Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 3 (1876 - 1882)

Lt 66, 1878

Kellogg, J. H.

Office of the Pacific Press, 1059 Castro Street, Oakland, California

February 8, 1878

Portions of this letter are published in HP 54.

Dr. Kellogg:

Dear Bro., I send you article for next Reformer. It has been in testimonies which I have selected and arranged. You can cut down, change any portion of it, accept or reject it as you choose. 3LtMs, Lt 66, 1878, par. 1

We are now tarrying a short time at Oakland. Bro. Healy is giving a course of lectures. We have good congregations of interested listeners. I have spoken and shall speak again on Sabbath. I speak upon the subject of Christian Temperance in San Francisco in Jewel’s church. I shall then, week from next Sunday evening, speak in Oakland upon the same subject. 3LtMs, Lt 66, 1878, par. 2

There is considerable interest in San Francisco and Oakland upon the subject of temperance just now. I have been invited to take part with them, but the state of my husband’s health forbids my taking extra burdens. My husband is not any worse than he has been, but is better; but it is difficult for me to state exactly the true condition of physical and mental health. I have no doubt but that he could overcome infirmities and be strong if he had never known that he was an invalid. It is so difficult for him to cease to pet invalidism. He is quite cheerful, very active in walking and riding; rather too restless here, not enough repose. We hope for the best. Our prayers daily ascend to God for his recovery. We expect to see it when he has faith for himself and will sustain his faith by his works. We are always glad to hear from you when you can write without too great taxation. We have received several very interesting letters from you. 3LtMs, Lt 66, 1878, par. 3

We were much surprised in coming from Healdsburg to meet Preston Kellogg. Merritt was here yesterday, and Preston went to St. Helena with him. 3LtMs, Lt 66, 1878, par. 4

We have had steady rains during the month of Jan. and we still have rains in Feb. It seems sometimes as though the sun has almost forgotten to shine. Well, the end of rain must come some time, for the Lord promised He would no more destroy the world with a flood of water. 3LtMs, Lt 66, 1878, par. 5

We are glad that your patients are coming in. Let them come. We want the truth of health reform to extend and deepen. We never saw a time when there were more openings to do good than now, and I remain away from labor, feeling some like a bird with a broken wing. Father has most perfect confidence in me, and he is a man that runs into habits that need to be broken up about every week. If I were not by his side to influence him, I do not know what kind of steerage he would make. When the weather improves so that he can get out on the farm, he will have his mind diverted from himself and will forget he is sick. 3LtMs, Lt 66, 1878, par. 6

I was pleased to read in your letter that you were making God your dependence. Jesus will be your strength. Jesus is to us wisdom, strength, and righteousness. Jesus was a perfect pattern of what we should be. He was the strictest observer of His Father’s law, yet he moved in perfect freedom. He had all the fervor of the enthusiast, yet He was calm, sober, and self-possessed. He was elevated above the common affairs of the world, yet He did not exclude Himself from society. He dined with publicans and sinners, played with little children, and took them in His arms and blessed them. He graced the wedding feast with His presence. He shed tears at the grave of Lazarus. He was a lover of the beautiful in nature and used the lilies to illustrate the value of natural simplicity in the sight of God above artificial display. He used the occupation of the husbandman to illustrate the most sublime truths of the kingdom of God. His zeal never degenerated into passion nor His consistency into selfish obstinacy. His benevolence never savored of weakness nor His sympathy of sentimentalism. He combined the innocence and simplicity of the child with manly strength, all-absorbing devotion to God with tender love for man. He possessed commanding dignity, combined with winning grace of humility. He manifested unyielding firmness with sweet gentleness. May we live daily in close connection with this perfect, faultless character. In God we shall prevail. In God we shall do valiantly. 3LtMs, Lt 66, 1878, par. 7

I sometimes feel that we made a mistake in hurrying to California as we did. We might have been just as well off there as here. I could have labored in Battle Creek. Father might have been more thoroughly aroused. But here we are, and we will do the best we can. Time is short, and what we do must be done quickly. And while I say this, I would not give the least excuse for you to overwork. You must be cautious. God does not require you or my husband or myself to go beyond our strength. My husband thought he could not rest a day. But you see he has had to rest months, and yet the work moves on. The terrible burden would not have come on me, with his weight to carry beside my own burden, if he had moved as God would have had him, cautiously. 3LtMs, Lt 66, 1878, par. 8

Write to us often, and may God bless you, my dear brother. 3LtMs, Lt 66, 1878, par. 9

I close for this must go in the mail. 3LtMs, Lt 66, 1878, par. 10

Yours affectionately. 3LtMs, Lt 66, 1878, par. 11