Manuscript Releases, vol. 3 [Nos. 162-209]

MR No. 206—Miscellaneous Materials

The father, Brother Pocock, is a coachmaker by trade, and he is also a carpenter, but unfortunately he was thrown out of work, and observing the Sabbath has kept him out of work. In appearance he is a refined gentleman, but for several years has been living with his family in a house on the side of a mountain two miles from the nearest neighbor. He had to carry the material of which his house is built up the mountain on his back. The land is covered with rocks, so that it cannot be cultivated. 3MR 400.1

We knew that Brother Pocock was out of work, and we sent for him to come and paint on the school building. He came a week ago last Sunday, but when we learned from Brother and Sister Starr the situation of his family, their deep poverty and their lack for nourishing food, we advised him to return and bring his family to Cooranbong. 3MR 400.2

Brother Pocock has been the means of bringing three families into the truth. Brother Starr was sent to baptize these people, and by this means we learned of Brother Pocock's necessity. We borrowed money, and loaned it to him to enable him to bring his family up, and told him to let his shanty go. Come he must. He arrived yesterday. We had secured for them a house of two small rooms from Mr. Hughes, who said that he would charge them no rent. They are now situated where they will be comfortable. We will not see them want. All were glad to get here.... We shall now do our best to get them a little home on the school ground, and will help them by giving him work. He has two good trades at his command, and will be able to amply support his family. Their experience has indeed been trying, but they have never murmured, never complained. If they had told us anything of their situation, we should have urged them leaving that place three years ago.—Letter 63, 1899, pp. 1, 2. (To Brother and Sister John Wessels, April 4, 1899.) 3MR 400.3

Sabbath day November 8, 1851, the brethren lectured. James talked twice from the word, Brother Holt once. It was a very interesting time. Truth never looked so plain and clear. One hundred were present. It was a precious time, praise the Lord. 3MR 401.1

Sunday November 9 Brother Holt lectured in the forenoon and James in the afternoon. In the morning meeting before Brother Holt commenced to lecture, Sister E. P. Butler, who came to the meeting and was obliged to keep her bed nearly all the while, confessed in the meeting that she had been wrong. Then Brother Butler talked very well; there was a confession made all around with weeping. 3MR 401.2

Then I got up and told my vision about Brother Baker and Hart and others. I never had it in a more clear manner. I told Brother Baker, his going to the churches to proclaim the third angel's message was all wrong, that he had to tame down that message or he could not have got into the churches, and that he had been taking the children's bread and giving it to dogs. I told him just how his case was shown to me, and also told them all that the messengers of God should be perfectly united in their views of Bible truth and should consult with each other, and should not advance any new view until they first went to the messengers and examine those views with the Bible, and if they were correct let all the messengers spread them, and if they were error lay them to one side. Then the gospel seed would be sown in union and raised in strength; and all the messengers East and West, North and South, would be telling the same story. 3MR 401.3

After I got through talking it was time for the lecture to commence so none made any remarks. In the afternoon after James talked, Brother Baker arose; none knew what he was about to say. He told them that every word of the vision related in the forenoon concerning him was truth—just exactly as it was. (I saw in vision that Brother Baker had not had any bitter feelings towards us like some others.) He referred to this in particular, he knew it to be just so. “Well now,” says he, “you will say, ‘What is Brother Baker going to do with the visions?’” I will tell you. It is high time for me to decide there is no halfway work about this business; the visions are all of God or there is none of them of God. ‘Well,’ say you, ‘What is Brother Baker going to do?’ Believe the visions. I see that they are inseparably connected with the third angel's message and if I give up the visions I must give up the third angel's message; and if I give up the third angel's message I give up that we have had, the first and second; and if I give up that we have had, the first, second, and third angels' messages, I give up the word of God, my Christian experience, and am an infidel at once.” 3MR 402.1

I never witnessed such a melting, weeping time before. Brother Butler had taken his stand the day before and told the brethren and sisters in public where to find him, on the side of the visions. “I believe them to be of God, am a full believer in the visions, so you may know where to find me.” Others expressed their belief, and hearty confessions were made by Brother Hart and others. Never did I witness such a powerful time.... We parted with the brethren and sisters while sweet love and union prevailed among all.—Letter 8, 1851, pp. 4, 5. (To Brother and Sister Howland, November 12, 1851.) 3MR 402.2

If Satan can work to turn the whole current of the waters of life into the most polluted channels, it is the very work he would rejoice to see the whole Seventh-day Adventist people engaged in. He desires us to use up in this way all the available means, so that there is nothing left to sustain foreign missions. But God wants His work to go in the very way He has ordained for it to go. He has not inaugurated a new plan or arrangement to save the world.... 3MR 403.1

Seek to save Dr. Kellogg from himself. He is not heeding the counsel he should heed. He is not satisfied because the Lord has signified that the missionary work does not consist alone in the slum work in Chicago. That work, thought to be the great and important thing to be done, is a very defective and expensive work. It has absorbed the means, and has deprived our poverty-stricken foreign mission fields of the help God designed them to have. The use of means in what is called the medical missionary work needs most thorough investigation. Means have been consumed and will continue to be consumed in a work which is not the greatest or most important to be done in our world. God calls upon His church that knows the truth to arise and shine; for their light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon them. 3MR 403.2

The Lord has signified that the missionary, health-restorative gospel shall never be separated from the ministry of the word. The Lord Jesus has in His own example shown us the way in which His work is to be done in the restoration of suffering humanity.... 3MR 403.3

Donations large and abundant have come into the hands of Dr. Kellogg. These should not have been swallowed up in doing that which the world would do largely, but the world will not do the work which God has committed to His people. He requires us to be wide awake in preparing the way for Christ's second coming. This work is included in the commission Christ gave to His disciples. He bids us, “Lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”—Letter 3, 1900, pp. 2-5. (To Elder and Mrs. G. A. Irwin, January 1, 1900.) 3MR 404.1