Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 18 (1903)

Lt 52, 1903

Kellogg, J. H.

Oakland, California

April 5, 1903

Portions of this letter are published in 4MR 292-293; 11MR 313-314; 5Bio 292. +^Note

Dr. Kellogg

Dear Brother,—

I wish to present before you some things. I have words to speak to you. Is it possible that you do not realize that Satan is playing the game of life for your soul? You are certainly in danger. You have not walked perfectly before the Lord. You have been ambitious and have opened before worldlings that which you should not have opened to them. You have made with them a confederacy wholly displeasing to the Lord. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 1

Had you humbled your heart before the Lord, and made thorough work for repentance, in accordance with the reproof of the Lord, He would have been glorified in you, but you have vindicated your course when you have done unrighteously. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 2

God would have you a thoroughly converted man. The work of conversion is to begin in your heart and to work outward in your life. You are no longer to exercise a kingly power, as you certainly have done in the past. Thus saith the Lord, You have made your own paths, and now the hill Difficulty has to be climbed. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 3

Every man who, placed in a position of influence, begins his years of service with a spirit like that of Jehu will surely reap that which he has sown. It becomes men in responsible places to heed the words, “Without Me ye can do nothing.” [John 15:5.] 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 4

My brother, your work is to understand why the displeasure of God came upon the Sanitarium. I have been shown that it was because of your own departure from the way of the Lord. Every word spoken in your favor is, you think, just as it should be. Those whose lips speak your praise do you decided injury, but you count all such as your friends. But you place those who differ with you in the catalogue of enemies. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 5

You need to inquire in regard to the burning of the Sanitarium, and heed the lesson that God is teaching you. This matter is to be carefully and prayerfully studied. Unless you humble your heart before God, your eyes will never see the kingdom of God. You need to be cleansed in spirit, in language, in judgment. Your ideas are so mystical that they are destructive to the real substance, and the minds of some are becoming confused in regard to the foundation of our faith. If you allow your mind to become thus diverted, you will give a wrong mold to the work that has made us what we are—Seventh-day Adventists. When you permit your mind to take this range, it is led and deceived by Satan’s specious views of realities that God does not design shall be spiritualized away. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 6

[The additional material below is found in the handwritten original, but was not included in the letter when it was copied in 1903.] 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 7

This was the danger with you when you first were in service in the Sanitarium. The matter was presented to me to be presented to you. [Doctors] Fairfield and Sprague never recovered their standing. I warn you, having the word of the Lord for your counsel, not to make warfare against the true landmarks God has given us. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 8

Had you, yes, you, J. H. Kellogg, heeded the word of the Lord, the Lord would not have permitted that sanitarium to be consumed. You would have exerted your influence to make plants in the cities in America and then (as has been repeated to you over and over again) the many plants in different states would have had sufficient influence to have given character to the work and double forces would have created treble forces and thus the [work] would have swelled until there would have been God's memorials in many cities where they are not. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 9

There would have been strong forces converted to the truth to work in medical missionary lines connected with the gospel to be preached as Christ after His resurrection gave His commission to His disciples: “Teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19, 20). This is the work that should have been done. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 10

You have kept the medical missionary work too much a distinct work, separate from the ministry of the Word. God is not in this peculiar phase of the work. The gospel and its ministry in medical missionary work is one work to accomplish the proclamation of the last message of mercy to our world. God has made the work one and you have not blended with the gospel ministry as you should have done. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 11

There needs to be a decided change on both sides because of the oppression of the enemy. The Lord has given us light that should be recognized in the missionary work that is to be done united with the preaching of the gospel. Years have the warnings been coming to you line upon line, precept upon precept, but you have been breaking away from all restraint. Soon, unless you shall take heed, the Lord will say to you, “He is joined to his idols, let him alone.” [Hosea 4:17.] 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 12

We hold you fast as yet. Notwithstanding, I have seen the enemy in disguise as an angel of light, bending over you and talking with you all kinds of falsehoods and theories. You do not believe the messages of truth God has given to His people but you have been walking in your own counsel. Yet the Lord has given you a chance as He did Judas. You will now in your present theories be weaving into every mind as secretly as possible your falsehoods against the truth. You are not to be considered [any] longer a believer in the faith that has made us as a people what we are. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 13

You are losing all faith in present truth. You say you are loyal, but this is a falsehood. You act contrary to the truth. Then can you be surprised that we cannot assimilate with you? The Living Temple is a mild expression of your true bearings. You do not understand the truth. You have followed the lead of John Kellogg when I have told you the medical missionary work (as it is termed) in many things is far below that which its name implies. You are a dupe of Satan's lies and yet you are not known as this. Oft times have I seen you linked up with satanic agencies and Satan personified in humanity. He was praising you and extolling you and presenting before you subterfuges—unprincipled workings and deceptive theories. Next I have seen you carrying out the plans of Satan just as you have worked them, and he helped you. When you have opened your eyes and seen where you are, you will be surprised at your infatuation. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 14

Your brethren do not know these things I am writing to you, but they must soon know it all. For the Lord says, “My flock, My beautiful flock, is this man whom I chose as My physician if he would heed My admonitions that have been given him through My chosen messenger. But he has had self-exaltation to do a wonderful thing, to be ambitious, to be as God. He will very soon be greatly humbled unless he will break away from the father of lies and no longer repeat the suggestions of Satan. My flock shall not be spoiled; I will take them out of his hands; I will keep them; I will appoint over them true teachers and faithful physicians. He has made it exceedingly hard for My ministers. He has brought confusion where no difficulties used to be. My vineyard has been neglected. He has worked to discourage them for many years. [Even] when he has for so long a time created dissension and strife by his own crooked course of action and presentations of methods, yet I have given increased light and evidence. But he would not heed or acknowledge Me, and reform. If his way did not succeed he would make a change, but work to the same object in a different way.” 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 15

The time is come when many will be deceived by the father of lies, and some strange, principal theories will be introduced as precious heavenly truth when it is the subtleties of corrupting principles working on human minds. In regard to the marriage relation, Satan has fixed up his deceptive theories. It is spiritualizing. The theories are destructive to truth, destructive to holiness, and originated by the devil. 18LtMs, Lt 52, 1903, par. 16