Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)

Lt 72, 1899

Tenney, Brother and Sister [G. C.]

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

April 20, 1899

Portions of this letter are published in Ev 557-558, 561.

Dear Brother and Sister Tenney:

We feel very grateful to our heavenly Father that we can advance, and that the Lord has helped us. There are means coming to us from America. I expected help in this last mail, but none came as we expected. It will come next mail, we hope, for we want to go forward with the hospital. The plan of the building is already drawn. I see a great work to be done in the sanitarium to be established, and we wish to secure the very best location possible. We shall consider Hornsby and Hawkesbury, which are within easy reach of Sydney. Then we can have branches in the city and in Cooranbong. Our hospital will be one branch, Newcastle another. Newcastle perhaps will be more of a center. 14LtMs, Lt 72, 1899, par. 1

We need much wisdom and grace, and we know just where to obtain it. I could not believe that the Lord would leave us destitute of help and leave the impression upon the people that we must depend upon them to help us, that we are in their power to keep us down and limit our influence. God would have us stand on vantage ground, [with our] buildings that will leave a favorable impression on the people and bring glory to God. Time has been lost, but the Lord will work in His own way. I wish Dr. Kellogg could visit Australia, and give us some of the influence and knowledge. I am going to ask for it. Let us have courage in the Lord. We shall cling to one mighty to save even to the uttermost. 14LtMs, Lt 72, 1899, par. 2

I believe the Lord will give more souls as sheaves in the very field where you are now laboring. Christ is your Helper and your God. Take firm hold of His strength, and you will see the salvation of God. We must reach the people just where they are. One phase of our work is to give the compelling message, for there are those who need your urgency to make them decide to obey the Word. “Come, for all things are now ready.” [Luke 14:17.] I am so glad that so many have taken hold of the truth. This is as it should be. Everything should be done that can be done to win souls to Christ. Then everything possible should be done to draw them to Him. The work is to be done that is represented by Jude as “pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” [Jude 23.] God will work to co-operate with His chosen workers. We are never alone. One can chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight. 14LtMs, Lt 72, 1899, par. 3

You can see what need there is to hold on after the camp meeting, making every effort to gather in the sheaves. Souls are precious. Christ gave His life to save the highest in authority, like Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord God of heaven would have that king bow to His authority and own that the Lord God of heaven rules. From the light given me by the Lord there is not the effort made that should be made to convince and convert those in the highways. There are honest men who will yield to evidence, and efforts should be made to draw them, and even to pull them. 14LtMs, Lt 72, 1899, par. 4

Those who have worked on false principles, and have perverted their sense of righteousness, are not to be left without effort. God calls them. The Lord would have special pains taken to win them and leave them without excuse. We must work on the right hand and on the left. We must draw nigh to God and obtain His Spirit, and then work for souls. Even the great men are more easily drawn by the simplicity of the gospel than by any effort made in human power. We need more of God and far less of self. God will work through the weakest human agent who is charged with His Spirit. He wants every worker to be supplied with His abundant grace. 14LtMs, Lt 72, 1899, par. 5

In the history of men we learn how dangerous is prosperity. It is not the men who have lost their money and their property who are in the greatest danger, but those who have obtained a fortune and are placed in a high position. These need careful, earnest labor. Adversity may depress, but prosperity elevates to presumption. Prayers are often requested for men and women in affliction, and this is as it should be; but the most earnest prayers should be solicited for those who are placed in a prosperous position. These men are in the greatest danger of losing the soul. In the valley of humiliation we can walk securely, while we reverence God and make Him our trust. On the lofty pinnacle, where praise is heard, where our wisdom and greatness are extolled, we need a special power, a special arm to sustain us. 14LtMs, Lt 72, 1899, par. 6

This is the light in which we should regard those not of our faith. The men who are exalted and praised need greater help in the simplicity of Christ than they receive. They need more earnest, persevering prayer, that they may be saved from destruction. The minister of the gospel should be faithful to very soul, but the wisest, firmest labor should be given to those ministers who are not of the faith. There are many who know no better than to be misled by ministers of other churches. Let faithful, God-fearing, earnest workers, their life hid with Christ in God, pray and work for honest ministers who have been educated to misinterpret the Word of life. Our ministers are to make it their special work to labor for ministers. They are not to get into controversy with them, but with their Bible in their hand, urge them to study the Word. If this is done, there are many ministers now preaching error, who will preach the truth for this time. 14LtMs, Lt 72, 1899, par. 7

Brother Tenney, let us draw closer and still closer to our Redeemer. He will save us with an everlasting salvation. We want light every day. We want a power that God alone can supply. We must have it. There are precious resources for us if we will walk in the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment and to hide self in Jesus Christ. 14LtMs, Lt 72, 1899, par. 8

Daylight is coming, and I must speak this morning to the students at the school. 14LtMs, Lt 72, 1899, par. 9

In much love. 14LtMs, Lt 72, 1899, par. 10