Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)

Lt 150, 1899

Men in Responsible Positions in the Review and Herald Office

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

September 26, 1899

Portions of this letter are published in PM 59-60, 157-158, 213-214; WM 25-26; 9MR 372.

I address the men in responsible positions in the Review and Herald Office: 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 1

I cannot sleep past twelve o’clock p.m. I must relieve my soul of its burden. I am continually burdened, night and day, because there are men in the office who are not exerting a fragrant influence. They need to be melted over. Their spirit, shown by their words and works, is exercised to the injury of souls. Unless the converting power of God is felt in the human heart, the office will need to be cleansed and purified as Christ cleansed the temple courts. There is so much of the rubbish of self, so much that needs the transforming grace of Christ. The converting power of the Holy Spirit is needed upon the tongue, upon the brain. The faculties of seeing and hearing need to be renewed, changed, transformed. The angels of God look with sorrow upon men who know the truth and yet are not assimilated to the truth by the sanctification of the Spirit of God. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 2

Do not for one moment entertain the idea that a tender, courteous spirit, revealed by kind words, by patience, by perfect control of self, is a species of weakness. Said one of Christ, “Thy gentleness hath made me great.” [Psalm 18:35.] Every day let the sanctification of the Spirit of God flood every soul. When the souls of all the workers in the Review and Herald Office, high or low, are flooded by this sanctification, the words spoken will be Christlike. They will not cut and bruise and wound the souls that Christ has purchased with His own blood. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 3

The Lord does not approve of the spirit that is circulating through the office. Better, far better, would it be for those who suppose themselves to be in authority, dealing with human minds, to first place themselves under Christ’s discipline, and heed His call, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” [Matthew 11:29.] The very thing that ought to be done is not done. The yoke of restraint and obedience to Christ is not worn. When this yoke is worn, and then only, will you learn Christ’s ways and Christ’s methods. You will learn how to educate and treat every soul of the heritage which he has bought with the price of His blood. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 4

Your religious activity is in vain; your service is unacceptable and unappreciated by Him who in 1899 is measuring the temple and the worshipers thereof. The Lord Jehovah’s presence is to be recognized in every room of the office, as His voice was recognized by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. The Lord comes to His own place in the Review and Herald Office, from whence should go forth the blessings of the light from His presence, imbuing with His Spirit every worker who is doing Him service, that not a trace of Satan’s attributes shall be revealed in the look of the eye, the hearing of the ear, the words spoken, or the attitude taken. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 5

Those in authority are to say by their demeanor, I am a teacher, an example. That which I have seen Christ do, by the eye of faith and the intelligence of my understanding as I have read the precious lessons that fell from His divine lips, I am, as a learner of His meekness and lowliness of heart, to reveal to all with whom I am brought in contact. This will be the best illustration I can possibly give to those who are connected with me as apprentices, who are to learn how to perform pure, clean, unadulterated service, free from the common fire, the worldly theories, and common maxims which are prevalent in business houses. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 6

All the beautiful things of art cannot bear comparison with the beauty of temper and character which is to be revealed by those who have to do with sacred things. All business transactions connected with God’s service must be as clean and valuable in the sight of God as the frankincense and myrrh, which in pure, uncorrupted faith were offered to the infant Saviour by the wise men of the east. His glory was manifested to these men, who, guided by a star, came to worship Him at His birthplace, the manger of an inn. It was according to the plan of redemption that Christ should be born in this humble place, for He was to pass through every stage, step by step, of the temptations and necessities of human life, that He might sanctify every department through which the fallen human family must pass and show them that there is no necessity for man to continue in sin. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 7

In Christ’s meekness and lowliness of heart there is no cheapness, no common, earthly taint. All His work was done with pure, clean hands. He came in humiliation to give brightness and joy and peace and love and affection to all His heritage by becoming one with them. He partook of all their poverty and inconvenience that He might give them peace, contentment, and joy, and step by step lead them upward. The world’s Redeemer is inviting all to bear His yoke of restraint and obedience, that in sharing His humiliation, they may learn the lesson of His meekness and lowliness of heart. Thus they become heirs of the kingdom of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ to an immortal inheritance. They will be a joy to the poor and a comfort to the oppressed. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 8

Christ took a position which was on a level with the poor, that through His poverty we might become rich in beauty of character, and be, as He was, a savor of life unto life. By becoming poor, He could sympathize with the poor. His humanity could touch their humanity and help them to gain the perfection of right habits and a noble character. He could teach them how to lay up for themselves in heaven imperishable treasures. The Commander in the heavenly courts, He became one with humanity, a partaker of their sufferings and afflictions, that through the representation of His character in its unsullied purity, they might become partakers of the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world through lust. And Christ was a joy to the rich, for He could teach them how to sacrifice their earthly possessions to help to save the souls perishing in the darkness of error. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 9

Christ’s work was to make men wise, not in worldly intrigue, not in sharp dealing to obtain the advantage of their fellow men, but to make them wise unto salvation, that they might win others to the beauty of holiness. Christ did not come to make men selfish, self-important and self-centered, to teach them to strive for the highest place, to hunger for supremacy over their fellow men. He said, “Lo, I come, (in the volume of the book it is written of me,)” to unfold mysteries which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. [Hebrews 10:7.] I come to earth to live the life of God, to keep His law, the transcript of His character. Those who shall take the kingdom and possess it forever must work the works of God, as I have given them example. They must bring joy to those who mourn. They must heal the sorrows of men, bind up their wounds, and bring hope to the desponding. They must break the yoke of oppression and say to the sinner, Believe in Jesus Christ and thou shalt live. I am come to take away sin, for I gave My life to ransom the world. Will those who claim to be My servants act contrary to My example, and give the world a false representation of My character? Look to Me every day. My power is sufficient to uphold, to strengthen, establish, and make you complete in Me. “He that will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.” [Mark 8:34.] 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 10

Worldly honor is of no value in the sight of God. The pure heart is more precious than treasures of gold and silver, more valuable than diamonds. The Lord is revealing that when He removes His shielding, restraining power from satanic agencies, then that power which men serve and worship in the place of God will be their destruction. He says, “I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee. When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 11

“Vanity shall take them, but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain; and shall say, Cast thee up, cast thee up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling blocks out of the way of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” [Isaiah 57:12-15.] 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 12

God has declared in His Word that our only hope is in Him. He is our stay, our staff. We can have no strength only in His strength. There is a work to be done for every institution in our borders. There is need of conversion from the principles which have been coming in. Be determined to obtain the victory and to hold the victory. Let there be a turning and an overturning, until every unrighteous principle is expelled. The living God will not justify any evil thing. These words were spoken, “Judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off; but truth has fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter; yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it.” God walks through your business rooms, He is present in your council meetings. “And it displeased him that there was no judgment.” [Isaiah 59:14, 15.] See Isaiah 59:16-21. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 13

Nothing is hidden from God. The instrumentalities that should work with an eye single to the glory of God are acting very largely upon the same principles which have in the past tarnished the sacred places of God. The plans of men are scheming and dishonest, not noble and generous and holy and true. When the sanctification of the Spirit of God becomes a controlling power then God will bless His people. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 14

The Review and Herald and the Pacific Press have been presented to me as cherishing a spirit of rivalry. The admonitions and warnings God has given them to bring about a reform are not heeded. Annoyance is felt, disagreeable sensations are awakened when reproof comes; but the work that needs to be done to cleanse these institutions from selfishness, covetousness, and unfair dealing, is not done. O that the men handling sacred things would sanctify themselves, soul, body, and spirit. You are not fitting yourselves for translation to heaven. Every unholy practice will place you lower and lower in the scale of moral value with God. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 15

All the light, all the evidence, that God in reproof has given you has been reasoned away by some, and made to mean something that was not understood. The Lord cannot give you prosperity until you repent and are converted. Every word of warning will one day appear as given to you because of the mercy and love of God in your behalf. God designs that the offices from which our publications go forth shall be living channels of light. Why do you not labor to establish every line of business upon right principles? The Lord warns His instrumentalities in Battle Creek and upon the Pacific Coast to economize, economize. Your rivalry in book making, in <so many> illustrations, is bringing expense upon the work. You are constantly planning to lower the prices of the books. This is a mistake. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 16

Once let down to a low figure, the price of the books will never recover. This is not the way to do. If you desire to place the work on a paying basis, do not lower the prices by special offers, which are called by my Instructor inducements, bribes. God does not want you to do this. These methods He does not approve. Devise means to create a fund by which books can be placed in families who do not and cannot obtain them for themselves. The light given me is that our books are made too expensive. The covers should be strong, but not expensive. The elaborate illustrations in Desire of Ages I could not allow again in the books I shall make. I do not say I shall have none, but I shall not feel free to have so many illustrations that the reading matter which the people need they cannot obtain because the price of the book is so high. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 17

What you need is to be taught by God to deal justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. “Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together. They come to thee: thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged: because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.” [Isaiah 60:1-5.] 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 18

May the Lord give us that wisdom that is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits. Let the standard be elevated; let it not trail in the dust. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 19

I cannot this morning write all that is to be written. I rose early, at twelve o’clock p.m., and I have just called my workers, as it is nearly five a.m., to copy something. More next mail. 14LtMs, Lt 150, 1899, par. 20