Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 20 (1905)

Lt 368, 1905

Ballenger, E. S.

San Diego, Paradise Valley, Cal.

Circa September 19, 1905

Previously unpublished. Not sent.

[Dear Brother E. S. Ballenger:]

I will begin a letter to you not knowing as I can finish it, for we have decided to be homeward bound. We found that a most trying case has been brought to this place—a woman to pass through confinement [due to childbirth] that apparently would cost her her life. But they are doing all that they can for her. Before we arrived she was delivered of twin girls, one seven pounds and the other six [pounds]. They appeared to be doing well. 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 1

When Dr. T. S. Whitelock [first] realized the situation, he had little hope the woman’s life could be saved. He sent to San Diego for an expert in trying cases. Br. Johnson was dispatched, and in less than thirty minutes his (Johnson’s) automobile brought the help Dr. Whitelock desired, but the woman’s vital force was gone. She went into spasms and there was no force to bring to birth the children. They were both taken with instruments and then everything that could be done was done. The mother of these first-born children had no strength, no power. Two most excellent nurses were in attendance through the day and an intelligent nurse at night. They worked and they prayed. The woman was not a Christian, and they presented her case—we all did—to the Lord in our prayers. 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 2

Dr. Whitelock said he never had such a case on his hands before. The physicians and nurses exerted all the skill they could safely use. She passed the ninth day with much suffering, but a little hope sprang up the twelfth day. In the evening she asked me if I would pray for her. Her head pains and pelvis pains were apparently almost unbearable. [Her] head was relieved, and she was carefully placed in the wheeled chair and her bed arranged while she was in another room, but what a change in her countenance! There was hope and gratitude. She said, “I am relieved of the torturing pain and feel easy.” The night was passed the best she had realized for a long time and she expressed herself as very thankful. I said, “Thank the Lord, He has heard [our] prayer.” She said, “I know it is so. I have the sense of a decided change. Do continue to pray for me.” Before we parted from her I told her that the Great Healer had been present and His healing power had come to her. She said, “I know it is so; I am relieved of pain.” I then presented the gospel hope, that the Lord had raised her up to love and serve Him. I hoped she would give her heart to the Lord and become His believing disciple. 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 3

This is only one of the several remarkable cases that have come to that sanitarium. One woman came there to die. She had no faith in Jesus Christ. She had entered into all kinds of false doctrines, but she wished to know of our Saviour. They prayed with her and read the Scriptures. The sophistries of the satanic delusions she had been trying to believe gave her no rest, no peace. She came out a decided Christian and died in the triumph of faith. She gave the most clear and decided evidence of true religious experience. And she lived several weeks. She lived a most happy convert to the faith in all the Bible truth, and died happy. And there are other cases. I cannot now give all the particulars, but we will give them at another time. 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 4

While I was speaking in the parlor to the patients and the sanitarium family, I was led out to talk of the Great Physician and His unlimited power to save both soul and body. There was a prominent man employed in official work I cannot name. He had begun to receive one point and then another of our faith, until he had all the leading requirements and accepted all. But he said he could not believe for himself. All that could be brought to bear upon him did not give him that faith which grasps the love of Christ personally for himself. 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 5

I made the simplicity of faith so plain that a little child could receive it. He said, “I have confessed every sin I have any knowledge of.” I repeated his words in my talks on the point of faith, thus, for two or three mornings, and told the man he was trying to get hold of something material for him to acknowledge as faith. I told him all he had to do was to take God at His word without any remarkable demonstration, but to say, “Lord, I believe Thy Word. I take Thee at Thy own statement, ‘Him that will come unto me I will in no wise cast out.’” [John 6:37.] Thus we labored to explain that faith was not a remarkable demonstration of feeling. Faith takes God at His word. You send your faith within the veil where Jesus is, and talk with God, [saying], “You said it, Lord. You said it: ‘He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.’ ‘Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke (of obedience) and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart and ye shall find rest to your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’” [Matthew 11:28-30.] 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 6

I then tried to get him to understand that faith was taking God at His word and not waiting for the impulse of feeling. Your faith reaches into that within the veil, and you grasp the promise which Jesus has given, and [you] say, “It is mine because I take God at His word.” And praise the Lord, your faith makes the promise yours. When the reality comes and you rely upon the Word, the blessing is yours and was yours the moment your faith grasped the promise. When the evidence, the rest, the peace comes, it is no longer faith but assurance. And you may rejoice and praise God in all the freedom of forgiveness and pardon of sin, because your faith makes it yours in fact—feeling or no feeling. 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 7

Hebrews 11 gives the exposition of faith. It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Read this explanation of faith [in] verse 6: “But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” In my talk I urged all to read the whole chapter. Take the Word of God as your counselor and walk out upon that Word in full and trusting obedience. The last talk I gave, I addressed this man, “Have you grasped what faith is—the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen? Do you now have faith?” He said, “I have faith now.” 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 8

We can see why there should be sanitariums. Several have been converted because Christ is held forth as the greatest Missionary Worker the world has ever seen. Some suffered for the truth’s sake. “Thy Word is truth.” [John 17:17.] And this institution or sanitarium has proved the word of the Lord that the great Master Healer will, if you ask Him in faith, take away your disease. “By faith Moses when he was come to years, refused (the great honor) to become the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” [Hebrews 11,] verses 24-26. Read the chapter. 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 9

How glad I was that this patient in coming to the sanitarium found relief through simple, rational methods to relieve the body of suffering and, more, found relief to his sinsick soul, for the Lord Jesus has taken away his sin; and He can give him health of soul and of body. And he [may] become acquainted with those who make the Word of God the man of their counsel. This gentleman found Christians in our sanitarium in Paradise Valley, San Diego, California—Christians in principle and precept, practice and example. This experience, given in the sanitarium at Paradise Valley, verifies the name sanitarium. Those who seek the Lord for needful good in physical health find in the atmosphere of the sanitarium the sanctifying, healing ministry of Jesus Christ. 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 10

This sanitarium required a well to be dug in search for water, and they found abundance of water ninety-five feet down. This cost money, but there stands the pure water in abundance. [To] obtain the machinery to bring up the rising water and frame the well cost money, and the addition of buildings for treatment rooms and [rooms] to be occupied by patients cost something. Additions to rooms had to be [built], and this cost money. 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 11

We would ask those in Southern California who have means that will help us to finish these buildings—which cost not less than ten thousand dollars—to help in doing this good work for the Master. Bring in your gifts and offerings in Southern California. We do not call for the means from the conference but from Southern Californians. Let there be your offerings. We have need of the help that you can give us, and we are sure you will do this, because you have been forward to invest in Paradise Valley as the necessities required. The Lord will bless you in doing this work. 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 12

We have the deep, pure interest to obtain possession of the few buildings and have given the directions to have the buildings purchased, for they are much needed. We hope, Brother Ballenger, this will be done in accordance with our recent conversation. Please let me know, for I do wish to have this completed without delay. We need every foot of tillable land on that side of the road where these buildings are. Make no delay. We are not working for our own interest but for the interest of the sanitarium. I have given Brother Ballenger the urgency of this matter. We will thank the Lord for water, good pure water. Oh, I am so glad that we can secure this water. It has cost labor and prayer. 20LtMs, Lt 368, 1905, par. 13