Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)

Lt 34, 1906

Burden, Brother and Sister [J. A.]

St. Helena, California

January 19, 1906

This letter is published in entirety in LLM 154-158. +^Note

Dear Brother and Sister Burden:

I received your letter yesterday and was very glad to hear from you. I have been very busy of late. The Lord has sustained me in preparing matter to meet the unbelief and infidelity expressed regarding the testimonies He has given me to bear to His people. He has given me words to write. I may have to visit Battle Creek when the unsettled weather is over. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 1

I think with great pleasure of the Loma Linda Sanitarium and the advantages that it possesses. I sometimes wish that I could be with you in Southern California. But here everything for my work is ready to my hand, and to go away anywhere just now seems inconsistent; for I am getting out much matter that is very important. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 2

The Lord understands all things, and He is my only dependence. I need His power back of every effort I shall henceforth make, as it has been, back of the efforts I have made in the past. I wish to be prepared to meet the falsehoods that are coming in. The Lord is good, and He is my stronghold. He understands the situation, and He will never leave me as long as I cling to Him. He will guide me in judgment. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 3

We have had a good visit from Brother and Sister Haskell. It has seemed like a revival of old times. I think that Elder Haskell is anxious to return to Loma Linda, but they wish first to visit Sister Haskell’s sister Mrs. Grey. After that they will be free to begin work at Loma Linda. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 4

Elder Haskell has suffered a great deal from boils. He has taken treatment at the sanitarium several times, but most of his treatment he has taken in his room in our house. Our home has been his sanitarium. He has been afflicted continuously and has kept to his bed most of the time. Pulverized charcoal poultices have been used with good results. His wife is a good nurse, and she has taken faithful care of him. He has thought several times that he had overcome the affliction, and that he would recover rapidly; but as soon as he began to stir around, boils would again appear. His countenance looks clear and wholesome for a man of his age. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 5

I am glad that Brother and Sister Haskell could stay with us for a while. We have tried to make them feel at home. They have been perfectly free to do as they wished. They seem to appreciate this advantage. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 6

You speak of the sunshine at Loma Linda. It is indeed a blessing. I am glad that you have so much of it. We have hardly seen the sun for two weeks. For two weeks we have had continuous rain, day and night. The rain has fallen gently but continuously, in soft showers, until the ground is full of water. The water in the canyon is up to our bridge and, if there is much more rain, will overflow into the orchard. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 7

The rain was certainly needed; for thus far this winter we have only had one short rain. This present rain is making up in quantity for what was lacking in the earlier rain. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 8

This morning at three o’clock the stars were shining, and the last quarter of the moon was plainly visible in the sky. But as daylight comes, I can see that the atmosphere is hazy, and the rain may begin again. I am so thankful that the drought has broken. The ground has seemed to absorb a great deal of the gently falling rain. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 9

The Lord is good and greatly to be praised. I will not complain. I feel very sad over the state of things in Battle Creek. I am trying to do all that is possible to guard the flock of God from falling into error. God alone can keep them and through them work out His good pleasure. I am satisfied with the working of the Lord. If unbelief is multiplied, through the exercise of unbelief in the testimonies, having done all we can do, we will talk faith and work on the affirmative side of the question. If my name is cast out as evil, I am in excellent company. Those who would not receive Christ were dead in trespasses and sins. As they looked upon the evidences that He presented, by curing disease and making the suffering ones rejoice in health, why did they not yield their unbelief? Because by such an action they would have confessed themselves to be sinners. In the place of receiving the evidence offered them, in the place of recognizing in Christ’s works the endowment of heaven, they held right on to their wicked purposes, and said, He performed this wonderful work through the devil. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 10

This was the sin against the Holy Ghost. They had not forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come. What reason had Christ given them for making this statement? None at all. The Prince of life was seeking the lost sheep. At last the leaders of Israel put Him to death. What had He done? He had expressed to a rebellious world the love of God. And His death was the great freewill offering for sin. By it a fountain of mercy was opened to the world yet to be convinced of the wonderful sacrifice made in order that whoever believed in Christ should not perish, but have everlasting life. The preaching of the gospel gives sinners opportunity to receive the greatest gift ever proffered human beings. Those who refuse this gift reveal the highest contempt for God. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 11

It is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature. If we be falsified, if men give to the world a misstatement of the work that God has done through the humble instrument, dishonoring Christ by making a misrepresentation of Him, they are partakers of the shame and reproach brought upon me. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 12

We understand the present feebleness and smallness of the work. We have had an experience. In doing the work God has given us, we may go trustingly forward, assured that He will be our efficiency. He will be with us in 1906, as He was with us in 1841, 1842, 1843, and 1844. Oh, what wonderful evidences we had then of the presence of God with us. In the earlier stages of our work, we had many difficulties to meet, and we gained many victories. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 13

If the Lord is leading us, we may go forward courageously, assured that He will be with us as He was with us in past years, as we labored in feebleness, but under the miracle-working power of the Holy Spirit. He will be with us as He was with us when we had to meet the opposing influences of erroneous theories. Many of the most successful undertakings made in behalf of the truth have at the beginning been small and have cost many tears and prayers. At the beginning of our work, some brought in grave errors; and meeting these placed upon us much hard labor and such difficulties as God’s help alone could enable us to overcome. We prayed a great deal; often we wrestled whole nights in prayer. Then the light, precious light on Bible truth, would come upon the whole company assembled. All could understand the difficulties, and the truth of the Bible was comprehended and substantiated. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 14

Thus we worked and thus we prayed. Errors were continually being brought in, but we went to God in prayer and searched the Scriptures diligently. Year after year, after the passing of the time, many false theories were presented; but we collected our forces in favorable places and continued in prayer—watching, and praying, and searching the Scriptures. Then light was given to the very youngest of those assembled, and the truth of the Word of God in regard to the position we were occupying was plainly specified. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 15

The time of respite granted us seemed short, too short, to open to the world the great and wonderful things of God’s law. The promises of God—how we laid hold upon them! We could not bear all the glory; our physical strength left us, and the power of God, like a halo of glory, was over us. What praises went up to God. “Yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” [Hebrews 10:37.] There was a tarrying time for us, but He, our Lord, knew the end from the beginning. It was no delay, and from year to year we worked and prayed and believed. The errors that were rushing in upon us we met in the power of God and explained them. And the glory filled the room where we were assembled. We had thought that the work would have been accomplished before this. But the light came from the Lord regarding the extension of the work. “Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.” [Matthew 28:18.] This power we needed then in the early history of our work. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” [Verse 19.] Then we understood that there was a world to be warned. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” [Verse 20.] Here was our work, our commission. The truth was to go to every city in America, and we were to gather up our forces to proclaim the message in the “regions beyond.” [2 Corinthians 10:16.] 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 16

Had the work been done that God designed should be done, the condition of things in our world would now be very different. But the professing followers of Christ are asleep; the churches have not fulfilled the solemn charge laid upon them. Men placed as watchmen have been asleep at their post, and many refuse to wake up. They are not fulfilling the gospel commission. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 17

After Christ had risen from the dead, the angels said to the women, “Go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him; lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid; go tell My brethren that they go into Galilee; and there shall they see Me.” [Matthew 28:7-10.] 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 18

“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some doubted.” [Verses 16, 17.] They doubted that He had risen from the dead, in spite of the most powerful facts in proof of it. The Jews did not deny the resurrection of Christ for want of evidence to prove it, nor did they hire soldiers to tell a lie because they believed the falsehood or could substantiate it. They did it to keep the people from knowing the truth. False teachers are always afraid to have the truth come before the people. This knowledge they wish to hide, to keep the people from becoming acquainted with the facts. They desire preeminence, and the truth would spoil their history and their character. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 19

There are many ways in which the truth has been withheld from the world that Christ has purchased with the price of His blood. But Christ has supreme authority over all and power to give knowledge to all who desire it and who seek it from God in His Word. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 20

The sacred commission given us is to work for all nations. To turn sinners from iniquity is to be the great object of the followers of Christ. In various ways this work is to be done. In our camp-meetings, a much more decided effort is to be put forth to accomplish this work. Short discourses right to the point are to be given, and those who hear are to be called to make a decision. The laborers are to be fervent in spirit. During the meeting our periodicals are to be distributed and sold. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 21

Let all strive together to reach the object Christ has set before us. The gospel is to be translated into every tongue and is to be preached to every creature. The divine presence of Christ will ever be with the true workers, enlightening their minds as they open the Scriptures to others. All who reach out for the Lord Jesus in their prayers, seeking for wisdom and efficiency, will be given success in their endeavors to win souls to righteousness. They will be God’s light-bearers, shining amidst the darkness of the world. 21LtMs, Lt 34, 1906, par. 22