Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)

Lt 78, 1899

Lindsay, Brother

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

February 20, 1899

Previously unpublished.

Dear Brother Lindsay:

I cannot keep you out of my mind. I have written you some things in regard to your failure to improve your talents. By this neglect you are sustaining a great loss and losing your influence for good, with the church and with the Wessels family. Had you used your God-given talent of influence, you could, in the hands of God, have been an instrument of blessing to that family. I am distressed, for you are losing the capabilities and knowledge you have obtained, because you are not trading upon the Lord’s goods. May the Lord help you, is my most earnest prayer. 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 1

My brother, I want you to recover that which you have lost. Would it not be best for you to leave Capetown and come to Australia? I regard this as the very best move you can make. Come and obtain a better fitting up for school work. You have been a growing young man. You did run well for a season. Why did you not continue to improve? Your talents are such that you could be a man of influence wherever you are. We would be pleased if you could feel free to come to Australia, and recover from that state of mental weakness which has come over you because of inaction. You must be converted to God every day, as a vessel cleansed and purified, that you may be a fit receptacle for the Holy Spirit. We are to examine our own souls, and we can only calculate our resources and measure our ability by looking to Jesus, our efficiency. We shall have a clear view of God as we understand His Word. “Wherewithal,” asks the psalmist, “shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto, according to thy words. With my whole heart have I sought thee; O let me not wander from the commandments. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” [Psalm 119:9-11.] 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 2

Brother Harmon Lindsay, come to Australia, and you will see that it is the busiest place you were ever in. Your duty is plainly marked out. “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life.” [Philippians 2:14-16.] You are to gather to your soul divine rays of light, and you are to gather that you may give. You are to receive the truth, that you may communicate it to others. Man is to keep his soul as clear as crystal, then heaven’s light can shine through him to others. “Ye are the light of the world,” Christ says. “A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. ... Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” [Matthew 5:14, 16.] 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 3

Christ is our light. “God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” [2 Corinthians 4:6.] The Creator has set the moon in the heavens, that it may reflect to us the light of the sun after it is set. So He designs that men shall reflect to his fellow man the light of heaven as seen in the face of Jesus Christ. Are you doing this, my brother? Do you reflect the light of the love of God? Is your life all aglow with heaven’s light? Arise, and place yourself in the channel of light, that you may shine to the world. 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 4

I am concerned for you, for you cannot now be that which it is your duty to be in the Wessels family. Time and influence have been lost. Will you now work for the souls of others by consecrated, noble effort, and with a determination that will not fail in its purpose? Arm yourself with the mind of Christ. 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 5

Brother Lindsay, I would urge that you and your family come to Australia. Let us have an opportunity to study together, and to seek the Lord with full purpose of heart. You are not to give up in discouragement, but climb the ladder round by round. I could bring forth strong reasons why you should come. For your own sake your surroundings must change. You must open your windows heavenward instead of earthward. This is your trouble. You can do a good work in the strength of the Lord. To let yourself go down in literary attainments is a mistake. You have not been laying upon the foundation gold, silver and precious stones, not because you cannot, but because you do not arouse yourself and realize the great fact that your life must be hid with Christ in God, that “when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” [Colossians 3:4.] 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 6

We cannot say what position you could fill in our school in this place or in any other place, but I know the Lord is not glorified in your life now. Your work can be more telling in the establishment of His kingdom. He who abides in Christ learns what it means to be crucified with Him, to be dead to the world and alive to Christ. If you abide in Christ, you become partakers with Him of His resurrection-life. He is glorified in you. You have a work to do for the Master which no one can do for you. If you wear the crown of life, Christ must be formed within, the hope of glory. 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 7

Monday, May 3

I have strength to write but little this morning. I leave my bed at two o’clock a.m. to write something for the African mail. The night before last I could not sleep after ten o’clock p.m., and wrote a letter to John Wessels. We invite you to put on the whole armor of God and be prepared to do His work and glorify His name. You have talents which are unused. The machinery has become clogged by disuse. Had you kept your powers in action, you would have been much farther advanced in intellectual lines than you now are. 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 8

Brother Lindsay, we see a great work to be done right here, within thirty miles from Cooranbong. Newcastle is a large city, widely spread out, and there is work to be done in the different suburbs. We have no less than three or four small meetinghouses to build, just as the location demands. In Hamilton, a suburb of Newcastle, a meetinghouse must be erected at once. It should have been now in running order, dedicated to God, but the first stone is not yet laid. The land is not yet purchased. This would cost more money than we can now obtain to invest in it. One week ago last Sabbath I spoke in the tent at Hamilton to an intelligent audience. About forty souls have newly come to the faith there. The church is not yet organized, but will be as soon as another baptism takes place. Connected with the church will be a school building. 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 9

Maitland, only twenty miles from Newcastle, is a very pretty, flourishing city. This will be worked during the year 1899. A church must be erected there, and a church school started. We must make preparations to hold all we gain and keep the standard uplifted. Next comes Singleton, a promising place. All these towns were greatly stirred, and many people living in them were convinced of the truth by the camp meeting held in Newcastle. 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 10

A week from last Sunday I spoke in the hall at Wallsend. Here there is a little stone church which can be purchased for sixty pounds. The brethren thought best to open the work there at once, and therefore made appointment for me to speak in the larger hall, and thus test the interest. About sixty came out to hear. They were much interested, and said if we would come again, they would give the appointment more thoroughly, and there would be a larger number out. We see new places that must be entered without delay, and churches must be built in every place where a company is converted to the truth, because the different denominations will not permit us to enter their churches. They see that there is a power in the message we bear and are afraid to have us enter their cities and towns. But the truth is bound to go. We must move with the opening providence of God. 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 11

May the Lord teach you your duty, my dear brother. We would give you a hearty invitation to come to Australia. There are schools to be established, and the word from the Lord is, “Go forward.” [Exodus 14:15.] This we are doing. We must advance from city to city, not stopping to build up great interests, but only to create centers when it is essential, and then from these centers work out into the suburbs. The Lord is coming, and we have a great work to do. Under Jesus Christ our hands must build for time and for eternity. 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 12

I leave this with you, asking you again to visit this place with your family, if you can do so. We see a great vineyard to cultivate, and we would have you catch the spirit of the Samaritan woman, who heard the words of Christ and then went into the city to do missionary work, saying to all her Samaritan friends, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” [John 4:29, 35, 36.] 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 13

I am too weary to write more. We welcome any who desire to enter the harvest field. May the Lord direct you, is our prayer. 14LtMs, Lt 78, 1899, par. 14