Dear Brother M: A few days ago I received
a letter written by you to Elder N, in which you raise very serious
objections to leaving the ----- mission to be supported by your
conference, and say that other conferences all over the field
should have an equal interest in this mission. But if these conferences
do not now have important missions to sustain in cities in their
own borders, are there not places where such missions should
be established? If your conference is asked to take the -----
mission under its care and carry it on under the supervision
of the General Conference, the responsible men should feel that
this is an evidence that their brethren have confidence in them,
and they should say: "Yes; we accept the sacred trust. We
will do all in our power to make the mission a success and to
show that the confidence of our brethren is not misplaced. We
will ask wisdom of God and will practice self-denial and rigid
economy if necessary." God will sustain you in the cheerful
performance of this duty and will make
it a blessing to you rather than a burden, a hindrance to the
cause in your state.
That great city is in darkness and error,
and we have left it so thus long. Will God pardon this negligence
on our part? What account shall we give for the men and women
who have died without hearing the sound of present truth, who
would have received it had the light been brought to them? My
spirit is stirred that the work in ----- has been delayed so
long. The work that is now being done there might have been done
years ago and could then have been accomplished with far less
expenditure of money, time, and labor. Nevertheless it must not
be left undone now. A small beginning has been made on a very
economical plan, and much more has been accomplished than could
have been expected considering the facilities that have been
provided. But better facilities must be furnished. There must
be a place where people can hear the truth. There must be means
to support the workers in this mission field, not in ease and
luxury, but in a plain, comfortable manner. They are God's instruments,
and nothing should be said or done to discourage them. On the
contrary, let their hands be strengthened and their hearts encouraged.
There is enough wealth in your conference
to carry forward this work successfully; and shall the prince
of darkness be left in undisputed possession of our great cities
because it costs something to sustain missions? Let those who
would follow Christ fully come up to the work, even if it be
over the heads of ministers and president. Those who in such
a work as this will say, "I pray thee have me excused,"
should beware lest they receive their discharge for time and
for eternity. Let Christians who love duty lift every ounce they
can and then look to God for further strength. He will work through
the efforts of thoroughgoing men and women and will do what they
cannot do. New light and power will be given them as they use
what they have. New fervor and zeal will stir the church as they
see something accomplished.
We rejoice in spirit as we contemplate
what may be done; but we blush before our Maker at the thought
of the little that has been accomplished. Shepherds have neglected
their God-given responsibilities; they have become narrow and
faithless, and have encouraged unpardonable cowardice, slothfulness,
and covetousness. They have not realized the magnitude and importance
of the work. Men are wanted whose eyes are anointed to see and
understand heaven's designs. Then the standard of piety will
be raised, and there will be real missionaries who will be ready
to sacrifice for the truth's sake. There is no room in the church
of God for the selfish and ease-loving; but men and women are
called for who will make exertions to plant the standard of truth
in our large cities, in the great thoroughfares of travel.
A world is to be warned, and in humility
we should work as God has given us ability. Let every state come
up to the work. What right have those with narrow and unconsecrated
ideas to say what their conference will do and what it will not
do? The ----- mission will not be left wholly to your state;
but if your conference had a heart to work, it could sustain
two such missions and not feel the burden. Come, brethren, arouse
to action. Time lost through your unbelief and want of courage
is lost forever. Let the ministers act as though something were
to be done, and the largehearted men who love God and keep His
commandments will come up to the help of the Lord. In this way
the church will be disciplined for future efforts; for their
beneficence is never to cease.
Elder M, as president of the ----- Conference,
you have shown by your general management that you are unworthy
of the trust reposed in you. You have shown that you are conservative,
and that your ideas are narrow. You have not done one half what
you might have done had you had the true spirit of the work.
You might have been far more capable and experienced than you
now are; you might have been far better prepared to manage successfully
this sacred and important mission--a work which would have given
you the strongest claim to the general confidence of our people.
But, like the other ministering
brethren in your state, you have failed to advance with the opening
providence of God; you have not shown that the Holy Spirit was
deeply impressing your heart, so that God could speak through
you to His people. If in this crisis you do anything to strengthen
doubt and distrust in the churches of your state, anything that
will prevent the people from engaging heartily in this work,
God will hold you responsible. Has God given you unmistakable
evidence that the brethren of your state are excused from the
responsibility of putting their arms about the city of -----
as Christ has put His arms about them? If you were standing in
the light, you would encourage this mission by your faith.
You need to drink deep of the streams of
grace and salvation before you can lead others to the Fountain
of living waters. Holding the office of president of a conference,
with the experience and influence that this office gives, instead
of discouraging the people you should have urged them to new
exertion, to bear weightier responsibilities. There are special
duties devolving upon men in responsible positions; there are
laborious efforts to be made which it would be convenient to
neglect. But when the shepherds are negligent of duty, may the
Lord pity the poor sheep.
Your work, my brother, does not show that
you have realized that your obligations are sacred and weighty.
I have been shown that you are capable of doing much better work
than you have done, and that God requires more and better work
at your hands. He requires integrity and faithfulness. The work
of saving souls is the highest and noblest ever entrusted to
mortal man; and you should allow nothing to come in between you
and this sacred work to absorb your mind and confuse your judgment.
One standing in the responsible position that you occupy should
make eternal interests first, and temporal matters of secondary
importance. You are an ambassador for Christ; and you should
encourage those under your charge to seek for higher spiritual
attainments, to live holier and purer lives. In your efforts
to save souls from perdition and to build up the church in truth
and righteousness, you should use
tact, wisdom, and the power that it is your privilege to have
through constant communion with God. God requires this of you
and of every other minister engaged in His work. You should show
your loyalty to your crucified Redeemer by acting as though you
realized that you have a solemn charge to present every man perfect
in Christ Jesus, wanting in nothing.
In your case very much more might have
been accomplished by holy living, by fervent prayer, and by a
careful, painstaking discharge of every duty. You might have
done much by faithful warnings and reproofs and by affectionate
appeals. It is not brain power alone that is needed, but heart
power. The truth presented as it is in Jesus will have an effect.
You lack ardent, active home religion. Selfish interests have
clouded your mind and perverted your judgment, and the claims
of God have not been realized. You need to unburden your soul
of worldly cares and business, and to have an eye single to the
glory of God.
The eternal destiny of all is soon to be
decided. From Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and other conferences
scores of ministers should go forth with burning zeal to proclaim
the last message of warning. And at such a time as this will
the presidents of our conferences lie back in the harness and
refuse to draw the heavy load? Will they by voice or pen exert
an influence to discourage those who have a mind to work? Any
course on their part that would encourage indolence and unbelief
is criminal in the highest degree. They should encourage the
people to diligence in the cause of God, to make every exertion
for the salvation of souls; but they should never leave even
the slightest impression on their minds that they are sacrificing
too much for the cause of God, or that more is required of them
than is reasonable. In the heavenly warfare something must be
ventured. Now is our time to work, to encounter difficulties
and dangers. The providence of God says, "Go forward,"
not back into Egypt; and instead of framing a testimony to please
the people, ministers should seek to arouse those who are asleep.
I discern in your letter, Elder M, a vein
of unbelief, a lack of judgment and discernment. Your position
confirms the testimony I have had that you are giving the conference
a narrow mold and have stood in the way of its advancement because
you have not elevated the standard of truth. I will here quote
a few paragraphs from this testimony, which was written during
the General Conference at Battle Creek, in November, 1883:
"Our conversation in regard to the
----- mission has left a disagreeable impression on my mind.
Do not think me severe in my remarks in regard to this mission.
You spoke with great satisfaction of the way this work had been
carried forward. You said that Brother O and those associated
with him were willing to do any way to get along; that they had
a small room in a loft, where they prepared their food; and that
they were doing a good work in the most economical way. Your
ideas on this subject are not correct. The light which God has
given us, precious above the price of silver and gold, is to
go forth in a way to give character to the work. The brethren
connected with this mission are not free from the infirmities
of humanity; and unless attention is given to their health, their
work must be greatly embarrassed. Those who stand at the head
of the work in the conference should not permit such a state
of things to exist. They should educate the people to give of
their means, that no pinched want may be experienced by the workers.
As the stewards of God the responsibility rests upon them to
see that one or two do not have all the sacrificing to do while
others are taking their ease, eating, drinking, and dressing,
without a thought of our sacred missions or of their duty with
reference to them.
"I have been shown, Elder M, that
you do not take a correct view of the work, that you do not realize
its importance. You have failed to educate the people in the
true spirit of self-sacrifice and devotion. You have feared to
urge duty upon wealthy men; and when you have made a feeble effort
in the right direction, and they have begun to make excuses and
to find a little fault with someone
in regard to the management of the work, you have thought perhaps
they were right. This subterfuge, which has developed in them
doubt and unbelief, has taken effect in your own heart, and they
have turned this to account and have learned just how to treat
your efforts. When they have encouraged doubt in regard to the
Testimonies, you have not done what you should to uproot this
feeling. You should have shown them that Satan is always picking
flaws, questioning, accusing, and laying reproach upon the brethren,
and that it is unsafe to be in any such position."
"My brother, you have not taken a
course to encourage men to give themselves to the ministry. Instead
of bringing the expense of the work down to a low figure, it
is your duty to bring the minds of the people to understand that
'the laborer is worthy of his hire.'" "The churches
need to be impressed with the fact that it is their duty to deal
honestly with the cause of God, not allowing the guilt of the
worst kind of robbery to rest upon them, that of robbing God
in tithes and offerings. When settlements are made with the laborers
in His cause, they should not be forced to accept small remuneration
because there is a lack of money in the treasury. Many have been
defrauded of their just dues in this way, and it is just as criminal
in the sight of God as for one to keep back the wages of those
who are employed in any other regular business.
"There are men of ability who would
like to go out and labor in our several conferences; but they
have no courage, for they must have means to support their families.
It is the worst kind of generalship to allow a conference to
stand still or to fail to settle its honest debts. There is a
great deal of this done; and whenever it is done, God is displeased.
"If the presidents and other laborers
in our conferences impress upon the minds of the people the character
of the crime of robbing God, and if they have a true spirit of
devotion and a burden of the work, God will make their labors
a blessing to the people, and fruit will be seen as the result
of their efforts. Ministers have
failed greatly in their duty to so labor with the churches. There
is important work to be done aside from that of preaching. Had
this been done, as God designed it should be, there would have
been many more laborers in the field than there now are. And
had the ministers done their duty in educating every member,
whether rich or poor, to give as God has prospered him, there
would be a full treasury from which to pay the honest debts to
the workers; and this would greatly advance missionary work in
all their borders. God has shown me that many souls are in danger
of eternal ruin through selfishness and worldliness; and the
watchmen are guilty, for they have neglected their duty. This
is a state of things that Satan exults to see.
"All branches of the work belong to
the ministers. It is not God's order that someone should follow
after them and bind off their unfinished work. It is not the
duty of the conference to be at the expense of employing other
laborers to follow after and pick up the stitches dropped by
negligent workers. It is the duty of the president of the conference
to have an oversight of the laborers and their work, and to teach
them to be faithful in these things; for no church can prosper
that is robbing God. The spiritual dearth in our churches is
frequently the result of an alarming prevalence of selfishness.
Selfish, worldly pursuits and schemes interpose between the soul
and God. Men cling to the world, seeming to fear that should
they let go their hold upon it, God would not care for them.
And so they attempt to take care of themselves; they are anxious,
troubled, distressed, holding on to their large farms and adding
to their possessions.
"The word of God speaks of 'the hire
of the laborers, . . . which is of you kept back by fraud.' This
is generally understood to apply to wealthy men who employ servants
and do not pay them for their labor, but it has a broader meaning
than this. It applies with great force to those who have been
enlightened by the Spirit of God and yet in any degree work upon
the same principle that these men do in hiring servants, grinding
them down to the lowest price."
I solemnly warn you not to stand in an
attitude similar to that of the unfaithful spies, who went up
to view the land of promise. When these spies returned from their
search, the congregation of Israel were cherishing high hopes
and were waiting in eager expectancy. The news of their return
is carried from tribe to tribe and is hailed with rejoicing.
The people rush out to meet the messengers, who have endured
the fatigue of travel in the dusty highways and under a burning
sun. These messengers bring specimens of the fruit, showing the
fertility of the soil. The congregation rejoice that they are
to come into possession of so goodly a land; and they listen
intently as the report is brought to Moses, that not a word shall
escape them. "We came unto the land whither thou sentest
us," the spies begin, "and surely it floweth with milk
and honey; and this is the fruit of it." The people are
enthusiastic; they would eagerly obey the voice of the Lord and
go up at once to possess the land.
But the spies continue: "Nevertheless
the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are
walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak
there." Now the scene changes. Hope and courage give place
to cowardly despair as the spies utter the sentiments of their
unbelieving hearts, which are filled with discouragement prompted
by Satan. Their unbelief casts a gloomy shadow over the congregation,
and the mighty power of God, so often manifested in behalf of
the chosen nation, is forgotten.
The people are desperate in their disappointment
and despair. A wail of agony arises and mingles with the confused
murmur of voices. Caleb comprehends the situation and, bold to
stand in defense of the word of God, does all in his power to
counteract the evil influence of his unfaithful associates. For
an instant the people are stilled to listen to his words of hope
and courage respecting the goodly land. He does not contradict
what has already been said; the walls are high and the Canaanites
strong. "Let us go up at once, and possess it," he
urges; "for we are well able to overcome it." But the
ten interrupt him and picture the
obstacles in darker colors than at first. "We be not able
to go up against the people," they declare, "for they
are stronger than we." "All the people that we saw
in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants,
the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our
own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."
"And all the congregation lifted up
their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night."
The men who have so long borne with the perversity of Israel
know too well what the next scene will be. Revolt and open mutiny
quickly follow; for Satan has had full sway, and the people seem
bereft of reason. They curse Moses and Aaron, forgetting that
God hears their wicked speeches, and that, enshrouded in the
cloudy pillar, the Angel of His presence is witnessing their
terrible outburst of wrath. In bitterness they cry out: "Would
God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had
died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought
us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our
children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return
into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain,
and let us return into Egypt."
In humiliation and distress, Moses and
Aaron fall on "their faces before all the assembly of the
congregation of the children of Israel," not knowing what
to do to turn them from their rash and passionate purpose. Caleb
and Joshua attempt to quiet the tumult. With their garments rent
in token of grief and indignation, they rush in among the people,
and their ringing voices are heard above the tempest of lamentation
and rebellious grief: "The land, which we passed through
to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight
in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us;
a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against
the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are
bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord
is with us: fear them not."
The false report of the unfaithful spies
was fully accepted, and through it the whole congregation were
deluded, just as Satan meant that they should be; and the voice
of God through His faithful servants was disregarded. The traitors
had done their work. All the assembly, as with one voice, cried
out in favor of stoning Caleb and Joshua.
And now the mighty God reveals Himself,
to the confusion of His disobedient, murmuring people. "And
the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation
before all the children of Israel." What a burden was brought
upon Moses and Aaron, and how earnest were their entreaties that
God would not destroy His people! Moses pleads before the Lord
the wonderful manifestations of divine power that have made the
name of Israel's God a terror to their enemies, and entreats
that the enemies of God and of His people may have no occasion
to triumph, saying: "Because the Lord was not able to bring
this people into the land which He sware unto them, therefore
He hath slain them in the wilderness." The Lord hearkened
unto the prayer of Moses; but he declared that those who had
rebelled against Him, after having witnessed His power and glory,
should fall in the wilderness; they should never see the land
which was their promised inheritance. But of Caleb He said: "My
servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath
followed Me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he
went; and his seed shall possess it."
It was Caleb's faith in God that gave him
courage; that kept him from the fear of man, even the mighty
giants, the sons of Anak, and enabled him to stand boldly and
unflinchingly in defense of the right. From the same exalted
source, the mighty General of the armies of heaven, every true
soldier of the cross of Christ must receive strength and courage
to overcome obstacles that often seem insurmountable. The law
of God is made void; and those who would do their duty must be
ever ready to speak the words that God gives them, and not the
words of doubt, discouragement, and despair.
Elder M, although you may be sustained
by many, as were the unfaithful spies, yet the sentiments of
your letter are not prompted by the Spirit of the Lord. Beware
lest your words and your spirit be like theirs, and your work
of the same baleful character. At such a time as this we must
not harbor a thought nor breathe a word of unbelief, nor encourage
an act of self-serving. This has been done in the Upper Columbia
and North Pacific Conferences; and while there we felt in some
measure the sorrow, mortification, and discouragement that Moses
and Aaron, Caleb and Joshua, experienced. We tried to set the
current flowing in an opposite direction; but it was at the cost
of much severe labor and great anxiety and distress of mind.
And the work of reform in these conferences has but just commenced.
It is the work of time to overcome the unbelief, distrust, and
suspicion of years. Satan has been to a great extent successful
in carrying out his purposes in these conferences because he
has found persons whom he could use as his agents.
For Christ's sake and the truth's sake,
Brother M, do not leave the work in your conference in such a
shape that it will be impossible for the one that succeeds you
to set things in order. The people have received narrow and limited
views of the work; selfishness has been encouraged, and worldliness
has been unrebuked. I call upon you to do all in your power to
efface the wrong mold you have given to this conference, to remedy
the sad effects of your neglect of duty, and thus to prepare
the field for another laborer. Unless you do this, may God pity
the workman who shall follow you.
Presidents of conferences should be men
who can be fully trusted with God's work. They should be men
of integrity, unselfish, devoted, working Christians. If they
are deficient in these respects, the churches under their care
will not prosper. They, even more than other ministers of Christ,
should set an example of holy living and of unselfish devotion
to the interests of God's cause, that those looking to them for
an example may not be misled. But in some instances they are
trying to serve both God and mammon. They are not self-denying;
they do not carry a burden for souls. Their
consciences are not sensitive; when the cause of God is wounded,
they are not bruised in spirit. In their hearts they question
and doubt the Testimonies of the Spirit of God. They do not themselves
bear the cross of Christ; they know not the fervent love of Jesus.
And they are not faithful shepherds of the flock over which they
have been made overseers; their record is not one that they will
rejoice to meet in the day of God.
How much is required of the minister in
his work of watching for souls as they that must give an account!
What devotion, what singleness of purpose, what elevated piety,
should be seen in his life and character! How much is lost through
a want of tact and skill in presenting the truth to others, how
much through a carelessness of deportment, a roughness of speech,
and a worldliness that in no way represents Jesus or savors of
heaven. Our work is about to close up. Soon it will be said in
heaven: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and
he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous,
let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy
still." At this solemn time the church is called upon to
be vigilant because of the intense activity of Satan. His agency
is seen on every hand, and yet ministers and people act as though
they were ignorant of his devices and paralyzed by his power.
Let each member of the church awake. Let each laborer remember
that the vineyard he tills is not his own, but belongs to his
Lord, who has gone on a long journey and in His absence has commissioned
His servants to look after His interests; and let him remember
that if he is unfaithful to his trust he must give an account
to his Lord when He shall return.
While the doubting ones talk of impossibilities,
while they tremble at the thought of high walls and strong giants,
let the faithful Calebs, who have "another spirit,"
come to the front. The truth of God, which bringeth salvation,
will go forth to the people if ministers and professed believers
will not hedge up its way, as did the unfaithful spies. Our work
is aggressive. Something must be done to warn the world; and
let no voice be heard that will
encourage selfish interests to the neglect of missionary fields.
We must engage in the work with heart and soul and voice; both
mental and physical powers must be aroused. All heaven is interested
in our work, and angels of God are ashamed of our weak efforts.
I am alarmed at the indifference of our
churches. Like Meroz, they have failed to come up to the help
of the Lord. The laymen have been at ease. They have folded their
hands, feeling that the responsibility rested upon the ministers.
But to every man God has appointed his work; not work in his
fields of corn and wheat, but earnest, persevering work for the
salvation of souls. God forbid, Elder M, that you or any other
minister should quench one particle of the spirit of labor that
now exists. Will you not rather stimulate it by your words of
burning zeal? The Lord has made us the depositaries of His law;
He has committed to us sacred and eternal truth, which is to
be given to others in faithful warnings, reproofs, and encouragement.
By means of railroads and steamboat lines we are connected with
every part of the world and given access to every nation with
our message of truth. Let us sow the seed of gospel truth beside
all waters; for we know not which shall prosper, this or that,
or whether both shall be alike fruitful. Paul may plant, and
Apollos water; but it is God who giveth the increase.
"Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which
is in heaven." Do not put your light under a bushel, but
on a candlestick, that it may give light to all that are in the
house. "Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price,"
even the precious blood of the Son of God. We have no right to
live to ourselves. Every minister should be a consecrated missionary;
every layman a worker, using his talents of influence and means
in his Lord's service; for active benevolence is a vital principle
of Christianity. It is the exercise of this principle that is
to bring sheaves to the Lord of the harvest, while a want of
it hinders the work of God and bars the way for the salvation
of souls.
Ministers have neglected to enforce gospel
beneficence. The subject of tithes and offerings has not been
dwelt upon as it should have been. Men are not naturally inclined
to be benevolent, but to be sordid and avaricious, and to live
for self. And Satan is ever ready to present the advantages to
be gained by using all their means for selfish, worldly purposes;
he is glad when he can influence them to shirk duty and rob God
in tithes and offerings. But not one is excused in this matter.
"Let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered
him." The poor and the rich, the young men and the young
women who earn wages--all are to lay by a portion; for God claims
it. The spiritual prosperity of every member of the church depends
on personal effort and strict fidelity to God. Says the apostle
Paul: "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they
be not high-minded, 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." All are required to show a deep interest
in the cause of God in its various branches, and close and unexpected
tests will be brought to bear upon them to see who are worthy
to receive the seal of the living God.
All should feel that they are not proprietors,
but stewards, and that the time is coming when they must give
an account for the use they have made of their Lord's money.
Means will be needed in the cause of God. With David they should
say: "All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we
given Thee." Schools are to be established in various places,
publications are to be multiplied, churches are to be built in
the large cities, and laborers are to be sent forth, not only
into the cities, but into the highways and hedges. And now, my
brethren who believe the truth, is your opportunity. We are standing,
as it were, on the borders of the eternal world. We are looking
for the glorious appearing of our Lord; the night is far spent;
the day is at hand. When we realize the greatness
of the plan of redemption we shall be far
more courageous, self-sacrificing, and devotional than we now
are.
There is a great work for us to do before
success will crown our efforts. There must be decided reforms
in our homes and in our churches. Parents must labor for the
salvation of their children. God will work with our efforts when
we do on our part all that He has enjoined upon us and qualified
us to do; but because of our unbelief, worldliness, and indolence,
blood-bought souls in the very shadow of our homes are dying
in their sins, and dying unwarned. Is Satan always thus to triumph?
Oh, no! The light reflected from the cross of Calvary indicates
that a greater work is to be done than our eyes have yet witnessed.
The third angel, flying in the midst of
heaven and heralding the commandments of God and the testimony
of Jesus, represents our work. The message loses none of its
force in the angel's onward flight, for John sees it increasing
in strength and power until the whole earth is lightened with
its glory. The course of God's commandment-keeping people is
onward, ever onward. The message of truth that we bear must go
to nations, tongues, and peoples. Soon it will go with a loud
voice, and the earth will be lightened with its glory. Are we
preparing for this great outpouring of the Spirit of God?
Human agencies are to be employed in this
work. Zeal and energy must be intensified; talents that are rusting
from inaction must be pressed into service. The voice that would
say, "Wait; do not allow yourself to have burdens imposed
upon you," is the voice of the cowardly spies. We want Calebs
now who will press to the front--chieftains in Israel who with
courageous words will make a strong report in favor of immediate
action. When the selfish, ease-loving, panic-stricken people,
fearing tall giants and inaccessible walls, clamor for retreat,
let the voice of the Calebs be heard, even though the cowardly
ones stand with stones in their hands, ready to beat them down
for their faithful testimony.
Can we not discern the signs of the times?
Can we not see how earnestly Satan
is at work binding the tares in bundles, uniting the elements
of his kingdom, that he may gain control of the world? This work
of binding up the tares is going forward far more rapidly than
we imagine. Satan is opposing every obstacle to the advancement
of the truth. He is seeking to create diversity of opinion and
to encourage worldliness and avarice. He works with the subtlety
of the serpent and, when he sees it will do, with the ferocity
of the lion. The ruin of souls is his only delight, their destruction
his only employment; and shall we act as though we were paralyzed?
Will those who profess to believe the truth listen to the temptations
of the wily foe and allow themselves to become selfish and narrow,
and their worldly interests to interfere with efforts for the
salvation of souls?
All who ever enter heaven's gates will
enter as conquerors. When the redeemed throng surround the throne
of God, with palm branches in their hands and crowns on their
heads, it will be known what victories have been won. It will
be seen how Satan's power has been exercised over minds, how
he has linked with himself souls who flattered themselves that
they were doing God's will. It will then be seen that his power
and subtlety could not have been successfully resisted had not
divine power been combined with human effort. Man must also be
victor over himself; his temper, inclinations, and spirit must
be brought into subjection to the will of God. But the righteousness
and strength of Christ avail for all who will claim His merits.
Then let earnest and determined effort
be made to beat back the terrible foe. We want on the whole armor
of righteousness. Time is passing, and we are fast approaching
the close of our probation. Will our names stand registered in
the Lamb's book of life, or shall we be found with the unfaithful?
Are we of the number who shall gather around the great white
throne, singing the song of the redeemed? There are no cold,
formal ones in that throng. Every soul is in earnest, every heart
full of thanksgiving for the marvelous love of God and the overcoming
grace that has enabled His people to conquer
in the warfare against sin. And with a loud voice they swell
the song: "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb."