Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 15 (1900)

Lt 85, 1900

Kellogg, J. H.

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

May 1900

Portions of this letter are published in 4MR 418; 12MR 1. +^Note

My Dear Brother: 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 1

I received your letter from Mexico. I rejoice in any token for good in the warfare of pressing the triumphs of the cross. The Saviour declared, “Without me ye can do nothing.” [John 15:5.] Just as long as you walk in the footsteps of Christ you will be safe. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 2

My brother, notwithstanding the light that has been given you, I see by your letters that you still have the same spirit of accusation against your brethren in the ministry because they do not interest themselves in the advancement of the line of work which is your one great interest. Unless a reformation takes place in your heart, you will not see things in the light of Christ, but in the light of J. H. Kellogg. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 3

There are few men who are perfect in our world. We must bear in mind that Satan is on the track of Seventh-day Adventists, trying to make God’s witnesses as few as possible. God has not given you the work of making Satan’s purposes a success. Satan makes a masterstroke when he leads men to whom God has given a certain work under His Theocracy, to turn from this work. Our efforts are not to be made to bring about confusion, to aid the enemy in binding about the work in the Lord’s great vineyard. We are not to use our ingenuity to make the labors of God’s ministers ineffectual. We are not to aid the enemy in his work by discouraging them. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 4

One part of the work is not to be made all-absorbing, to the detriment and hindrance of other parts. This has recently been so distinctly presented to me that I am compelled to speak. You feel that Sister White has turned away from you, but it is exactly the opposite. Sister White has no different testimony to bear from the testimony she has borne for the last fifty years. It is you who have changed, and changed decidedly. You have refused to accept the light which the Lord has been pleased to give you—that you were to work in harmony with your brethren. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 5

You have misappropriated God’s money in doing a work you were not appointed to do, while missionary fields <white for the harvest> have been left without facilities. They did not receive their portion of the Lord’s entrusted capital. The enemy has blinded your eyes, so that you have not seen the necessity of co-operating with the Lord’s missionaries in fields which are ripe for the harvest. By Him who created men and who gave His precious life to save them, the commission was given, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” [Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19, 20.] 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 6

Crooked paths have been made by some, yourself not excepted. This has been because there are those in the church who need a deeper work of grace in the heart, but it need not always be. The Lord knows all about this, and He sends us warnings, that we may keep in the royal road of self-denial cast up far above the world for the followers of Christ to walk in. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 7

God will do His part if individually we will do the work He has given us. But you must be on guard, else when your ambitions and interests are crossed, you will certainly be found on the wrong side. Watch unto prayer, with a heart entirely surrendered to the Lord. Watch, I say, in order that Satan may not succeed in his effort to lead you to create trouble and to oppress those who are doing the work which God has appointed them to do. This you surely will do if you act out your disposition, as you are now tempted to do. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 8

You are certainly in a most dangerous position. You are doing a greater injury than you realize. Great blindness is upon you. You do not see that you are engaged in a work which, if continued, will bring in most unwarranted oppression. If you refuse to be guided by the light which you have received, this light will become dense darkness to you. This result will surely come if you refuse to be benefited by the instruction given you to help you to escape from the pit Satan has digged for you. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 9

While you stand in the sight of the heavenly universe as the Lord has shown me you are standing—as a man who has eyes with which he might see clearly, but which see not, and ears which might be sanctified to hear all things correctly, but which hear not—you are dealing with common, not sacred fire, the sparks of your own kindling. If you continue to be of the same mind and the same spirit, you will lie down in sorrow. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 10

The Lord was present on one occasion when you were in controversy with those who were doing their utmost to bring about a favorable condition of things at Lincoln College. Had your eyes been opened to see the witnesses present at that time, you would have been ashamed of your moral and spiritual showing. Angels were there; but your spirit, your words, your decisions, were after the similitude of J. H. Kellogg, ruled and controlled by another spirit than that of Jesus Christ. Your wit, your sarcasm, the terms you used in regard to business matters, are recorded in unalterable characters, to stand against you until that day when every man shall be judged out of the things written in the books, unless through your repentance the blood of Christ wipes out the dark stain. You are following where others have gone before you, refusing to be advised or corrected by any power, human or divine. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 11

The heavenly angels were ashamed of the position taken by those men in positions of trust who permitted you to intimidate them, to lead them to submit to your demands. They were unfaithful stewards. They should have given no heed to your menaces or threats. They should not, because you demanded it, have yielded up justice and equity. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 12

I feel intensely anxious over your case. You are doing yourself and many of your associates great harm. Not long hence your wisdom will be revealed as foolishness and cruelty. The Lord witnesses every deed you do, every movement you make, every word you speak. How few know their own failings and read their own hearts. How few can discern the work of a spirit opposed to the Spirit of God. God has given you largely of His wisdom. He realizes the necessity of your understanding that this is an entrusted gift, committed to you only as long as you walk in obedience to the truth. He desires you to cherish it sacredly, as a divine endowment, given you to enable you to represent the mind and spirit of the Giver. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 13

May the Lord give sight to the blind. O, I am so sorry that you are pursuing such a course. God cannot give you the knowledge he is prepared to impart, because He sees that you would not make a right use of it, while you view things in a wrong light. Let the prayer ascend from unfeigned lips, “Lord, have mercy upon me, that I may receive my sight.” [See Luke 18:39, 41.] This prayer everyone, to whom the infinite God has given the exalted privilege of being a co-worker with Him, should offer up daily. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 14

God desires to save you from yourself, that His precious cause may not bear the reproach of your infirmities. But you are now doing according to the way and will of J. H. Kellogg. I have many things to say to you that I have withheld, and I am not at liberty to say them now. There is in our world a satanic prejudice against the law of God, against the truth. The question you are to ask yourself is, “What am I doing? On whose side am I standing?” 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 15

It is a terrible thing to do anything against God’s people. In regard to His ministers He says, “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” [Psalm 105:15.] You will do well to be careful how you move. It is not the Lord who is inspiring you to make the way of those upon whom He has placed responsibilities hard and trying When doing this, you are under the control of another spirit. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 16

You are full of ambitious projects for a class that will not, with scarcely an exception, be capable of honoring and glorying God. You have sunk your interests deeply in a work that will not properly represent the refined, elevated character of the truth. There should be no lessening of the zeal or fervor or energy shown in the work of saving souls ready to perish. But all the time and means are not to be consumed in one line of work, while the work for God’s vineyard as a whole is neglected. Thus disproportion is brought in, and the work is swayed in wrong lines. The work is not done according to the order of the Lord, as is represented in the first and second chapters of First Corinthians and the first chapter of Ephesians. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 17

God gives His servants wisdom to bring out and connect with the army of workers new elements, men who will be able to act as God’s representatives, men who can receive truth from on high to impart to those who in turn will give it to others. Thus all the work will be done after the divine similitude. “Ye are God’s husbandry; ye are God’s building.” [1 Corinthians 3:9.] 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 18

The third chapter of Ephesians speaks distinctly regarding the work that is to be done in the world at the present time, the work which will magnify the truth by exerting a sanctifying, cleansing, refining influence. The church of God is the dearest object He has on this earth. It is not composed merely of ministers of the gospel, but of all who are united by faith to Christ, through belief of the truth that works by love and purifies the soul. By them the work of the gospel is to be accomplished. All who embrace the truth are to be children of God, members of one family. 15LtMs, Lt 85, 1900, par. 19