Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)

Ms 73, 1906

The Work in Mountain View

Mountain View, California

September 10, 1906

This manuscript is published in entirety in 5MR 70-77.

Our work is a sacred one. It should be our aim so to order the work in every place in a way that is well pleasing to God. Every one connected with this work should heed the words of Christ, “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 of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” [Matthew 11:28-30.] 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 1

“Come unto Me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” How shall we obtain that rest? First we must come to Him; then, He continues, “Take My yoke upon you.” [Verses 28, 29.] God desires a sanctified people, set apart for His service. We are not to gather up burdens that have no special relation to the work of God. “Take My yoke upon you,” He says. Do the work He has specified, that the principles of true Christianity may be represented in everything you undertake. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 2

“Take My yoke upon you, and learn”—of somebody else?—“learn of Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall (in learning of Me) find rest unto your souls.” [Verse 29.] There is a blessed rest in the assurance that we are working in Christ’s lines. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 3

If it seems best that the office shall be rebuilt in Mountain View, then let every one connected with the work here be a missionary, a blessing to those who know not the truth. “Ye are laborers together with God.” [1 Corinthians 3:9.] Think how tender Christ was with all who came to Him for help! If all will look, not at the faults of others, but at their own shortcomings, and see that they individually carry out the true principles of the law of God, our brethren and sisters will be a blessing to the community. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 4

A solemn responsibility rests upon every one to maintain a living connection with the God of truth. “Ye are,” Christ says, “the light of the world. ... Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” [Matthew 5:14, 16.] 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 5

All heaven is interested in the work in which we are engaged. We must do a solid, not a superficial work. I am grieved when I see our printing offices, doing so much commercial work, virtually saying to the world, “Bring your work to us, we will do it for you.” We have more work for the Lord than we can possibly perform. There is much to be done that we will overlook unless we are baptized with the Holy Spirit. We desire that commercialism shall be purged form every office. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 6

I have been considering the question whether we might not print our books, and then place them with other publications to be bound, and thus relieve ourselves of the work of binding them in our own office. But I have recently been shown how this would work. If these books are intrusted to others, they will come out in a cheap form, because those who handle them do not take a special interest in the work. It will not be wise to place our work in the hands of unbelievers, when we have right amongst us those who are ready to do the work conscientiously and well. If our workers will endeavor to become efficient in the various lines of work, if they will strip for the race and harness for the battle, the Lord will bless them in becoming more and more intelligent and capable to do the work acceptably. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 7

Instead of seeking for amusements, they will find their highest pleasure in carrying forward faithfully to the very end of time the sacred work of the Lord. In regard to the distribution of the work on our publications among unbelievers, the light that has been given me is that it will cost us more in the end than it would to have done the work ourselves in the name and fear of the Lord. The Lord desires the workers in our publishing houses to become very proficient; for they will be taken to distant countries. Many who think they will never be moved from their homes will be moved away unexpectedly; and unless they have improved their opportunities to obtain an education, they cannot stand upon the eminence that Christ desires them to stand upon. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 8

We must do a thorough work in education. The youth in our offices of publication should receive practical instruction in every line of work connected with the printing of books. Then, if the providence of God should lead them to other countries, they can learn the language and be able to print for the people in that country the truth that God has committed to us, which must go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. The Lord is sending His angels, preparing the hearts of the people to receive the truth. And if we are only consecrated to His service, we shall be sent forth in the spirit and power of Elijah. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 9

From the light given me of God, I know that some should acquire a perfect understanding of every line of work connected with the printing and binding of books; for God will place them in positions where such work will be required of them. Because we are now settled here, we seem to think that we shall never be moved. But there will come a time when there will be a great scattering—a scattering that we do not now dream of, and it will be brought about in unexpected ways. Some of you will be taken away to remote regions, but God will have a work for you there. While you are here, let everyone be teachable. Educate and train every power of the mind, that you may obtain an understanding in every part of the work. Cultivate the voice. Learn to speak so as to make the most favorable impression upon other minds. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 10

Do not feel that you must seek for amusements. When your heart is brought into harmony with God, then you will have fulness of joy, and you will sing the praises of God out of a full heart. What we need is practical religion, not as an outside garment, but reaching to the very inmost part of our being. Then we can teach one another, and we can speak in the tenderness of Christ. Let us hide in Christ. Would that we all stood covered with humility as with a garment, that we were in active communion with Jesus Christ. Then no one would feel it to be his duty to tear down the work of any other workman. Then there would be a spirit of kindness and tenderness among all the laborers for God. God desires us to respect one another. Those who have learned to wear the yoke of Christ will know that it is a yoke of love and tenderness. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 11

I entreat those who have charge of the office here to be kind and courteous in dealing with the apprentices. Win their souls by kindness. If they do wrong, go to them in the spirit or meekness, and talk and pray with them. Work for the salvation of every one of them. Do not rest till this is accomplished. Let them see that you act as tender fathers and brothers, that you are meek and lowly in heart. Do not rest until you see that their feet are planted firmly on the Rock of ages. Then everything will move harmoniously. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 12

If our ministering brethren pass through the office, let them speak kindly and encouragingly to the workmen. Shake hands with them, and enquire as to what progress they are making. Encourage them to climb to the very highest round of the ladder of progress. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 13

If you see something in a brother that needs to be corrected, go to him, and say, Let us pray about this; let us talk with God about it. If you should weep, this will not hurt you. If you were to break your heart before God, He can bind it up and give you that grace which is unto eternal life. But God has not set you as dictators. He has not committed to you the work of punishing sinners. He desires you to search your own heart, and put away your sins, to work away from every defect of character. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 14

Then what would be the condition of our offices? I have seen representations of what would be. I have seen the angels of God passing from room to room, noting the articles that were being published, noting every word and action of the workmen. Their faces were lighted with joy, and their hands were outstretched in blessing. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 15

But the angels of God are grieved at every manifestation of a harsh spirit. God has given to every one a mind and an experience, possibly a higher experience than ours. We need to learn of Christ to be meek and lowly in heart. “Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” [Matthew 7:7.] 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 16

Let every one understand his accountability to God. It is the privilege of every one to stand in that position where he is assured that the Lord will guide him, because he has proved Him again and again. He has gone to the Lord and asked Him, and the Lord has given him light and knowledge. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 17

But we do not properly acknowledge the goodness of the Lord. The church might be in a much higher position today if, when they receive a blessing from God, they would praise Him. Their lips should speak forth His praise. Their hearts should be filled with light and gladness. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 18

A wonderful blessing was represented to me as falling upon a congregation who were seeking the Lord with fasting and prayer. Their countenances were lighted up with the glory of God, and angels were passing from one to another, ministering to them. That is what we wish to see here in Mountain View. We wish to see it in the meetings that shall be held in Oakland and San Francisco. These cities are just as needy as are other mission fields. Many in them are as great sinners as can be found in any part of the world. If they are properly approached, many of them will be saved. They do not know what the Bible says, nor what it means. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 19

We need more missionaries. I feel an intense desire for the needs of the foreign countries, as they have been presented before me. The angel of God is opening doors in all parts of the world that a little while ago were closed to the messages of God. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 20

But where are those who have received the necessary education to open these opening doors? Where are those who have learned of Jesus Christ, to be like Him? If you have not learned this, begin right now. Do not expend one dollar needlessly. You will have a call to invest in His cause all that you can spare. We cannot afford to be extravagant in anything, when the cause of God is so needy. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 21

We need less of self and a great deal more of the love of Christ. We need the power of the grace of God that is in His truth. We may profess the truth; but unless we are baptized with the spirit of Christ, into a spirit of love and tenderness, we need a reconversion. If we will love as brethren—tenderly, kindly, the praise of God will come from our lips. When we read the Scriptures, we will praise God; and when we are assembled with His saints, we will glorify God with our lips. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 22

We need a sanctified imagination and a sanctified tongue. Our work is to put on the meekness of Christ, to be kind and tender and courteous. The Lord will not accept the work of any man that is not done in tenderness and love and kindness. He has not set us as rulers, to lord it over His heritage. Let others be moved by Christ, just as we desire to be moved by Him. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 23

Night after night, scenes have been presented to me of little companies pleading with God. He would show them some idol they had been cherishing. Some would give this up, and some would not. But the light of heaven shone from the faces of those who would put away their idol. Then other idols would be shown to them, and again some would put these away. But the light of heaven shone upon all who would give up all for Christ. 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 24

We want to receive everything that God has for us in these days when wickedness is so rapidly increasing. Are we learning the lesson as we see the increase of wickedness, that we must just as verily increase in righteousness? Do we understand that we must be growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, that we must be living upon the plan of addition? “Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” [2 Peter 1:5-7.] 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 25

“For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” [Verses 8-11.] 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 26

Here is brought to view our eternal life insurance policy. We had better make sure that we are living on this plan of addition, and God will work for us on the plan of multiplication. He will multiply unto us grace and peace. Let us fix our eyes on the cross of Calvary and behold the sacrifice of Christ to secure for us this life insurance policy—“If ye do these things, ye shall never fall; for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” [Verses 10, 11.] 21LtMs, Ms 73, 1906, par. 27