Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 8 (1893)

Lt 31, 1893

Haskell, S. N.

Wellington, New Zealand

June 2, 1893

Portions of this letter are published in OHC 41.

Elder S. N. Haskell
Oakland, California

Dear Brother,

I am so sorry that you have allowed your feelings to get the better of your judgment. Your conclusions are not liberal and just to me. I believe that your motives were the best, and that you would not have allowed the writings to pass out from your hands had you not thought that you were doing good to a soul that was in danger and great peril. I have not one grain less confidence in you, and I hope, sincerely hope, you will not let the enemy have any victory over you. The Lord is your Helper. The Lord is your everlasting Friend. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 1

Now I shall reprove you for being so sensitive and taking things so hard and writing bitter things against yourself. I shall write to you just as freely and wholeheartedly as I have ever done. I know how pleased the enemy is when he can get you looking on the dark side. I am so glad the Sun of Righteousness has made a rift in the cloud, in the case of the Chinese. Now, be encouraged and comforted with such good tokens as this, and lift up your head and rejoice for our redemption draweth nigh. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 2

The mail today takes from me thirty-four pages of manuscript in regard to this new light—which is darkness. I send the matter to Fannie to prepare for circulation. I received a letter from Elder Starr this day which I shall enclose in this. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 3

He left Wellington for Melbourne via Hobart. He had a fine passage and Nellie was not sick at all. He met in Hobart a Brother Caldwell from Philadelphia, who has come to this far-off country to circulate these tracts of Stanton’s production. What his message amounts to we do not yet know, as he has not come to us with this important message. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 4

I would be pleased to know whether the letter to Stanton, sent through to Brother Jones, was at once read to (or sent to) Stanton. Can you tell me whether there was anything decidedly or definitely of a personal character in the letters you let Stanton have? Did you give him the letters as his own or to be returned to you? Was there anything in them of a personal character that he can use against any of our ministers? I read the pamphlets he has published for wide distribution, and I cannot see anything in these letters he has had the privilege of reading that could do special harm, aside from the fact that he uses the testimonies given of God to blind the eyes of the understanding of those not knowing the facts, and who will naturally infer that I am a part and parcel of this erroneous, false beacon light. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 5

I see nothing so wonderful in these letters that make them worse than the selections made from the testimonies. Has he kept back something not yet published? But at all events, that which appears need not cause you such great distress and remorse as you express. I hope that you will be comforted by the Holy Spirit of God, and that not a sad word shall sound forth from you. I am greatly desirous that you shall not be overcome by the enemy in any way, but be an overcomer. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 6

I know that the Lord has pitying tenderness toward you, and that He would have you rest in Him continually. Do not let gloom and darkness into your soul, and do not lose your faith and hope in God. But I expect before this reaches you that you will have received that help and strength and grace which the Lord alone shall be able to bestow. I think we ought to be most grateful to God that He is not only infinite in wisdom, but He is full of tender, pitying love, and He knoweth our infirmities. He will be a present help, to all who love Him, in every time of need. We are students in the school of Christ. We are to learn of the divine Teacher who said, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11:28-30.] 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 7

Sunday, June 5

I read in your letter a statement saying that Brother Smith required the Australian mail. Was it the mail sent to you? Well, it is not best for you to worry over the matter. I hope you do not think I blame you, because I do not. I want you to resist the devil. Look away from yourself to Jesus. Trust in One who has been tempted in all points like as humanity has been tempted and knoweth how to succor those who are tempted. You can have the victory; you can triumph in Jesus Christ. It is not giving your Redeemer any glory, or you any strength, to talk of your sinfulness, and your weakness. Hide in Jesus, then the strife of tongues, the opinions of others, will not affect you so keenly. I cannot write you lengthily, because my head has been used so constantly that it is very weary. But I cannot see anything to forgive you for. I see nothing in the act of your giving the letters out that deserve censure. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 8

Now, if you will, as soon as you are released from the confinement to your wife’s sick bed, come to Australia; we shall be very glad to welcome you. Here are fields, plenty of them, in which you can labor; but get out of the slough of despond and meet us once more; and go with us to South Africa, that is if we go. They want us to come and urge our coming; but we are not at liberty to leave here yet. Much needs to be done here in new fields that have not yet been entered. I see so much to do in every place, I scarcely know what to do first. My health is much better, and I thank the Lord for it. I see much to praise the Lord for, and my heart is overflowing with His love. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 9

Now, stand fast in the faith. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Cling to Jesus; pray Him to hide you in the cleft of the Rock while you will behold His glory. Now, do not worry yourself any more over the matter of Stanton’s betrayal of trust. Go forward in the name of the Lord God of Israel; do not doubt but that you will overcome. Do not for a moment get your eyes off from Jesus. He is your helper. He will give spiritual power. Stand up in the strength of Jesus, and you will be more than conqueror. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 10

Monday, June 6

I arise [at] half-past four a.m., and will write a few more lines. Did the Lord stand at your right hand to help you at the General Conference? Did He not give you a message to His people? Was not your confidence in God greatly strengthened that He would be to you a present help in every time of need? Were you not lifted up above your human infirmities? Then I ask you, Why do you throw yourself down in abandonment? Whatever may be your besetting evils, that seem to hold you in vice-like bands, you may have complete and entire control through Jesus Christ, who is your sufficiency. You may be more than conqueror. But do you not know it is greatly dishonoring to God to drop down into discouragement? It is these things that will weaken your brethren’s [confidence] in you, that they will be inclined to feel that you cannot be depended upon. All your lamentations over yourself are not necessary. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 11

When Peter looked at the waves rolling around him he began to sink. When he lifted up his arms to Jesus saying, “save, Lord, or I perish,” the hand of Christ was laying hold of him to save him. [Matthew 14:30, 31.] If you should open your heart to any mortal that lives, it would not help you. There is only One who can be your helper. Only One who can save to the uttermost. You can be an overcomer. Your great High Priest and Advocate, your only Mediator, knows where Satan overcomes you. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 12

Your only safety is in the Lord God of Israel, the great “I AM.” You are helpless; you must make Jesus your helper. All your special, private confessions make to God alone. All your secrets commit to His ear and heart alone, and know that He is your physician of the body as well as of the soul. Consider yourself as not your own, but soul, body, and spirit as the Lord’s. He can bring every thought into captivity to Jesus Christ. But when the Lord manifests to you His special presence, and lifts you up into a pure and holy atmosphere, then is He not able to do this for you continually? Now, when you know you may walk with God, why do you feel so discouraged over little things? 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 13

Are not your brethren subject to temptations? And if they speak disparagingly of you, did not Christ’s disciples do the same? You imagine altogether too much and act under your imagination. If you will break this habit of your getting discouraged, of supposing things are so and so, and shaping your course accordingly, it would be so much better for you. If you have Jesus and His strength, as it is your privilege to have Him every moment, will not Christ be a sufficiency? 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 14

You speak of your efforts, and the institute held at the Health Retreat. If I did not mention the matter in my letters, it was not because I did not appreciate the work. I believe a good work was done, and I think you are weak in faith and unappreciative of the great goodness and tender, pitying love of Jesus toward you. If another work of a similar character would be carried on, the work repeated, it would be just the work that would be a great help and blessing to the parties, and a help and blessing to the Health Retreat. They are suffering for just such a school of instruction in Oakland, and at Healdsburg. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 15

You have a knowledge of the Scriptures; you have experience, and a field is opened before you of wide dimensions. But as soon as you look at and wonder over some little words and actions which you interpret to mean so much, you feel bruised and hurt and want to push off somewhere, bringing upon yourself great taxation in response to your attitude of feelings. Now, my brother, you must consider that you are not at your own disposal to do that which you please for your own self. You are the Lord’s property. Christ has purchased you with the price of His own blood. Your body is to be sanctified unto the Lord as a vessel unto honor. It is Christ’s purchased possession. Then preserve every power, every organ, as an instrument unto righteousness. Satan desires to have your brain power, and your will, but they belong to Jesus. Consider always, “I am not my own. I must carefully and holily cherish every part of Christ’s purchased possession.” I tell you, you may triumph as more than conqueror through Him that hath loved you. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 16

Satan may try to bind you to his car as a helpless soul. But shout in victory that Christ has made you a free man. Do not dishonor God by one expression of inefficiency and inability to overcome fully, entirely, and gloriously through Jesus Christ, who has died to redeem you and make you a free man. Conquer, yes conquer. Put your will every moment on the side of God’s will. Think hopefully and courageously. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 17

In faith cry out against Satan, and looking unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of your faith, say, “Jesus, my Redeemer, I am weak. I cannot do anything without Thy special help. I hang my helpless soul on Thee.” Then let your imagination dwell on the thought [that] you are in the presence of Jesus, walking with God, your life hid with Christ in God. Then you will not feel this slavery. Then you will not glorify Satan by imagining yourself weak and helpless. You will keep yourself uplifted into a pure and holy atmosphere. You will receive the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, as a sanctifier. Then, with your brethren, you will have a calm, restful spirit in God, you will say, “Jesus lives, and because He lives I will live also.” He has conquered Satan in my behalf, and I will not be conquered by the devil once. I will not disgrace my Lord and Leader; but I will triumph in His holy name, and come off more than conqueror. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 18

Well, I must stop; it is not daylight yet. It is six o’clock. The shortest day will be the 21st of June. I shall be glad when the long days come and then I will have daylight to write in. I was sorry you left the Crystal Springs; but if you feel free in so doing, it may be best. Trust in God at all times. 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 19

<I know if you will trust continually in God you will be a great help and blessing to them at Crystal Springs. All who have mentioned the work done there by yourself have spoken in the highest terms of the work, and how much good was done.> 8LtMs, Lt 31, 1893, par. 20