Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)

Lt 279, 1904

Paulson, D.; Sadler, W.; Jones, A. T.; Waggoner, E. J.

Takoma Park, Maryland

August 1, 1904

This letter is published in entirety in 21MR 174-177.

To brethren Paulson, Sadler, Jones, and Waggoner,—

In the night season I seemed to be in a large company, speaking plainly and decidedly under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. I presented the true outcome of the present controversy over the medical work. I told those present that had they heeded the testimonies sent them, the many young people now in Battle Creek would not have come under the subtle influence of the education they have there received. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 1

One not known to those present stepped forward, and in a clear, distinct voice said, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” [Ephesians 5:14-17.] 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 2

Many other words were spoken. Before us were Dr. Paulson and Brother Sadler. The Speaker took the hand first of one and then of another, and said, “You are beloved of God, but you have not been making straight paths for your feet. Follow Me. The one to whom you have yielded respect has refused to accept and follow the counsel of God and has allowed himself to be influenced by seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. The end you cannot possibly imagine. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 3

“Heed the words given to the apostle for the benefit of the church. ‘As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him; rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.’ [Colossians 2:6-10.] You have given honor to a finite man. Once and again God has honored this man, but he will not heed My word. He has despised Me in the person of My saints. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 4

“You are not to honor any man unless his works testify that God honors him and that he is under the Lord’s keeping power. You have unmistakable evidence that one amongst you, whom in the past I have greatly honored, has greatly dishonored Me and has made decided efforts to glorify himself. With legal bonds he has bound up the interests of My cause. These bonds must be broken, and you must use your influence to see that they are broken. My work is not to be manipulated by men. It must not be subjected to any ambitious devisings. The medical missionary work has been deteriorating, because the spirit that has controlled in it is not a pure, holy spirit, but a spirit that for years has been seeking to exalt itself against My messengers. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 5

“‘The Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron.’ [1 Timothy 4:1, 2.] ‘I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.’ [2 Timothy 4:1-5.] 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 6

“You are at this time passing through a trying experience. Stand strongly linked with My appointed messengers, and let not any evil words prejudice your minds or be as seed sown in your hearts. Your strength now is not in keeping silent and allowing fables to be brought in and taught as truth. My Word will go forth as a lamp that burneth. I will work through messengers who will not yoke up with Dr. Kellogg, who will not endorse his methods and plans, but who will reprove them. He has refused to wear My yoke, and unless he is converted, I will separate from him and from those who sustain him in his self-exaltation.” 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 7

Those who are carrying on the work of our sanitariums are not to shun responsibility and neglect their duty in order to give Dr. Kellogg the right of way. He has drawn many of our youth to Battle Creek, and they have become fastened where they will be brought under influences opposed to God. They are not to be kept under this training. Cut loose, cut loose is my message. Souls are being deceived; sentiments are being received which originate with satanic agencies. Cut loose, cut loose. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 8

Fields were pointed out which, though kept open for years, have been left unworked, while there has been devising and planning, and the Lord has been reproving these plans. Instruction has been given me that if so many young people had not been gathered to Battle Creek, a great and efficient work might have been done. Places that are unworked might have been entered, and souls might have been reached by the truth. Small companies of workers, under the wise generalship of consecrated teachers, should be going forth into needy fields. Whenever this work is taken up in earnest, careful movements will need to be made. There should be no wild, fanatical flights. A wise program should be made by men under the control and guidance of the Lord, built up in the most holy faith. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 9

The students in our various colleges and training schools are to have wise medical teachers. The students are to be given wise religious instruction. Their teachers are to be men who love and fear the Lord, men of self-control, whose lives give evidence that they have learned to obey and reverence God. If a teacher does not fear God and keep His commandments, cling not to him, however high his capabilities; for he will sow seeds of unbelief in the minds of the youth. No man should be allowed to carry out doubtful, forbidden projects. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 10

“Be ye followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks. ... Let no man deceive you with vain words.” [Ephesians 5:1-4, 6.] Oh, how many eyes have been dimmed and clouded by vain words. How many have so disregarded the pure principles that are to be maintained in God’s work that they have become servants of the enemy, not placing half as much value upon the truth as upon the projects and devisings of man. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 11

“Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of light; ... proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light; for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.” [Verses 6-8, 10-13.] 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 12

The work that is to be done must not be cloaked. The wrongs that exist in our sanitariums must be criticized and purged away. The one who stands at the head, with his associate physicians, will mislead the students, unless he is converted. These brethren may be greatly disturbed because they are opposed in their plans, and they may create great confusion. They do not realize that if their plans were carried out, it would mean ruin to them and to those connected with them. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 13

Our Counsellor then laid His hands on the shoulders of Elders A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner, and said, “You are confused. You are in the mist and fog. You have need of the heavenly anointing.” To Brother Jones He said, “Why have you permitted your mind to be worked as it has been? I warned you not to permit this.” He said to Brother Waggoner, “Leave the place where you now are, and walk in the path I have pointed out. Living Temple is full of seductive sentiments, which if received, will tear down the foundations of your faith and weaken your perceptions of truth and righteousness.” 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 14

Addressing them both, He said, “There is a work for both of you to do. Your minds need to be thoroughly renewed. Your faith is to rest on a high, holy, substantial foundation. God has a work for you to do in sounding the last message of warning to the world. Turn away from scientific theories. What is the chaff to the wheat?” 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 15

The Speaker was represented to me as standing on a high platform. To this platform He raised both men and placed one at His right hand and the other at His left. Then He said: “The sentiments that you have received in harmony with the special theories presented in the book Living Temple are not pure truth. There is a commingling of truth and error, and it will be difficult for you to single out the true from the false, to distinguish between the threads of truth and the threads of error. My Word is spirit and life. I am the bread of life. He that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 16

“Cast out of your minds the sophistries that you have been receiving. God would have your minds cleansed from these theories. Hold fast the beginning of your confidence firm unto the end. Warn others to let spiritualistic sophistries alone. Preach the Word as you have done in the past, and My Spirit will be with you. Holy angels will accompany you if you will follow in the way that God has marked out. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 17

“Separate entirely from the bewitching, misleading sentiments that run through Living Temple. You are to be My witnesses. You are to declare My Word. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. There is a work for you to do; but you must empty your minds of all fanciful presentations and give the warning message. In the place of froth and nothingness, you may have the living water that Christ promises to give to all who come to Him.” 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 18

My brethren, I am so glad, so thankful for this message that the Lord has given me for you. He said, “I will make you both free if you will take hold of My strength. You each have a work to do in proclaiming the message that Christ came to give to John, telling him to write it in a book, and send it to the churches.” 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 19

Proclaim this message; for it is your life. God will give you the power of His grace. He will give you the treasures of truth, and the Holy Spirit will make them shine in their original luster. Give to the world the message the Lord has given you. Remove not a pin or a pillar from the foundation of our faith. Preach the truth as it has been given by the Lord. This truth is powerful in the conviction of sinners. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 20

There is a higher order of enjoyment and power than man can create derived from a source above humanity. But in order to fulfil Christ’s purpose for you, you must study the truths He has given you. Eat and drink the Word. Put away all fanciful theories. Let the truth stand out in its original power. God’s great purposes are to be worked out, after the pattern of things in the heavens. Let God give you your message. Weigh every proposition coming from human beings; for fanciful theories will be brought in. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 21

Light from the throne of God is waiting for you. Empty your hearts, and let this light shine in. Show to the world an image of heavenly certainty. Lift up your eyes and see the fields that are ripe for the harvest. The light of heaven will shine all around you, repelling presumptuous sophistries. Let the truth shine forth with its own glory and in its own defense. Feed the flock of God with the manna that His own hand supplies. Your capabilities will increase as the indwelling life expands. Trust to God’s guardianship. His church is to be taught. Enfeebled and defective though it is, it is the object of His supreme regard. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 22

My brethren, the Lord will help you mightily if you will be guided by Him, and I am confident that you will be. May He help you, now, just now, to receive and believe the testimony that comes to you. 19LtMs, Lt 279, 1904, par. 23