Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 20 (1905)
Ms 149, 1905
Diary
St. Helena, California
September 27, 1905
Portions of this manuscript are published in 12MR 84. +Note
This morning I cannot sleep after two o’clock. I have much to be thankful for. A sense of the goodness and mercy of my heavenly Father humbles and softens my heart, and I desire to do all in my power to exalt the Lord Jesus before the world. I praise His holy name for His mercy and goodness and love. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 1
Yesterday I received a letter from Elder Burden, stating that Dr. Julia White would come to Loma Linda to serve as lady physician and that Dr. Patience Bordeau-Sisco would go to Washington to serve in the same capacity in the sanitarium there. This pleases me. Brother Peter Hansen will act as baker at Loma Linda. I am glad that his family can have a home out of the city. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 2
We have had much anxiety regarding workers for Loma Linda, but we now begin to see our way out of the difficulties. For this I praise the Lord. I will not doubt the promise coming from the lips of the self-sacrificing Redeemer, who clothed His divinity with humanity, that human beings, by partaking of the divine nature, might escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. No one can be a partaker of the divine nature without receiving Christ as a personal Saviour. The promise is, “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” [John 1:12.] “As Thou hast sent Me into the world,” Christ said, “even so have I also sent them into the world.” [John 17:18.] What does this mean? That every soul who receives Christ by faith will work the works of Christ and will give the powers of the whole being, mind, soul, and strength, to the saving of souls who are ready to perish in ignorance and sin. Those who truly receive Christ become self-denying and self-sacrificing. They are willing and eager to work in Christ’s way and to do His will. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 3
“And for their sakes I sanctify Myself,” living in human nature the life that they must live in order to be saved. “Neither pray I for these alone; but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word.” This embraces every one who shall receive Christ as his Saviour. “That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they may be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them, that they may be one, even as We are one. I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” [Verses 19-23.] 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 4
I am instructed to write this to Brother Bollman and to assure him of the great possibilities and probabilities that may be his if he will link up with Christ, to do His will. My brother, do not link up with any other man, to follow his way, and to add his defects of character to your own natural tendencies to wrong. You are not to be imbued with the defective tendencies of human beings. You are in great danger of doing yourself and others great harm. You were presented to me as in danger of becoming influenced by Brother Smith Sharp, who is not a man that can help you. He has done much harm by his unsanctified words, and through his influence souls will be led astray if he continues to imbue others with his sharp principles. Unless he makes a decided change, it will soon be seen that it will be better for him to take up some work that has not so close a connection with the cause of God. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 5
Brother Bollman, I have expressed confidence in you, because I have seen that changes had taken place in you. But I am again instructed that there are dangers ahead. You need the sanctifying grace of Christ. After I conversed with you in Los Angeles, presentations were made to me which showed me that the enemy was taking advantage of you and others, leading you to say and do things displeasing to the Lord. Brother Bollman, the Lord calls upon you to come to your senses and to cut yourself away from advisers who can do you no good. There are men who will create dissension, whatever the consequences may be. I have a warning that I must and shall give to our people, telling them to beware how they receive the impressions that are constantly being made on minds. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 6
Elder Smith Sharp is a man who, if converted daily, could accomplish much good. But to send him forth to the churches with his peculiar tendencies, which have been often reproved, will be detrimental to the spiritual growth of our church members; for he will sow seeds that will spring up and bring forth strife. I sincerely wish that he could see himself as God sees him; he needs to be converted and transformed in character. He clings to his own ideas, and these encourage others to harbor suspicion and to cherish principles that gender strife. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 7
The Lord calls for men of experience to aid in the establishment of the work in new places. They are to educate the younger workers who shall unite with the work. Elder Butler should receive the respect of the younger workers. Let him labor in clear, straight lines. He must be careful, and cling, cling, cling with all his power to the great Medical Missionary. He is to keep step with his Leader. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 8
We have a most sacred, solemn truth to bear to the world. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16.] The Lord Jesus Christ gave up His high command, and clothed His divinity with humanity, that He might stand at the head of the human race, to save to the uttermost all who will receive Him as their Saviour. We may cast all our care upon Him, for He has plainly shown that He cares for every one of us. He has shown the great love wherewith He loves us. He brought to the world the most elevated, ennobling truths. He has removed the barrier that separated us from God and made it possible for us to grasp His saving hand. He will cleanse us from the sins that have dishonored God. He suffered and died to make an atonement for sin, that all who repent and come to Him might receive forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [1 John 1:9.] His blood was shed for the remission of sins; He obtained redemption for us by giving His life for the sin of the world. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 9
Christ declares, “I am the way. ... No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” [John 14:6.] By His precious blood He hath consecrated a new and living way into the holiest of all. Let us lay all our burdens at the feet of Jesus. We are ever to seek for unity. Discord and strife cannot possibly glorify God. We are to seek to harmonize. All envy, all strife, all ambition is to be put away. We are to encourage humility. God has promised to keep us away from evil, and we cannot cherish evil thinking and envy and at the same time keep our souls unspotted. We are bidden to pray, “Deliver us from evil.” [Matthew 6:13.] We are to act in harmony with this prayer, and not enter into evil. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 10
We are to be careful of our thoughts, our words, and our deportment. By our words we are to glorify God. Speech is a precious talent, entrusted to us to be used as a means of teaching the truth. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 11
We need to pray much, that we may be sanctified, body, soul, and spirit, prepared to do the will of God quickly and gladly. We are to be watchful sentinels over our thoughts, our words, our acts. “Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are His.” [1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.] “Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.” [Isaiah 52:11.] 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 12
All our talents are to be consecrated to the service of the Lord. Never are we to dishonor our Saviour by cherishing evil surmisings regarding those who like ourselves are trying to serve the Lord. We are to strain every nerve to be in word and thought and deed that which God desires us to be. We are to help one another to increase in spiritual efficiency and to grow in grace, daily becoming more beautiful in character. It is our privilege so to follow God in this life that at last we may hear the word, “Son, daughter, come up higher.” 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 13
Cherish purity of thought, and the love of Christ will give you confidence. Discouragements will come, but through them all, keep a quiet mind. Think of Jesus and of the love He has shown and the suffering He has endured that you might be purified and sanctified. May God help every one of us to magnify Christ. Has not the Lord a right to expect of us much more than we give Him in willing service? Let us show confidence in God. Let this thought impel every one to put forth extra effort to make no mismoves that will hinder the advancement of the work. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 14
The Lord Jesus has given to every believer a work to do for Him. We are not to act like sinners. We must do the work given us. “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” [Matthew 16:24.] In this work none are to be carried, but all are to exercise their God-given powers. Each one is to stand on his own feet, and all are to have their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Do not go stumbling on alone; remember that one step taken heavenward prepares the way for the next. Those who step aside from the strait way to try paths of their own choosing will find themselves entangled in difficulties. Follow your Leader, obeying every direction He has given. Every day Christ gives us work to do, and in doing this, we become better fitted for the duties of the morrow. Our duties are to be performed with cheerful alacrity. There is to be no repining, no scolding, no fretting. We are constantly to go forward, full of faith and hope and courage in the Lord. 20LtMs, Ms 149, 1905, par. 15