Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 17 (1902)

Ms 58, 1902

The Making of Wills

May 26, 1902 [typed]

Previously unpublished. +^Note

I have a message for my aged brethren and sisters. Soon your life history must close. What disposition are you making of the Lord’s capital. May the Lord help you to make a right decision as to how you will dispose of the Lord’s entrusted goods. If your children are able to gain a livelihood by their own efforts, do not in your will place on them responsibilities that they may not know how to manage. Lay your plans with reference to the advancement of the Lord’s great missionary work. Then, though you may be called to rest, you will still have a part in the Lord’s work; for your means will be helping to add new territory to His kingdom. You will still be the Lord’s helping hand; for you will have placed the Lord’s legacy to you where it will help to win souls to Him. Of you will be spoken the words, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works to follow them.” [Revelation 14:13.] 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 1

Christ made everything subordinate to the building up of His Father’s kingdom. Laying aside His royal robe and kingly crown, He clothed His divinity with humanity and came to this earth to bring the riches of heaven to fallen, sinful human beings. He withheld nothing, but put his whole being into the accomplishment of the work entrusted to Him. The same devotion, the same self-sacrifice, the same unselfish love, that marked His life is to mark the lives of His disciples. 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 2

“He that loveth son and daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” [Matthew 10:37.] Love for relatives is not to take the place of love for God. But this caution is not to lead to a disregard for friends and relatives. But when we are called upon to decide between our relatives and our Saviour, we are without hesitation to accept Christ. To many this test has come. For the sake of their belief in Jesus of Nazareth, they have been called upon to sacrifice the ties of home and friendship, and they could but say, “He gave His life for me. He died that I might live. Shall I refuse to sacrifice for His sake?” 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 3

We are living in a most important and solemn time. On every side there stand open doors for the entrance of the truth. From every country is heard the call, “Come over and help us.” [Acts 16:9.] There is a work to do in our large cities. The higher classes are to hear the message of warning. This work takes means. Hall rent is high, and there are many other expenses. But because of this, shall the work be left undone? Shall those of our people who own houses besides the one they occupy leave these houses unsold, when by selling them, and investing the means in the Lord’s work, they could prepare the way for His coming? Shall we retain our possessions till the angel of mercy ceases to plead and the door is shut? 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 4

There are many in our world who are hungering and thirsting for the word of truth. God has His men of opportunity, who will go forth to give the message to the world when the way is opened before them. I call upon those who have property that they are not compelled to retain for homes to dispose of this property, and invest the proceeds in the Lord’s work. The warning must be given. Soon we shall have to render before the bar of God an account of our stewardship. Soon it will be seen whether we have done good or evil to our fellow men, and our cases will be forever decided. It is now that we are to let our light shine forth to the world. 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 5

I urge those who are growing old to see the importance of making a wise disposition of their means. Freely return to the Lord that which is already His. “Sell that ye have and give alms; provide for yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.” [Luke 12:33.] 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 6

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” [1 Timothy 6:17-19.] 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 7

We have no time to lose. There are those that have land that is increasing in value. Will you not show your appreciation of what the Lord has done for you by selling this land and investing the means in the Lord’s work? If there are those who have money lying idle, would they not show wisdom by putting this money into circulation to warn the world of its coming doom? 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 8

O how my heart aches as I think of the beautiful palaces of this earth with their costly furniture and how soon they are to be utterly destroyed by fire. How the possessors will wish then that they had invested their means in that which will endure forever. Remorse and anguish will fill their souls as they see the failure of their lifework. But it will be too late then for them to make wrong right. “The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall falter, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass on that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.” [Isaiah 24:20, 21.] 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 9

Let no one think that he can purchase heaven by making gifts to God’s work. No gift any human being might make, however large, could atone for his own sins or the sins of another. God’s grace is exercised to save to the uttermost all who come to Him. There is no point on which divine honor is more jealous or more uncompromising. “By grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” [Ephesians 2:8.] 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 10

The Lord could accomplish His work without our gifts. But in His great love He has given us the privilege of giving, to enable us to prove the sincerity of our love and to show that we have consecrated ourselves to His service. 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 11

The Lord calls upon His people to come close to His side, that they may learn how to work, how to present to the world the message of His boundless love. He calls for men who can present the plan of salvation in a way that will commend it to thinking men and women. He calls for workers who with zeal and devotion will labor for the teeming millions in our large cities. He calls for men who will present the arguments in favor of truth with such clearness and power that the closest critic will be compelled to acknowledge their force. 17LtMs, Ms 58, 1902, par. 12