Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 8 (1893)

Ms 83, 1893

Diary, August 1893

Wellington, New Zealand

August 8-14, 1893

Portions of this manuscript are published in TDG 233.

Tuesday, August 8, 1893

Wellington, N. Z.

We are thankful to the Lord for His preserving care over us on the short journey of one hour and a half’s ride on the cars to this place, Wellington, after an absence of ten days. I arose at three o’clock to do important writing. The American mail goes on Thursday and we have not much prepared. We had an interview with Elder Israel and Brother Mountain in reference to leaving Wellington for Napier and Hastings. We feel it is time for us to be on the move as soon as the arrangements can be successfully made. Elder Israel leaves tonight for Brennan. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 1

Thursday, August 10, 1893

This day is a very busy day. The American mail closes today. Every power and nerve is called upon today to do its best. We send a large mail today and feel relieved. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 2

Friday, August 11, 1893

Friday we can do but little. Tired, very tired with the pressure of the writing we have felt constrained to prepare to [send] in this mail, just gone on its way across the broad waters to America. Again it bears from us the Macedonian cry, “Come over and help us.” [Acts 16:9.] We have implored that means should be sent to us whereby we can obtain facilities wherewith to work. We have not had means, neither have we had workers. The Lord give us patience and courage that will not fail us when sorely tempted. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 3

Saturday, August 12, 1893

It is a pleasant day. Attended meeting. The few assembled in the house of Elder Israel. The room was well filled. Sister McCalpin and her two daughters were present. Brother Camp was also there. Brother Israel was away seeking to hunt up the lost sheep. Brother Simpson is engaged in the same work and has written good accounts of his work. Some souls have decided to obey the truth. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 4

I spoke to the few assembled, and the Lord gave me a comforting message for them: They were not to examine their feelings and make their feelings their leader. Jesus is the object to which they must look, and they must depend upon Him. He says, “Follow me, and ye shall not walk in darkness.” [See John 8:12.] Follow your own changeable feelings, which vary with circumstances, and there will be no steadiness of purpose. Talk of gloom and depression, and keep the mind upon the most gloomy subjects, and Satan will furnish enough of this kind of disagreeable subjects. God demands of us to exercise fervent piety under all and every circumstance in harmony with Jesus Christ. Seek for work in His lines, because this is the fruit of true godliness. Win souls to Jesus. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 5

If you feel at liberty to moan and groan over bereavements, things that are past out of your keeping, things you cannot change or alter, you will neglect the present duties lying directly in your pathway. Look unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of your faith. Turn your attention from subjects which make you gloomy and sad, for you become an agent in the hands of the enemy to multiply gloom and darkness and you will make the atmosphere surrounding your soul dark and forbidding. Although severe afflictions may come upon you, it is your business to look up, and to see light in Jesus. You must do this if you give depth and stability to Christian character, and by beholding the Light of the world you become light and insure to yourself a peace, comfort and hope, which are enduring. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 6

If you are exclusively engaged in dwelling upon your own sorrows and darkness, thinking God has dealt hard with you, your religion is not uplifting but is depressing. You become a shadow of darkness, hard and complaining, when exclusively shut up to your own sorrows. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 7

Sister McCalpin was present and she was doing this. She had lost her son, who was not prepared to die. She spoke, with others, in the social meeting. Oh, her heart was so heavy and sad, but she said she was comforted with the words spoken by Sister White. We had a good, profitable social meeting, then this afflicted sister spoke to me about her son they had buried a few weeks before, dying without hope, and the sorrow and grief she had felt. I entreated her to leave the mourning for the dead, which would do no good to worry over; that she as a mother should wisely and mercifully care for the living children, and that she had not a moment to devote to vain regrets, but to gird up the loins of her mind and go to work and try to bring her children to Jesus and herself surrender to Christ, that she might grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ. Working in Christ’s lines, she would never grow cold but become identified with the Saviour in all His plans. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 8

Sunday, August 13, 1893

Wellington, N. Z.

I thank my heavenly Father for His mercies and His blessings and His truth. His love, how precious it is! And then to think He identifies His interest with His people here upon the earth who are so unworthy! If we are laborers together with God we have no time for sloth or for stagnation or to become homesick. I would so love to see my children and grandchildren and friends in America, but I see fields of work for laborers. We must keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus our Leader and obey His orders. There is abundance of worldly ambition and self-seeking, but this is rebuked by Jesus Christ. There are matters of more absorbing interest, and more elevating in their character, which are to give every man and woman a higher, nobler sphere of Christian activity. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 9

We become partakers of the divine nature as we wear the yoke of Christ and work in Christ’s lines. In this work we attain the highest moral efficiency, and in the service of Jesus Christ we have the clearest spiritual comprehension and strength of spiritual sinew and muscle. We have steadiness of faith; we have power to prevail with God in earnest prayer, and we are growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. Self-denial and cross-bearing are not always pleasant, but frequently very inconvenient and often very painful and mortifying; but if the spirit does not rise up in rebellion, but accepts with submission the duties which must be done, although disagreeable, good fruits will appear. We are privileged to be partakers with the sufferings of Christ. Working together with Christ, wearing His yoke, we are partners in His great work, His servants to carry out His purposes in doing our utmost for the salvation of the souls for whom Christ has died; and by and by we shall be made partakers of His glory, linked in sympathy with Christ. He is a missionary in every sense of the word. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 10

Christ works through human instrumentality. Humanity must reach out for humanity as did Jesus Christ. Light, precious light of truth, is shining upon us from the throne of God and His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Oh, if men and women would only have a sense of their opportunities to diffuse light to those who are in darkness! Our talents are entrusted for wise improvement by putting them out to the exchangers. We multiply them, increase our tact and ability, exercising our powers that we can do better work and have increased powers to do larger work. Souls are being neglected. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 11

The mail is brought to us. Quite limited, but nevertheless we are glad to receive it. Letters must be answered, and we have only one more day in Wellington. We leave Tuesday for Napier; if the track is clear, we will be glad. There have been many landslides. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 12

Monday, August 14, 1893

I arise at three o’clock and after my season of prayer engage in writing, for Melbourne mail goes today. This is indeed a day of much work. There is not time for me to rest. It is a beautiful day. Ride out in the afternoon, taking the hill road to the cemetery. Sister Charlton and Mrs. Waters, Sister Tuxford, and myself compose the company. The ride was all that we could ask. The driver was intoxicated, but a man was sent along with him to see that everything was as it should be. I see the location for [the] cemetery is very nice. But I felt hardly at rest, knowing that there was so much work left undone to get packed and off for Napier. Very, very busy day. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 13

As I was stepping out of the door in the evening, to go to Sister Israel’s for my bath, a gentleman stopped me and addressed me as Mrs. White. He said he wished to have an interview with me. I told him my time was fully employed. I could not give him any opportunity for conversation. He walked along as far as Elder Israel’s hired house, and we stopped ten or fifteen minutes at the gate, he soliciting me to go to his house. Himself and wife live only a few steps from where we were, but I told him it was impossible. He said he had read my tract on the elect of God and sent it to England to some relative or friend and he had answered him, and he wanted to talk with me on that subject. He was quite persistent, but understanding my duties, I could not consent to be hindered. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 14

He said he did not agree with me that man in his salvation must be a co-worker with God. Man was exactly as a machine in the hand of God. Man could do nothing. “No, nothing,” I answered, “in his own merits to save his own soul, but the injunction is, ‘Work out your own salvation with fear and with trembling: for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.’ Philippians 2:12, 13. Yet all the dependence must be on the working grace and power within. ‘It is God which worketh in you.’ Yet this does not set the living agent free from all responsibility or obligation. This text shows the concurrence of both the human agent and the divine power. Man can without Christ do nothing; he cannot of himself work out his salvation; but heavenly aids are furnished him. But God will not do the forcing of man’s will. He must cooperate with God.” 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 15

The man was quite tenacious. He inquired, “Do you think that Adam and Eve might not have eaten of the fruit forbidden?” “Certainly I do. He had moral power. He had open access to God. He was not tainted with sin as we mortals are, and if it was not possible for him to resist the temptation of Satan then our God was not reasonable and just to punish man and his posterity and the earth with His curse because he did eat.” 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 16

Had a visit from Mr. Langden [?] and his wife. They attended prayers with us in evening service. Mrs. Somerville called. Paid me for temperance book I gave her. Said she was much pleased with it but wished to pay for it. 8LtMs, Ms 83, 1893, par. 17