Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 18 (1903)

Lt 10, 1903

Palmer, E. R.; Daniells, A. G.

“Elmshaven,” St. Helena, California

January 8, 1903

Portions of this letter are published in ChL 27-28. +^Note

E. R. Palmer and A. G. Daniells

My dear Brethren,—

I wish to say a few words to you this morning. I have been disappointed and grieved over the course that both of you have followed. It is a course which tends to discourage the workers in Nashville and Melbourne, and which tends to gather more responsibilities to the men in Battle Creek. Only a few days ago there came to my notice a leaflet containing the correspondence that passed between the Echo office, Brother E. R. Palmer, and the brethren in South Africa, in regard to the book business in South Africa. I was surprised that I had not received any intimation of this matter before. But since I read this correspondence, the very thing that I have been expecting has come. The publishing plant in Battle Creek has been burned to the ground. I now feel that the Lord has taken matters into His own hands, and that I have nothing more to say. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 1

I have felt called upon to write some things to the brethren in Australia, in response to a letter from Brother and Sister Kress requesting me to give them any light that I might have in regard to the medical faculty of the Wahroonga Sanitarium. But I have not yet written one line to the brethren in Australia in regard to the light that the Lord has given me concerning matters in South Africa. I have had no correspondence with any of the parties concerned in Australia or in South Africa, although in the last mail I received communications from the brethren of the Echo office asking for advice and counsel. My burden has been to save you, if possible, from doing a strange work—a work that the Lord has not give either of you to do. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 2

Three nights in succession after the council I had with you here, my mind was in an agony of distress. For a month or more afterward, I could not sleep after twelve o’clock at night, and I arose then to write out the representations that were given me, the half of which I have not told, and may never have to tell. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 3

By means of one Agency, Christ Jesus, God has mysteriously linked all men together. To every man He has assigned some special line of service; and we should be quick to comprehend that we are to guard against leaving the work given us in order that we may interfere with other human agencies who are doing a work not precisely the same as our own. To no man has been assigned the work of interfering with the work of one of his fellow laborers, trying to take it in hand himself; for he would so handle it that he would spoil it. To one, God gives a work different from the work that He gives another. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 4

Let us all remember that we are not dealing with ideal men, but with real men of God’s appointment, men precisely like ourselves, men who fall into the same errors that we do, men of like ambitions and infirmities. No man has been made a master, to rule the mind and conscience of a fellow being. Let us be very careful how we deal with God’s blood-bought heritage. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 5

To no man has been appointed the work of being an overseer of his fellow men. Every man is to bear his own burden. He may speak words of encouragement, faith, and hope to his fellow workers; he may help them to bear their special burdens by suggesting to them improved methods of labor; but in no case is he to discourage and enfeeble them, lest the enemy shall obtain an advantage over their minds—an advantage that in time would react upon himself. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 6

By the cords of tender love and sympathy the Lord has linked all men to Himself. Of us He says, Ye “are laborers together with God. Ye are God’s husbandry; ye are God’s building.” [1 Corinthians 3:9.] This relationship we should recognize. If we are bound up with Christ, we shall constantly manifest Christlike sympathy and forbearance toward those who are striving with all their God-given ability to bear their burdens, even as we endeavor to bear our appointed burdens. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 7

In our several callings there is to be mutual dependence on one another for assistance. A spirit of authority is not to be exercised, even by the president of a Conference; for position does not change a man into a creature that cannot err. Every laborer entrusted with the management of a Conference is to work as Christ worked, wearing His yoke and learning of Him His meekness and lowliness. A Conference president’s spirit and demeanor, in word and in deed, reveal whether he realizes his weakness and places his dependence on God, or whether he thinks that his position of influence has given him superior wisdom. If he loves and fears God, if he realizes the value of souls, if he appreciates every jot of the help that the Lord has qualified a brother worker to render, he will be able to bind heart to heart by the love that Christ revealed during His ministry. He will speak words of comfort to the sick and the sorrowing. If he does not cultivate a masterly manner, but bears in mind always that One is his Master, even Christ, he can counsel the inexperienced, encouraging them to be God’s helping hand. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 8

The feeble hands are not to be deterred from doing something for the Master. Those whose knees are weak are not to be caused to stumble. God desires us to encourage those whose hands are weak to grasp more firmly the hand of Christ and to work hopefully. Every hand should be outstretched to help the hand that is doing something for the Master. The time may come when the hands that have upheld the feeble hands of another may in turn be upheld by the hands to whom they ministered. God has so ordered matters that no man is absolutely independent of his fellow men. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 9

To us comes the message that was given to the church at Ephesus: “Thou hast left thy first love.” This message comes at a time when, in our supreme self-importance, we suppose that we are advancing heavenward. Gradually we have been losing sight of the fact that we are only God’s little children, and that daily we must receive strength and help from Him, if we remain Christlike in behaviour, and act as those that have been born again. And because we have lost sight of this, God’s message to all our churches, which have received great light, is, “Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left thy first love.” [Revelation 2:4.] 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 10

When the Holy Ghost came upon the early disciples, and three thousand people were converted in one day, there was love and fellowship in the Christian church. “All that believed were together, and had all things in common; ... and they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” [Acts 2:44, 46, 47.] They lived in the simplicity of the gospel of Christ. But after a time, the evil leaven of criticism and fault-finding was introduced into the church, finally resulting in their leaving their first love. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 11

Thus it is with God’s church today. We have left our first love. And to us, as to the church at Ephesus, is spoken the warning message: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” [Revelation 2:5.] 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 12

My brethren, I beg of you to humble your hearts before God, and make thorough work of repentance yourselves. Thus you can set an example that will help others to understand how to humble themselves before God in repentance and turn away His wrath from being visited upon His people. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 13

If the Review and Herald office had been thoroughly cleansed, the present showing before the world would not have been. The brethren connected with this institution have not heeded the Testimonies of the Spirit of God. They have braced themselves against them. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 14

I will mention one matter that has been presented to me as an object lesson showing how the word of the Lord is regarded. For many years the special articles that He has been giving to His people have occupied the first place in the pages of our church paper, the Review and Herald. But suddenly their position was changed. For a time, objectionable illustrations occupied the place that these articles formerly occupied. Many, many have spoken to me of this change, and of the grief it has brought to their hearts. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 15

Several months ago, in the visions of the night, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “This is an acted parable. The removal of these articles from the first page of this paper, and the publication of inappropriate illustrations on this page <is not an accident; it is an outgrowth of perverted principles and> speaks louder than words. This is a parable showing the estimation in which are held the words of the one whom God appointed to act a part in founding the paper in the early days of the message, and whose testimonies from the Lord have been coming to His people since the first issue of the paper. The displacement of God’s word for these objectionable illustrations reveals the moral taste of those who have made the change. God has taken notice of this.” 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 16

I have not mentioned this matter before, to anyone, although the change is marked, and has been commented upon by many of our people and others. If it pleases my brethren to give to the world, in this acted parable, their estimation of the Lord’s word, I have nothing to say. 18LtMs, Lt 10, 1903, par. 17