The Review and Herald
November 25, 1909
Visits to Philadelphia, New York, and Newark
W. C. White
Friday morning, June 11, Mrs. E. G. White closed her work in Washington, and in the afternoon went to Philadelphia, to spend the Sabbath. She was accompanied by Miss Sara McEnterfer and the writer. RH November 25, 1909, par. 1
At the meeting with Conference presidents and members of the General Conference Committee held in the seminary building Friday morning, Mrs. White made another earnest appeal in behalf of the work to be done in the large cities. She said:— RH November 25, 1909, par. 2
“When I think of the many cities yet unwarned, I can not rest. It is distressing to think that they have been neglected so long. For many, many years the cities of America, including the cities in the South, have been set before our people as places needing special attention. A few have borne the burden of working in these cities; but, in comparison with the great needs and the many opportunities, but little has been done. Where is your faith, my brethren? Where are the workmen? In many of our large cities the first and second angels’ messages were proclaimed during the 1844 movement. To you, as God's servants, has been entrusted the third angel's message, the binding-off message, that is to prepare a people for the coming of our King. RH November 25, 1909, par. 3
“Time is short. The Lord desires that everything connected with his cause shall be brought into order. He desires that the solemn message of warning and of invitation shall be proclaimed as widely as his messengers can carry it. The means that shall come into the treasury is to be used wisely in supporting the workers. Nothing that would hinder the advance of the message is to be allowed to come into our planning. RH November 25, 1909, par. 4
“Night after night, I have lain awake, weeping and pleading with God, because of the seeming inability of some to discern opportunities for extending our efforts into the many unworked places,—near-by places that might have been warned years ago, had we chosen to do a broad work, rather than to hover around a few centers. We need to cultivate a spirit of self-sacrifice, and of constant devotion to the needs of a lost world. RH November 25, 1909, par. 5
“For years the pioneers of our work struggled against poverty and manifold hardship in order to place the cause of present truth on vantage-ground. With meager facilities, they labored untiringly; and the Lord blessed their humble efforts. The laborers of today may not have to endure all the hardships of those early days. The change of condition, however, should not lead to any slackening of effort. And now, when the Lord bids us proclaim the message once more with power in the East; when he bids us enter the cities of the East, and of the South, and of the North, and of the West, shall we not respond as one man, and do his bidding? Shall we not plan to send messengers all through these fields, and support them liberally? Shall not the ministers of God go into these crowded centers, and there lift up their voices in warning to multitudes? At such a time as this, every hand is to be employed. RH November 25, 1909, par. 6
“O, that we might see the needs of these great cities as God sees them! We must plan to place in these great cities capable men who can present the third angel's message in a manner so forceful that it will strike home to the heart. Men who can do this, we can not afford to gather into one place, to do a work that others might do. Can we expect the inhabitants of these cities to come to us and say, ‘If you will come to us and preach, we will help you to do thus and so’? RH November 25, 1909, par. 7
“Shall we not advance in faith, just as if we had thousands of dollars? We do not have half faith enough. Let us do our part in warning these cities. The warning message must come to the people who are ready to perish unwarned, unsaved. How can we delay? As we advance, the means will come. But we must advance in faith, trusting in the Lord God of Israel.” RH November 25, 1909, par. 8
Arriving in Philadelphia, we were met by Elder W. H. Heckman, and taken to the Pennsylvania Sanitarium. This institution is owned and loyally supported by the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. It is housed in an excellent building; it is well managed, and has an able corps of physicians and nurses. It enjoys a liberal patronage from the citizens of Philadelphia, but its location (where the noise of street-cars reaches it) and its limited capacity make it difficult for the institution to accomplish what was at first expected of it,—To pay all expenses, to pay interest on the investment, and to clear away the debt. RH November 25, 1909, par. 9
This sanitarium was one of the last to be located before our physicians began to consider seriously the counsel to select rural locations for our institutions for the sick. How to secure a proper location in the country for this institution, and thus open the way for the enlargement of the work, is a problem that must be studied. RH November 25, 1909, par. 10
Sabbath afternoon, the beautiful and commodious meeting-house in west Philadelphia was crowded to its utmost capacity. The day was warm, and abundant ventilation was needed. But the beautiful colored windows were not built to open. As a result, the congregation suffered intensely, and the speaker was so poisoned that she experienced great suffering for a week, and was barely able to fill one of her three appointments in New York City. Why will a people having abundance of information on health, sanitation, and ventilation, allow wrongly built meeting-houses to stand year after year as closed reservoirs for poison air? RH November 25, 1909, par. 11
During her discourse, Mrs. White urged the importance of consecrated efforts being put forth by church-members, to spread the gospel message. She said: RH November 25, 1909, par. 12
“The Lord wants us to be colaborers with Him, to help those who are perishing for lack of the knowledge that we have. We need men clothed with the righteousness of Christ, to labor in every city, in every community. Those who profess to be His followers should humble their hearts, so that they can labor in a simple and acceptable manner. RH November 25, 1909, par. 13
“Our Lord called His disciples from the humble rank of fishermen. So today He can use those who will follow Him, even though they may not have had opportunity to receive what is regarded as a high education. As they humbly and prayerfully study the Scripture, the spirituality of the Word will lay hold on their minds, and they will go forth prepared to labor acceptably for the Master. All who really appreciate the great sacrifice that has been made in our behalf will gladly make sacrifices, that others may be strengthened to grow up into Christ the Living Head.” RH November 25, 1909, par. 14
Friday morning, June 18, we went to New York. During the last thirty miles of the journey, Mrs. White viewed with lively interest the many cities located so closely to one another, and several she pointed out as places that had been presented to her as neglected communities, where work should be done as soon as possible. RH November 25, 1909, par. 15
In New York, our brethren had located a large tent on a vacant lot in a populous district, and Elders S. N. Haskell, E. W. Farnsworth, G. B. Starr, C. L. Edwards, and C. S. Longacre, and Dr. D. H. Kress united with the ministers of the Greater New York Conference in conducting general meetings. RH November 25, 1909, par. 16
Mrs. White spoke in the tent on Sabbath forenoon, June 19, dwelling upon the experiences of Christ at His baptism, and during His severe temptations in the wilderness, as recorded in the Matthew 3:1 and Matthew 4:1. In response to an invitation for all who desired to do so to signify their reconsecration to the master's service, practically the entire congregation arose. RH November 25, 1909, par. 17
The Newark Meeting
Before leaving Washington, it had been planned that if able to do so, Mrs. White would speak in Newark, N. J., Sunday morning, June 20. The church in Newark is one of the largest in the Conference, and it was a convenient place for representatives from all the churches in northern New Jersey to gather. Therefore Elder B. F. Kneeland had urged the making of this appointment, and had notified the churches. RH November 25, 1909, par. 18
After the sickness in Philadelphia, the Sabbath service in New York completely exhausted Mrs. White's strength, and it seemed unreasonable to ask her to go to Newark Sunday. But all necessary preparations were made for the trip, and we waited to hear her decision Sunday morning. Courage and a desire to fill the Newark appointment were her first words, and so the carriage was ordered, a hasty breakfast taken, and then came the twelve-mile drive. RH November 25, 1909, par. 19
At Newark a congregation of about three hundred were assembled, and Mrs. White spoke to them with her old-time simplicity and power regarding daily Christian experience, the duties of home religion, and the proper training of the children. RH November 25, 1909, par. 20
In the afternoon Dr. Kress gave an address on practical hygiene, which was greatly appreciated, and after this the representatives of several churches engaged in a council about tract and missionary work. The membership of the New Jersey Conference is not large, but there is among the workers a faith and enthusiasm that must bring great results. RH November 25, 1909, par. 21
The twelve-mile drive back to New York was warm and wearisome, and Mrs. White suffered much with rheumatism, therefore she pleaded to be released from further appointments in New York, and we took the early train Monday forenoon for South Lancaster, Mass. RH November 25, 1909, par. 22