Brethren and Sisters
“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
April 18, 1897
Previously unpublished.
My dear brethren and sisters:
I have just heard that our people, men and women, design to have a picnic on the morrow. Tomorrow is a holiday; there is to be a boat race, and therefore you feel at liberty to take this pleasure excursion. After the words spoken last Sabbath, will you show that you have made no application of the Word? Will you leave the very work that is essential to be done as rapidly as possible, and go on a pleasure excursion? 12LtMs, Lt 9, 1897, par. 1
We are passing through a crisis, a time when we need to be pleading with God to save the souls that are ready to perish. When you see the apostasy, the men who have preached the truth to others going out from among us, giving heed to Satan’s temptations, when the souls, of some of us at least, are bowed down with the greatest humiliation, knowing not what to do to break the infatuation, then every soul of you should be seeking the Lord, offering up your petition to Him in behalf of the souls that are standing on the very brink of ruin. 12LtMs, Lt 9, 1897, par. 2
We are living amid the perils of the last days, and let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. I ask you all, men, women, and children, to re-consider this matter. Do everything with an eye single to the glory of God. I have done all that I possibly could do to help forward the work on the school buildings. I have let the men that should be working on Willie’s place—Worsnop, James, Connell—all go and put in their time at the school. I have also given up my help in the house, that they might work with Sister Haskell to complete their line of work. All these I am paying for their labor, with the exception of the pledges that they are working out. We need all these men to do the work that needs to be done on my barn, and in the preparation for building W. C. White’s house. But I have given all these laborers up willingly, that the building on the school ground might be completed. 12LtMs, Lt 9, 1897, par. 3
Sister Haskell and Sara have been doing carpenter’s work, and helping in every possible way that they could, when we have needed their help very much. I have also let the girls that I employ in the writing go over and help in the work of settling. I have let important writings stand aside, that Maggie and Minnie might lend a helping hand. And even our aged Brother Tucker has spent days in labor. And now, within ten days of the opening of the school, all the workmen feel at liberty to drop this essential, important work, to observe a holiday. I think your conscience will disturb you some if you do this. I know it is the enemy’s temptation, from whatever source it comes. You may say, Is it not my right to do this? Not if God has another work for you to do in preparing the building. 12LtMs, Lt 9, 1897, par. 4
We must guard every point zealously, lest inclination shall lead away from duty. Your time, your strength, your mind, belongs to God. He has purchased them all at an infinite cost, and I entreat of you not to patronize this excursion, where the mind will not be attracted to God or heavenly things. Between ourselves and God we are under solemn obligations to do his service. 12LtMs, Lt 9, 1897, par. 5
Our bodies and our souls are the Lord’s. Our time is the Lord’s, not only as His gift by creation, but we are the Lord’s by His daily maintenance. We bear the Lord’s stamp. We are to be His witnesses at all times and in all places, and we are to realize that we are His, not only by creation, but by redemption. When in all things, whether we eat, or drink, or whatsoever we do, we do all to the glory of God, we shall make progress in religious growth. 12LtMs, Lt 9, 1897, par. 6
A great lesson is learned when we heartily recognize God’s right over our time, talents, property, and our influence; when we remember that the Lord has a right over our individual selves. 12LtMs, Lt 9, 1897, par. 7
We are in a strait place. We want the work on the building finished. We want it completed as soon as possible. We cannot think it proper for you to leave this work under any consideration. You are the ones upon whom we depend to do your level best to complete the building. I have been waiting, hoping, and praying that the Lord will open ways for this work to be done. Will you co-operate with God in answering our prayers? 12LtMs, Lt 9, 1897, par. 8