Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 1 (1844 - 1868)

Lt 2, 1862

Phillips, Daniel

Battle Creek, Michigan

January 20, 1862

Previously unpublished.

Dear Brother [Daniel] Phillips:

Some things were shown me which I will write you. 1LtMs, Lt 2, 1862, par. 1

I saw that you were not right. You lack spirituality and you do not realize and feel the weight of the truth. The burden of it does not rest upon you. You might be of greater service in this cause if you would engage in it and labor for the spirit of the present message as you used to labor for the spirit of the first and second angels’ messages. 1LtMs, Lt 2, 1862, par. 2

You are not willing to put your shoulder under burdens. You love yourself too well, and do not take the burdens or responsibilities of the cause upon you. If you lived as near to your Saviour as you should, or as you have lived, you could not live in the place you are. The atmosphere would be oppressive. But there is not that wide difference between you and unbelievers that there once was. 1LtMs, Lt 2, 1862, par. 3

You are watched, Brother Phillips, and should be extremely careful of your influence and should give no occasion for any to speak evil. Sister Mary Lyon has not been as prudent in speaking with you and to you as she should. There has been too much familiarity. 1LtMs, Lt 2, 1862, par. 4

Brother Phillips, unless you are fully consecrated to God and take hold of the work of God in earnest, it were better that you were elsewhere. Your influence is not saving and holy as it ought to be. You do not make the cause of God and its interest primary. You look out for your own interest first, and if any self-denial is to be exercised to favor the cause of God, you had rather some other one beside you would do it. You are selfish. It is very hard for you to sacrifice any privilege of your own, even to benefit souls. You do not see yourself. You are walking as a blind man. You know what it is to be fully consecrated and you know you are not there. You lack spirituality and religion. 1LtMs, Lt 2, 1862, par. 5

I was shown that if you were right, if you had any realizing sense of the shortness of time and the work to be accomplished for God’s people, you would not rest. You would agonize with God until the holy unction rested upon you, and then you would appeal to hearts and the testimony would affect [them]. But I was shown you are almost dead—all wrapped up in your own desires and interests, and God and His work are forgotten. You are asleep. You are an unfaithful servant, and are in a dangerous, cold, dead condition. I saw that you must get rid of your self-interest and wake up, and then you can do others good. 1LtMs, Lt 2, 1862, par. 6

Only a few moments of probation remain, and then it closes and nothing can be done for poor sinners. Have you no warnings to give? No cry of danger to sound in their ears? No stirring appeals to make to perishing souls? Will it be said of Daniel Phillips, “Well done, good and faithful servant”? [Matthew 25:23.] No, no; [not] unless you move, unless you act your part well, pray earnestly, fervently, and exhort with the truth burning upon the altar of your heart. 1LtMs, Lt 2, 1862, par. 7

Your mind has not been directed in the right channel. You have let it run upon things that will not profit. Your mind must be directed in another channel and dwell upon eternal things. It is too late now to have the interest divided. It is too late to be wrapped up in self. It is time that every particle of your influence was exerted on the side of God and the truth. Your whole weight must be thrown in the right scale. Engage in the work of God with all your energies. Every one of us has a work to do and it must be well done. 1LtMs, Lt 2, 1862, par. 8

God help you with all humility, all swallowed up in Jesus, to be diligent, to be willing to sacrifice for Christ and deny yourself. Christ’s life was freely sacrificed for you, and you have a work to do to gather with Christ. 1LtMs, Lt 2, 1862, par. 9

In love. 1LtMs, Lt 2, 1862, par. 10