men upon whom rest such weighty responsibilities. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 6
Elder Daniells is a man who has proved the testimonies to be true. And he has proved true to the testimonies. When he has found that he has differed from them, he has been willing to acknowledge his error and come to the light. If all others had done the same, there would be no such state of things as now exists. The Lord has given Elder Daniells reproof when he has erred, and he has shown his determination to stand on the side of truth and righteousness and to correct his mistakes. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 7
My brethren, let us now do our best, not to discover wrong in Elder Daniells, but to help him. He has shown himself to be the man for the place. At this time there are needed <such> men <as Elder Daniells and Professor Prescott,> who dare to differ with those who are counterworking the plans of the Lord for this people. You have not discerned the true condition of the leaders of the medical missionary work at Battle Creek. You have not placed a correct estimate upon their actions. You have encouraged their ideas and plans altogether too much. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 8
I know that Elder Daniells is the right man in the right place. He has stood nobly for the truth and has striven earnestly to deal in a right way with the controversies arising regarding the relation of the medical work to the evangelical work. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 9
If the men whom the Lord has chosen to stand in positions of responsibility will heed the testimonies that God has given and is giving, if they will keep close to His Word, if they will separate from those who are binding up with worldly influences, they will be safe men for the times upon which we have entered. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 10
*****
The words and attitude of Brother E. A. Sutherland and Brother A. T. Jones at the Berrien Springs meeting struck an inharmonious note—a note that was not inspired of God. It created a state of things which resulted in harm that they did not anticipate. It made the work of the meeting very much harder than it would otherwise have been. Had it not been for their injudicious course, the Berrien Springs Conference would have shown very different results. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 11
My brethren, God is dishonored when you seek to throw a burden of censure upon your brethren, as you did at that meeting. You were not working in harmony with God; for this is not the way in which He works. If you felt a duty to lay before your brethren matters reflecting upon the leaders in General Conference work, it was your duty first to call the most reliable men together, and modestly present to them your statements. You should not have thrown in your ideas without counsel, as you did. The impulsive disposition of Brother Jones has led him many times to make wrong movements, which have called for correction and reproof. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 12
At the Fresno camp-meeting, after I had borne a very plain testimony, Brother Jones acted the part of a man, doing thorough work in confession. He was working out his own salvation with fear and trembling. The blessing of the Lord came in, and the glory of God was revealed. Angels of heaven were in that meeting, and a great blessing was experienced by all who were present. And so it would have been in the meeting at Berrien Springs, if Dr. Kellogg had heartily accepted the message sent by the Lord and had fully broken with the enemy. A spirit of humiliation would have filled every heart, and sincere confessions would have been made by all. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 13
At the Berrien Springs meeting a special message of hope was given for Dr. Kellogg. He might have stood on vantage ground, accepting the Lord Jesus as his counsellor. In and through the power of the Saviour, he might then have broken the spell. But he did not. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 14
For a long time Dr. Kellogg has not been humbly accepting Christ as his teacher and, unknown to himself, has been taught by the master of sophistries. And the enemy has used him as a channel through which to exert a strong controlling influence upon the physicians associated with him. But the Lord will break the spell that is upon these men if they will allow the yoke that has been placed upon them to be broken. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 15
Christ gives to all the invitation, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; 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 11:28-30.] All who accept His invitation will bear testimony that His yoke is indeed easy and His burden light. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 16
It means much to our physicians whether they are wearing the yoke of Christ or the yoke of some man. Those who are wearing the yoke that a man has placed on their necks must have this yoke taken away before they can act the part that God would have them act in proclaiming the truth. Those who receive and believe in Christ Jesus are not to wear any man’s yoke; neither are they to be noncommittal in regard to where they stand. The conflict is raging between two powers—the Prince of life and the prince of darkness. This conflict has a vital interest for the people of God. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 17
Christ is the greatest teacher that this world has ever seen. Truth never languished upon His lips, never suffered in His hands. He declares, “He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.” [Matthew 12:30.] God has given to every man his work. He expects every follower of His to exert an influence that will tell for the upbuilding of His kingdom. He who is not actively engaged in promoting unity and love and equity and sound principles is exerting an influence that is contrary to Christ. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 18
Those who are true to their divine Leader will put away the masterly sophistries that are coming in to deceive the people. Those who would be saved from the wily, deceptive influences of the foe must now break every yoke and take their position for Christ and for truth, that they may be freed from the specious, fictitious sentiments that, if accepted, will surely spoil their faith and their experience. Unless they obtain this freedom, they will go on step by step in the downward path until they deny Him who has bought them with the price of His own blood. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 19
The question that is asked us now is, Who will stand on the Lord’s side, in the presence of good and evil men, in the presence of angels, in the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? You can no longer remain neutral, and yet be Christ’s followers, His faithful servants. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 20
If those who profess to be medical missionaries had stood away from Dr. Kellogg’s seductive sophistries, they would not now be where they are—regarded by God as unfaithful stewards because they have harmonized with the doctor, who is certainly under the enemy’s deceptive influence. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 21
The cause of God is in great peril, because the physicians in whose minds sophistry has prevailed against truth are bracing themselves against the impressions of the Holy Spirit and are placing themselves where the Lord cannot use them as leaders of His people. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 22
If Dr. Kellogg had heeded the light given him of God through the testimonies of His Spirit; if he had made God his trust; if he had refused to give any attention to the scientific sophistries that he has been studying more or less for years; if he had followed his Guide, working with an eye single to the glory of God, he would have avoided the many, many crooked paths that he has followed. But in the place of heeding the warning given him, that evil angels were working with him, he has encouraged their presence by continuing to follow a course of transgression. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 23
*****
No one need be strengthless who is fighting in the army of the Lord, standing under His blood-stained banner. His true soldiers are partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But those who choose their own way, and keep in correspondence with the great deceiver, are reckoned unworthy of eternal life. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 24
Who will take his stand on the Lord’s side? Let him step on to the platform of eternal truth, cutting loose from the seductive influences of the tempter. In the ranks of God’s people there is to be seen a well-doing for Him, a zeal that is according to knowledge. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 25
“Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” [Ephesians 6:10-17.] 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 26
*****
Christ was the Son of God. Of this truth He early bore witness. In His youth He felt the obligation resting upon Him to do the work His Father had given Him. When Joseph and Mary found Him in the temple, and asked Him why He had left them, He replied, pointing upward, “Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?” [Luke 2:49.] And as He spoke these words, divinity flashed through humanity. Let our ministers and physicians study the life of Christ and learn how He went about his work, what spirit He brought into it, and how He accomplished it with heavenly grace. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 27
Those who receive Christ as a personal Saviour will work as He worked, following the example left by His life. He has left us a perfect example; and He has given us the assurance, “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” [John 1:12.] Let no human name be chosen before the name of Christ. Let no human sophistries be received in the place of His principles. Accept only the teachings of Him who clothed His divinity with humanity and came to this world to redeem fallen human beings. With His long human arm He encircled the race, while with His divine arm He laid hold of the throne of God, thus uniting man to the everlasting Father. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 28
It is the knowledge of God which inspires the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. As this knowledge is received, the mind is drawn out to God in holy desire. The transformation of human character is the great work which God designed to accomplish by the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. He purposed that thus, by the blood of Christ, fallen human beings should be brought nigh to Him. “It pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell; having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself.” [Colossians 1:19, 20.] By those who seek God in truth, Christ crucified is discerned to be the power of God and the wisdom of God. Through the Word, by the gospel of His Son, God wins the hearts of rebels, who, by yielding to the sophistry of Satan, have become separated from heaven. Through Christ He obtains access to the hearts of those who are out of the way and brings them back to their original faith, to see the goodness and love of God. He brings them nigh, that through His Word they may become acquainted with the Son of God and with the Father. The life of Christ is seen as it is—full of goodness, mercy, and love. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 29
Thus, through the crucifixion of Christ, human beings are reconciled to God. Christ adopts the outcasts, and they become His special care, members of the family of God, because they have accepted His Son as their Saviour. To them is given power to become the sons of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. They gain an intelligent knowledge of what Christ is to them and of the blessings they may receive as members of the Lord’s family. And in His infinite condescension God is pleased to stand to them in the relation of Father. 19LtMs, Lt 255, 1904, par. 30