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| Light (Poetry, | 57 |
| Our Pioneer Educator, | 57 |
| General Conference Proceedings, | |
| Twelfth Meeting, | 57 |
| Thirteenth Meeting, | 60 |
| Pacific Press Publishing Co., | 64 |
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| Report from Scandinavia, | 66 |
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| Bible Study, Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar, | 67 |
| The Loud Cry, | 69 |
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“I asked the roses, as they grew
Richer and lovelier in their hue,
What made their tints so rich and bright:
They answered, ‘Looking toward the light.’
Ah, secret dear! saith heart of mine,
God meant my life to be like thine, -
Radiant, with heavenly beauty bright,
By simply looking toward the light.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 57.1
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Tuesday, February 21, 1899, ought to be long remembered by the delegates and others in attendance at the thirty-third General Conference. The subject of health and temperance as a part of the third angel’s message was the order of the day. In the course of the discussion deep spiritual truths were evolved; and as they became clear to hitherto beclouded minds, strong flashes of light seemed to pass over countenances that shortly before showed evidences of doubt and anxiety. The points made are all to be found in the BULLETIN, and should be read by all our people. At the close of the evening service, a most tender spirit came in while leading delegates, with trembling voices, confessed their wrong attitude toward this important point. There is evident power in sight for the message; and some of the delegates, at least, are expecting an outpouring of grace before the conference closes, which will enable them to carry the message with no uncertain sound from this time forward. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 57.2
Since the conference convened, word has been received that another faithful laborer has fallen. Elder G. T. Wilson went to New Zealand from Michigan some years ago, and after faithful service there, was transferred to Australia. For the last year or two his health has gradually failed until, while engaged with Elder S. N. Haskell in tent work in Brisbane, consumption claimed him as a victim. Many will mourn his loss as a conscientious, devoted servant of the Master. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 57.3
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The name of Goodloe Harper Bell has become well known in educational circles, as a prominent author of school text-books. The subject of this sketch, though born in Watertown, New York, came from hardy English stock, which doubtless counted much toward endowing him with the elements of success in his chosen profession. When Brother Bell was quite a lad, and had acquired studious habits, his father removed from New York to Michigan, finally settling near Grand Rapids. Here the boy found employment, which provided means for the prosecution of those studies which his mind had before begun to assimilate. At the age of nineteen he entered upon his chosen lifework, - that of teaching, - which he followed in a larger or smaller way until the day of his death. The study in which he most delighted was that of nature; and often he would go many miles to find one specimen of plant or flower that he had set his heart on critically examining. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 57.4
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His first religious affiliations were with the Baptists; but having occasion to visit the Battle Creek Sanitarium for his health, he studied the views of the Seventh-day Adventists, and true to his conceptions of duty, he openly espoused their principles, and soon came into prominence among them. In 1872 he opened a small school in Battle Creek for the benefit of the church; and when the college opened its doors in 1874, he stood as the head of the faculty. In time he became president of the International Sabbath-school Association, and was at one time treasurer of the General Conference. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 57.5
While riding from his country home into the city of Battle Creek, Jan. 16, 1899, his horse ran away, and he met with an accident which resulted in his almost immediate death. Had he lived until the April following, he would have been sixty-seven years of age. His sudden death shocked the entire community, and he is still mourned in every part of the world. Many of his old students, who now fill positions of trust and responsibility, have had constant occasion to congratulate themselves that it was their good fortune to receive the discipline of such a teacher. Though he is dead, he yet speaks through the influence of his oral teaching, and through the thoroughness of the text-books from his hand, from which others are still teaching and will continue to teach. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 57.6
Let every man first make clean his own heart preparatory to the cleansing of the people and the church. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 57.7
The gospel and its words of truth and warning must be given to the world, irrespective of consequences. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 57.8
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Remarks on the Gospel of Health - Religious Liberty Work - International Tract Society - Doings of Foreign Mission Board - Interesting Discussion of Methods. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 57.9
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E. J. Waggoner: We want to understand that this thing is not a sentiment, that a man does not resolve himself into health and righteousness; but God works by his Spirit upon man, and the only thing that the Lord has to work upon, in man, is what the man is himself. The Spirit works through the avenues which God himself has provided, through which he can reach man. That is plain enough. Take the first thing that the human being does when he comes into the world, - to breathe. What happens at that instant? - The very same thing that took place in Adam. God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul. Of course we understand that life has begun in the human being before that. God has put life there; but if it was not for the breath that comes, it would all amount to nothing. God gives that which makes man. Does he then leave the man to go on breathing by himself? - No; he goes on and breathes the breath of life into his nostrils eighteen times a minute. Brethren, God is wonderfully near. The air that we breathe is life to us. God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and we are breathing that same breath to-day. Every moment God is breathing the breath of life into the nostrils of every living being. You and I forget that; we hold God off; we regard him as afar off, and do not think of him as being so near that he is putting breath into us every moment. Who runs the breathing machinery while we sleep? - God established laws, and the popular idea is that he left those laws to execute themselves. But that is not so: God started us breathing, and if he should for a moment cease to keep us breathing, we would cease to breathe. Now in Job 34:14, 15, there is something that we are familiar with: “If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.” Here is another rendering: “If he thought only upon himself, if he took to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh shall perish together.” If he was not thinking upon me every moment to give me breath; if he only thought about himself; if he was selfish, self-contained, and thought only of himself, all flesh would perish together. But he does not think about himself: he thinks about me every moment. Man has no control over the breath. This shows us that we live and breathe by God’s life, which is above us, around us, and through us, just as Paul says, in Ephesians, “There is one God and one Father, who is above all, and through all, and in all.” God gives to every man breath. What is that breath? - Life. We must have air, or we can not live. Now everything that God has given by which to convey life is the means of conveying righteousness to us. When Christ stood with his disciples, he breathed upon them, and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” You know that all the things Jesus did are not simply for one moment of time in themselves, but are specimens of what he is doing all the time. When Jesus was here on the earth those thirty-three years, he was in no wise different from what he was before he came to this earth, or from what he is now. That little section of his life was the removal of the veil, that we might look in, and see for ourselves what he is doing. He has not changed since he was on earth. When Christ breathed upon his disciples, and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” it was to teach us that when we recognize him in the breath of life which he gives to us, we are to receive the Holy Ghost, which is as free as the air; and just as the air will come in when there is a vacuum, so wherever there is a place for the Spirit of God to enter, there it will come in. There is a wonderful connection between this air we breathe and the Spirit. “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” The Spirit is life. It is only by the Spirit of God that men live. So all these agencies for conveying to us life are agencies for the reception of the Holy Spirit, when we receive them as gifts from God. When a man knows and recognizes that every breath he draws is a direct breathing of God into his nostrils, he lives in the presence of God, and has a Spirit-filled life. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 57.10
God wants us to understand that the message, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” is not simply a matter of sentiment, but is practical godliness - every-day life. Jesus was just as much filled with the Spirit when he sat faint by the well as when driving the demons out of the demoniac. Although he was faint and hungry - because he was a man - while he was waiting there for something to eat, an opportunity came for him to speak the word of life; and he ministered life, and then his hunger was gone. He had meat that his disciples knew not of. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.1
But by simply breathing, man can not be filled with the Holy Ghost; neither by eating or drinking. For the children of Israel ate the very best food the universe afforded, and yet they died. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.2
Voice: because it was not eaten in faith. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.3
E. J. Waggoner: Yes, because it was not eaten by faith. Let a man breathe by faith, and he will be full of the Spirit of God. The just shall live by faith. Creatures live, not die, by faith. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.4
A. F. Ballenger: How do the unjust live? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.5
E. J. Waggoner: They live without faith. They have the life of God without recognizing it. God has poured out the holy Spirit upon all flesh. It is the glorious gift to every soul upon this earth, but all will not receive it. The just shall live by faith; that is, the just shall breathe by faith; eat, drink, and clothe themselves by faith. When a man is in the hands of the Lord, he will live by faith; for Christ has ascended up on high, that he may give us life. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.6
Delegate: And die by faith? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.7
E. J. Waggoner: No, not die by faith, but he can die in faith. But what is the use of talking about dying? The Lord does not want us to die. This message of the gospel comes to us, that we may take it, to live, and not die. The Lord wants us to live until he comes. When God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, not a man of them, if they had kept the faith, would have ever died until the whole world had received the gospel, and Christ had come and set up his dominion. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.8
S. H. Lane: How can you prove that the children of Israel would never have died? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.9
E. J. Waggoner: The language is plain enough in the Bible, in the promise to Abraham, and in the history of Israel. We have one example, - that of Enoch, who walked with God, and did not die. This matter of translation is not simply that the Lord comes and translates us because he does not give us time to die. God is working out a marvelous plan for his own glory. We are only incidental factors. Our salvation is a matter of secondary importance to God’s glory. In the beginning, God started man, a perfect creature, and filled him with the Spirit; but ever since man fell, the devil has been taunting God, saying, What a failure you have made! We ourselves have helped the devil along, and given him a chance to taunt the Lord. There was One about whom the devil could not taunt God, and that was Jesus Christ. When we ourselves see, and get other people to see, that this is God’s life, - that it is his Spirit which fills all space; that air is a means of conveying his Spirit to us; and that it is God’s own life, - then we see that air is the power of God to purify, to give life. You take in the life, and live by it; thus we see the power of the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses from all sin. He gives us life, to keep us going. So then, if we shut out the air, we shut out, unconsciously, the fulness of the Spirit of God. But if we receive it, - let the air come in full and free, and take it as the gift of God, - we get life. It is God that gives us this life, and we live by him. It is the same with eating. We live by the food that he gives to us; but it is his own life that he gives to us, and there is no other. If we take that by faith, - and “the just shall live by faith,” - we are receiving the life of God. Now just as God used means when he breathed on the disciples, and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” so when we find a person that is in need, and help him, we are simply conveying a gift of God to him. We are the agency to convey God’s gift to him. Let him know that the gift comes from God. Perhaps he is shut up in a close room, and does not know how to live. He has no life. We open the windows, and teach him the value of the fresh air. We teach him that the night air is not dangerous; that God’s air is just as good in the night as it is in the day-time. We tell him to breathe it in. Then let him know that we have simply conveyed God’s life. When he is better, tell him to accept this life as coming from God, through God, in giving him life in the air, which is God’s. When we bring man to recognize God, and help him sufficiently to recognize the Lord in all things, God will lead him right along. When Paul was stung by a viper, those standing by thought he would die. But he did not. Why? - There was a power, a life, to resist, was there not? We are continually breathing in germs. You can not go on the street, at least in the cities, without breathing in germs of tuberculosis. But we do not all have tuberculosis. We may be exposed to typhoid fever, and yet escape. A few years ago, when I was in Smyrna, the smallpox was prevailing there. I went into the market-place, and at times stood face to face with those who were all broken out with the smallpox. Everybody who was exposed did not die of the smallpox. Why? Because, you say, there was a vitality to resist. But what is it that swallows up these germs? - It is the life of God. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.10
Suppose a man recognized that fact, and therefore let God have his own way in controlling the human body, so that he might fill it with his life. What disease could affect him? Would he not ward off all disease, as he did in Christ himself? - Certainly. That is why this gospel of good health has come up for us in these last days. He has let the light of health reform come out, in order that we might not fall under the plagues. God saw that the people would be too weak in themselves; so he let the means, the way of life, be the more plain to us, that we might live. And he expects us to live. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.11
I do not like to hear people say that they expect to die. Let us expect to live. I will say, however, I have no doubt that there are aged servants of God, worn and feeble, whom God will kindly let fall asleep, that they may not have to endure burdens that others will. God will just let them fall asleep. That will be all right; and they are blessed - they die in the Lord, not because of sin. But here are we, to whom God has committed the message; and he wants us to glorify him in our bodies. But what is it to glorify God? Jesus said to Martha, as he stood at the grave of Lazarus, “If thou shalt believe, thou shalt see the glory of God.” In what did she see it? - In the resurrection of Lazarus. Just as surely as Lazarus was raised for the glory of God, so surely is the resurrection power in us when we glorify God in our bodies. Then that man can not die, as long as he holds to that faith, provided his death will not glorify God. I am sure that some Seventh-day Adventists will die in good health; they will be put to death before the Lord comes. They will be hanged; they will be burned at the stake; they will be shot; they will have every persecution that was ever brought upon the people of God in the days of the Inquisition. I do not mean that that will be when the decree goes forth that whoever shall not worship the beast shall be killed; for that is in the time of the plagues, when our death would not glorify God, because nobody will be converted at that time; but before that time. You can read it plainly, that they are now preparing places where all the persecutions of the Inquisition will be repeated. But the death of every one who is thus killed will glorify God in the conversion of some of those who have put him to death. He is a witness, then. But can the Lord be glorified with us in bed, when we ought to be doing his work? I have sinned, perhaps, against some law of my being. I was sick, and could tell just why. I had transgressed some commandment, and brought the disease upon myself. That was not glorifying God. Jesus did not have to cease labor because of sickness; yet he bore all the sickness of the world. But disease comes knocking at the door, even of a man who lives perfectly before God; yet we must have trust in God to resist it. This is not a fancy. We must let God live through us in everything; let God live his own life in us, and the power of that life will resist the disease, while we hold to that power by faith. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.12
That is justification by faith. So the doctors at the sanitarium should teach justification by faith, although they do not call it by just those words. They should see their wonderful privilege in being physicians after God’s plan. The minister carries the same responsibility when he applies a fomentation, and relieves a patient. There was no virtue in the water, or in the cloth, but the use of them was God’s means of giving his refreshing life. It is not enough to recognize that these are good; we must recognize that they are God’s gift of life. In ministering to others, we are ministering life indeed. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.13
Health reform is the gospel of life, health, and peace. The air is God’s medicine, and good food is God’s medicine. There is power, life, in the pure water, because God’s life is in it. But when we take it, we want to take it in its pure state, not adulterated or impure. It must be the best kind of food, that is not adulterated or spoiled; and the water we will take sparkling and clear, without any poison in it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.14
A voice: Is the life of God in the bread? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.15
E. J. Waggoner: Yes. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.16
A voice: What is the difference, then, between this and the position taken by the priest? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.17
E. J. Waggoner: They are diametrically opposite. Christ said, when he took bread, and broke it, “This is my body;” but the priest says, “I will take this bread, and make it the body.” The priest denies the truth of God. The Lord’s Supper is simply the model meal. Christ is the bread of life, - the bread that came down from heaven. But when I said that, I was not speaking of manna. The Jews said: “Our fathers had manna.” What did God say before he gave the Israelites manna? - He said, “I will rain bread from heaven for them.” “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” Yet in that day they said to Jesus, We would like to see a miracle. What had he done? - He had brought the bread from heaven for them. He had given them bread, - himself, - and they had all been feeding upon spiritual meat. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.18
Christ took the piece of bread, and said, “This is my body.” Whoever really recognizes Christ in the bread, ought to cut off everything from his table that which is not purely of Christ, and that does not have the pure life of Christ in it. He should cut off everything from it that is corrupted, because Christ is a Lamb without blemish or spot. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.19
Then we are to take that by faith unto life. Are we to live by faith? - “This is my body.” But let every man stop, and examine himself. “He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” What was the trouble with the Jews in the desert? - They had spiritual meat; but the very best food in the world will not save a man if he does not see the Lord in it. The infidel can not preach the gospel of health, because when one takes these things apart from Christ, he is not made the underlying principle. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.20
What do we put into the ground when we want corn? - We plant the seed. But what did God put there to bring forth the first corn? “The seed is the word of God.” He sowed the seed of his own word. Now when you have a handful of good seed, that seed has the life of God in it. You have got the same thing that God put into the ground when corn first grew. When this is made into bread, life is in it still. We do not see the life, but it is there, and it is the life of God. It is his body, and we take his body and get life. But if we take it, not discerning his body, we reject that, and really say we can live without him. We do not pay attention to his laws, and so die. But if you see in it his body, then in every meal to which we sit down, we see the body of Christ; and we take it, and we live by it. In every meal we eat without recognizing the Lord’s body, we eat and drink condemnation to ourselves. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.21
The Chair: The meeting will now take a recess of ten minutes. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.22
The Chair: The meeting is now open for discussion on the pending question. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.23
W. W. Prescott: There is so much to be said that it is really a difficult thing to know what to say, and what not to say. Yet there is only one thing to be said; and if, in some way, by looking at it from one standpoint or another, we see the thing that is to be said, we shall see it everywhere, and go with the message. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 58.24
We have received by tradition, by inheritance, by all the forms and shapes of things that came down to us from the centuries of the Dark Ages, the papal superscription on everything. In giving this message, we must be clear from everything belonging to the papacy, because the reform is just on that question. Just as we found last night, the original apostasy revealed itself in Sabbath-breaking, losing the Sabbath, and in eating the devil’s food instead of the Lord’s food. And there was Babylon right there. The whole question of the papacy is the question of disbelieving the word of God, and putting one’s own work in the place of it. Now on this specific question the Lord said, when he took that loaf, “This is my body.” No, says the papacy, that is not so. But when the priest says these words over the bread, it is the Lord’s body. It is not that until the priest has said those words. Jesus Christ’s saying them did not make it so. No, he did not make it so; it was so; he simply stated the fact. But the papacy says it is not so: but when the priest gets up and says those words, it is so. Who is ahead, then? - Of course the priest is above the Lord. The church - and the priest simply represents the church - is above the man. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.1
There is another truth that is just as simple and plain as that. The Lord said, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” No, says the church; it is not. It is not the Sabbath. The church has changed it, and it is now the first day of the week. Now we go to people, and tell them that the church has no authority to say anything contrary to the word of God; and when the word of God says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God,” that ends it. But that same church says the words of the Lord, “This is my body,” are not so. We have to take that, and make it so. Now what we must do in this message is not simply to go to persons, and show them from the word that the seventh day is the Sabbath, but we must also show them from the word that when he said, “This is my body,” that is the truth. Of course we can not show this to them until we believe it. Now suppose we have a simple reading on it. I know how it looks. It is the exact opposite. I want you to see this as an actual thing, because this is the message. Let us read in the gospel by John, first chapter. “In the beginning was the Word.” Read again, Luke 8:11. When Christ explained the parable, he said: “The seed is the word of God.” Does it tell anywhere in this parable whether that was corn, oats, barley, rye, or wheat? Does it make any difference what kind it was? Suppose it was corn; when the sower went forth to sow, what did he sow, according to this statement? - The word of God. Now take a handful of corn, just as if you were going to sow it; what do you have in your hand? You see the kernels of wheat, don’t you? Now turn to 1 Corinthians 14:37: “And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare [naked] grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.2
When you look at the handful of wheat, the kernels in your hand, you are looking at the body of the seed. God has given that body to the seed. The seed is the word. Then you are looking at a body in which the word is. The word is in that body, and that word is here. How many lives are one? Suppose you have a handful of wheat, and there is the body, and the word is in it. Another one has a handful of rye, and another has a handful of barley, and another a handful of wheat, and another a handful of corn. “To every seed his own body.” But what is the seed all the time? - The word. Now here is the word in the body that we call the kernel of corn. Here is the word in the body that we call a kernel of wheat. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.3
But the thing which you can not see with the natural eye, which is in every one of those bodies, no matter what its shape, so that you recognize it as a kernel of corn, or a kernel of wheat, or whatever it be, - the thing you can not see with the natural eye, - is the living Word that is in that body. Now when Jesus came to this world, we learn, in the 10th chapter of Hebrews, “Thou hast prepared me a body.” And he came in a body. Now when his body went around, what was going around? Why, the Word, which is the life, - the Word that was in the beginning, but was now given a body. Now the Word took a body in Jesus of Nazareth; and he went around, but it was the same Word in a different body, - the same life in a different body. When Jesus took up a loaf made from some of those very bodies, in which the Word was, don’t you see that the Word in the body, flesh, simply reached out, took up the Word in that body, - the same Word exactly, - the same life, and said, “This is my body also.” That is the same life that is in here, there, and in many other bodies, because the life of God is not confined to any one body. Wherever you find life, you see his life. What, then, from that standpoint, is the body of Christ? - Anything in which you find his life. Don’t you see? Now then, the Word in the flesh simply took up the word in that grain, and said, “This is my body.” Now the papacy - don’t think now of the pope over in Italy, but the papacy - that gets into our hearts, and that we have to fight with constantly, has said to us, When he said this is my body, he meant that this represents my body. Understand that the papacy is simply the revealing of the devil at work. That is all. No matter whether it is in me, or in you, or whoever it may be, the papacy is simply the revealing of the devil at work to tear down what the Lord does. Now the Lord does everything by his word; therefore, the devil tries to put his own word through some man or church, in the place of that word. Until we ourselves know the commandments, as life everlasting, we never can preach them to others as salvation. We can preach them as bondage, and the people get into bondage; but we never can preach them as freedom, - as that which delivers from bondage, - until we know them just as Jesus of Nazareth knew them. “I know that thy commandment is life everlasting.” Then it becomes a question of life, receiving his life, submitting to his life, letting him take his place; for his place is the head. You see we did not quite get that last night. When we said there were two hands, two feet, two ears, two mouths, etc., we did not get to this one thing, and that is, there is only one head. And when there are two heads, there are two hands. When there is only one head, there is only one hand in the two. Jesus Christ is the head. Now if we let him take his place as head, - the head of anybody does not think against itself, - he won’t put one hand against the other. When you see one hand tearing the other, you say, What has happened to that man? - He has lost his head. To be sure; that is just what he has done. That is just the trouble in the church, in the body. If you see one member tearing another, what has happened there? O, this member has lost his head. That is what has happened. Now you can not remedy that until you get his head back on him. That is the first thing to be done, then. Don’t censure him, or turn him out of the church headless; he won’t get any better, or get his head; but get his head back on him, then there will be harmony again. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.4
Now about this question of reform. We have come to a time when we have the truth presented to us, - this one message, this message of healthful living. We ought to go to the world with this gospel, - a gospel so visible, so tangible, that all can see it. But it is so difficult to get away from the idea that the work to be done is to establish a system, to build up a denomination, to get other people to think as we do about certain points in the Bible. Now that kind of work is not preaching the gospel, it is not giving the message. I want to tell you that when the message is given, the church will be there, and it will be a living church. All the teaching - that is, the doctrine - will be there, as life, as power, and there will be a reform; that reform will commend itself to the people, and it will take hold of every one who is looking for anything like light and truth. That is the way the truth is before us. You have heard it said that the world is waiting for these health principles. That is true. Why doesn’t every one of us simply take the Bible, and go to the people and give it to them? The message of health reform now centers just as much in that simple statement, “This is my body,” as it centers in that simple statement, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Do not misunderstand me. The Sabbath is above the question of eating, and will rule in it, - not Saturday-keeping, but the Sabbath. In the first place, when one became two, and the division was made, the Sabbath was lost right there. That union with God, that harmony with the life of God which constitutes rest in God, was lost. Man lost it because he got away from God. Then he showed the fact that he had lost the Sabbath, by what he ate. When one became two in the first place, as we were studying last night, and man was alienated from the life of God, he lost his Sabbath right there, because the Sabbath is complete union and harmony with the life of God; and that, of course, is rest. Man lost his Sabbath right there, and he showed that he had lost it by what he ate. What we want to do is to bring the two into one again. That is the Sabbath. Then let them express it in what they eat and drink. Now you can’t eat and drink yourself into the kingdom, and you can’t get anybody else to. But you can, by your course of eating and drinking, shut yourself out from the kingdom; that is, you can refuse to come in. There is the kingdom: I am here. I can not eat myself into it: but I can persist in eating and drinking in such a way that I can stay out. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.5
Take a church of forty or fifty members. Our homes are not large enough for the families all to come together. So once in a while they come together at the church, not because they are hungry; but they come around the Lord’s table and partake together, to say publicly, by that act, that they have but one table, - that they have but one Head of the table, and that he provides for the table. This we do, outwardly at least, in the church: but if between that time and the next time we forget all about that, what good is it? - None. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.6
When we come around the table at the church, some one says, after the bread has been passed, “Has any one been missed?” Oh, yes; here is a brother; pass it to him. The bread is passed. Tomorrow you sit down to the table in your own home. You say, “Is there any brother that has not had bread passed to him?” It has not been passed; then, “Jennie, pass the bread over there.” That is missionary work; that is Christian Help work. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.7
The whole religion of Jesus Christ is to share with people. See how the Lord does. Just the moment we acknowledge the truth that we are nothing, and that he is everything, he turns right around, and says, Share everything with me. It was thought a wonderful thing that King Herod, worked up under the influence of drink and the excitement of the hour, should promise that dancing-girl the half of his kingdom. But the King of glory shares the whole of his kingdom with us. He does not stop with hair; he gives the whole of it to every one, and every one has the whole of it with him. He says: This is my body; take and eat; share with me. Take me. He is all in all. He is the kingdom; and when we take him, we take all. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.8
In taking away the cup, and saying, This is not the Lord’s body, unless we make it so, the church is put above the Lord. When the host is held up, what do the people do? - They bow in adoration. What do they adore? - The host. But who made it represent what they think it is? - The priest. What are they adoring, then? - The priest. But what does the priest represent? - The church. They are worshiping man in the place of God. But who is before all this? - The devil. Then when they adore the host, before whom are they bowing? - Satan. All the world wondered after the beast, and they worshiped the dragon that gave him power. Now that is the third angel’s message. Until we can see that they adore the host, that they are actually bowing before Satan, the beast, why, you see, that we can not give the message, because the message is, “If any man worship the beast and his image,” he drinks the wrath. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.9
We must get at that through the Sabbath, because when the priest says, This is my body, he becomes the creator. You have to show that there is only one Creator, - the true and the living God; and the message is, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made.” Know who the Creator is. He the message. The Sabbath is the sign of his creative power, the sign that we may know that he is the Lord our God. “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve;” but that has to come now through the Sabbath. That is why it is given to us. But just as soon as that comes, and we see who the Creator is, that necessitates all those matters about the host and the changing of it. But if we are not prepared to say, standing right on the simple word, That is my body, we can not meet it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.10
One more word about the reform on the Sabbath. I would like to have you look now in Revelation 14, where we have the message. First, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” That is the everlasting gospel. There never was any other gospel, and there never can be. It goes on and says, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Why will it fall? - There is no faith. The same Lord says, “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Babylon must fall on account of lack of faith in the word. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.11
Notice that in the eighth verse of this chapter: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” When they drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, it will reveal itself, will it not? Because of false teaching, false practices have come. If you teach the false practices, you know the false teaching is there. If you teach falsely, you know that the false practices will follow. Here are two things, the false teaching and the false practices. They are not to be separated. It makes no difference which one you speak of; the other is there. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 59.12
In the next verse it says, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.” In the eighth verse it takes hold of the cause, that is, the false teaching does not say anything about the effect. In the next verse it takes hold of the effect, and does not say anything about the cause. The ninth verse is simply the consequence of the eighth, and they are both the same. In one case it gives the cause, and in the other the effect. Read it in that way, putting the cause in each case, and see how it reads: And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.1
Do you not see it is simply changing cause to effect? When the cause is there, the effect is there; and when the effect is there, the cause must be there, because you can not separate the two. Well, that is the message. Those who heed the message; who do not drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication; who believe the word when it says, “This is my body,” just as much as when it says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath,” and stand on it, and show to the world what it means, living the message in their own daily lives, eating at the Lord’s table, - will not such be living the Lord’s life every day? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.2
The Chair: The time has come to adjourn; but before adjournment, we would like to inquire if there are any committees ready to submit reports. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.3
C. H. Jones: The Committee on Plans and Resolutions is ready to present a partial report. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.4
Upon motion of C. P. Bollman, it was voted that the partial report be received. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.5
Conference then adjourned. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.6
No Authorcode
President in the chair. Elder H. P. Holser led the devotional exercises, after which the minutes of the last meeting were approved. The Chair then called on the president of the International Religious Liberty Association, Elder Allen Moon, to introduce business pertaining to that branch of the work. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.7
President Moon: As we can devote but a few moments this morning to the consideration of the work of the Religious Liberty Association, there will be no address from the president, the work of the association having fallen largely upon the secretary during the last term, and his assistants in the office. Considering this, it would not be appropriate for me to say much with reference to this work. You will find the report of the secretary on page 47 of the BULLETIN. That is a brief statement of the work done. On page 48 is printed the treasurer’s report, so everything is before you. I will simply say that the work of the association has been managed very carefully and economically, so that we have had at all times a small sum in the treasury, to be used in case of an emergency, such as arrests and imprisonment of our brethren. There never was a time when our opponents were so active as at the present time, or were accomplishing more; but of course, it is in a different direction than heretofore. I think the secretary has set this forth in his report, however; and time will be devoted to the consideration of this question later on. All we design to do this morning is to appoint the committees, etc., that will be necessary to make recommendations for this work. What is your pleasure? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.8
Voice: I move the Chair appoint the necessary committees. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.9
Voice: I second the motion. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.10
It was so voted. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.11
The Chair: Unless there is objection, the Committee on Nominations of the General Conference will be appointed as the Committee on Nominations for the International Religious Liberty Association. I will name the following as Committee on Plans: W. D. Curtiss, A. F. Ballenger, D. W. Reavis, S. H. Lane, H. E. Osborne. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.12
The meeting then adjourned. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.13
G. A. Irwin: I will call a meeting of the International Tract Society, so as to appoint necessary committees for the work in hand. What is the pleasure of the brethren regarding the necessary committees? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.14
J. M. Rees: I move the Chair appoint the committees. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.15
S. H. Lane: I second the motion. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.16
The motion was carried. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.17
The Chair: In consulting with the members of the board, it was thought to have the same nominating committee as that for the General Conference, so I appoint the members of that committee to nominate officers for this association. I will also appoint the following as Committee on Plans and Resolutions: H. P. Holser, M. C. Wilcox, C. P. Bollman, L. T. Nichola, D. C. Babcock. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.18
The meeting then adjourned, and the Foreign Mission Board was then given the time of the forenoon meeting. Allen Moon, president of the board, took the chair. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.19
The Chair: As in the meeting of the International Religious Liberty Association, I have no president’s address. There was printed in the BULLETIN, several days ago, a brief resume of the work done by the Foreign Mission Board, and some reference to the work that is necessary in foreign fields. We had expected that there would be representatives present at this meeting from a large number of the foreign districts. Several of these are present; but some that we expected have not come. You will notice that in this brief sketch we have scarcely alluded to the work of the Australasian fields, because we expected that representatives from these fields would be present, and could make a much more intelligent report than would be possible by the officers of the Foreign Mission Board in this country. It was also expected that representatives would be here from the Pacific Islands, and from South America. Not expecting their absence, I have only briefly referred to the work of these fields. I hope that during the time devoted to the consideration of our work in foreign lands, we shall be made thoroughly acquainted with the situation and circumstances in these lands that are represented here upon the floor. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.20
I am glad to say, however, that we have seen the blessing of God upon the work of our foreign missions. God has wonderfully wrought for our brethren who have gone out from us into some of the dark lands, and he is opening the way for a great work to be done. Our hearts have been encouraged as we have read from time to time the reports of these brethren, and we have been led to believe that the time is near when God will send this people forth to enlighten the world. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.21
Our faith has been greatly strengthened as we have contemplated the work of God in the earth, the preparation of the nations, the removal of the barriers to the preaching of the gospel to the people of heathen lands. We have been encouraged as we have witnessed the Spirit of God moving upon our own hearts. I believe that as Jesus said to the disciples that they should tarry at Jerusalem until endued with power from on high, that they should be witnesses of him both in Jerusalem and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. So God has been preparing this people to go to the uttermost parts of the earth in these last days. Since I came to this conference, and have witnessed the working of the Holy Spirit, I have been lead to believe that in the consideration of health reform, God is preparing us to endure the dangers of these climates that it will be necessary for us to endure in order to reach the people of the Lord. As you look over the lands of the heathen, you will notice that they are largely in the tropics; and heretofore our brethren have experienced great difficulty in remaining in these lands and continuing to labor in the excessive heat and the poisonous atmosphere that they have been compelled to endure; and it has been necessary to make frequent changes. Some have even gone down in death. I have wondered if God is not preparing us to go into these lands, and accomplish the work that must be done before the Saviour shall return to earth. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.22
I call your attention to a brief sketch on page 23 of the BULLETIN, in connection with which is a tabulated report from the secretary. You will find there a concise statement of the laborers, and our constituency in all the lands represented. Since this report has been printed, however, some other reports have been received; so that this one is not absolutely accurate. By glancing over these, you can get an idea of the condition of the work in lands outside of Australia and Europe. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.23
The treasurer’s report is found on page 8 of the BULLETIN. I ask the treasurer to give what explanation is necessary upon his report. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.24
The Treasurer: I expect to make but a short report. As this has been before the conference since the first BULLETIN was issued, it will not be necessary to read the items, but just to glance over them, as we call attention to some points. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.25
You will notice that I do not say “resources” and “liabilities,” as the term “resources,” with many of these reports in connection with some branches of the work, is a misnomer. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.26
W. W. Prescott: May I ask a question concerning the appropriations to certain fields? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.27
The Chair: Certainly. Let all be free to ask any questions concerning the report. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.28
W. W. Prescott: Has the money, as a matter of fact, which has been given to these various fields, been used in the fields to which it was appropriated? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.29
The Treasurer: It has in a measure. For instance, one year ago the India Mission had a credit of about $11,000, and during the last year this has been reduced to about $3,000. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.30
W. W. Prescott: In other words the board has practically stood between the money given, and the fields to which it has been given, and has exercised its judgment as to whether it should be sent there, or to other fields? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.31
W. H. Edwards: It is religiously kept on the books, as credited to the field to which it is given. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.32
A. T. Jones: But figures do not go to the mission fields. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.33
Treasurer: Take the India Mission, which I have already spoken of. I said that a year ago that mission had a credit of $11,000 on our books; but now there is a credit of only $3,000. They did not receive their money as soon as it was given to that field; but now they have the money. There is a considerable amount to the credit of the Mediterranean field. Work has hardly begun there yet. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.34
W. W. Prescott: I was not blaming the board: but I wanted the fact to come out that all these statements in the papers, and in the Sabbath-school pamphlets, about applying all the money raised during a certain quarter, or year, to some particular fields, are to get the people to give liberally to particular fields; and when the money is given, the money does not go there. There is something wrong about this: and I want the fact to come before the conference. The people are appealed to to give money. The needs of the Mediterranean field, for instance, are laid out before us; and we tell the schools what a needy field it is, and get them to give freely. But the money they give does not go there. The principle is wrong, and something needs be done to stop that, or it will become worse and worse. Even now when you go to the people and ask for funds, you do not get the money; for they are beginning to see that there is something wrong. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.35
A Voice: Is the money asked for in behalf of a certain field, before that field is ready to use it? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.36
W. W. Prescott: I do not know. We are now getting to a point where we can hardly get money enough to live, and it will become worse each succeeding year, unless there is a reformation. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.37
Mrs. S. M. L. Henry: Perhaps if I should say just how that struck me, it might throw some light upon it. I thought you were going to say, “We are not blaming the board, but we are trusting the Lord.” I was disappointed because you did not say that. I do not understand, of course, what you refer to. I know nothing about this raising of funds for the missionary work. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.38
W. W. Prescott: I am trusting the Lord; but I think we sometimes put too much upon the Lord, and expect him to carry a great deal more than he should. I do not blame anybody; but I say that something is working wrong among the people; it is educating them not intentionally, but actually in a deceitful way. It is actually a misappropriation of the people’s money, and is wrong. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.39
A Voice: It is pretty nearly getting money under false pretenses. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.40
W. W. Prescott: I do not say that anybody has done that intentionally; but I say that we are following wrong principles. That is the trouble. Until we put the Bible principles into the treasury plans, and into every other thing in connection with God’s work, we shall go right on in the same wrong way. Now I say again that we should go to the Bible for our principles, and stick to them, not trusting the Lord to work contrary to his own principles. That is what I mean. I am still trusting that the Lord will open the way for us to do right in this matter. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.41
Mrs. S. M. I. Henry: Do I understand that you think there is something really wrong about the method? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.42
W. W. Prescott: Yes; and that is appealing to the people for needy fields, and then sending the money to some other field. I have stopped it, brethren. I say, frankly, I have stopped it in my field. I am not going to do that way. I am not going to go to the people, and try to stir them up to give to a certain field, when I have no assurance that the money will be used in that field. That is why I think this fact ought to come out, and be straightened up. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 60.43
S. H. Lane: I think we readily admit the principles laid down by the last speaker. If our officers who have the matter in charge would not designate any particular field, and would allow the people to give to the most needy fields, giving opportunity to the board to use their discretion as to where the money should be sent, the difficulties spoken of to-day would be obviated. You can readily see that if there is money for this mission or that mission on hand, and our missionaries are nearly starving down in Chile, there is not a board on earth that would not take some of the money not otherwise used, and send it to these starving men. So let us not say to what particular field we will give, but leave it to the good judgment of the board; and if you have not a good board, get one, and let it give the money to whatever mission it thinks needs it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.1
W. W. Prescott: Mr. Chairman, I was not going to say anything more on this now; but here it is, and it has to be said. I think that is wrong, and I will tell you why. I will go back of that whole thing, to the principle of it, and tell you that official boards, and official management, and men between the people and God, and between the people and the fields, is the secret of this whole thing. I am not blaming anybody; for we are all to blame. In fact, last year the British Mission sent over to the Foreign Mission Board for some money, saying they must have it. The money came; and I presume it came from some of the money that had been appropriated to other fields. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.2
The Chair: Yes, sir; it came from money given for another purpose. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.3
A Voice: Please state that point about officials again. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.4
W. W. Prescott: Officialism, official boards, officially doing things, getting between the people and God, - we were told of these things during the last General Conference, and instructed along these lines; but we have gone on doing just the same, or even worse. I say frankly, and in the fear of God, that we are worse off in that respect to-day than we were two years ago. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.5
A Voice: What is the remedy? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.6
W. W. Prescott: The remedy is just the thing we have [holding up two fingers]. That is the only remedy in this world. By getting together with God, we have the remedy. God can press two men together, when one is on one side of the earth, and the other on the other side. I was educated to give in this way, I thought it was the way, I did that way; and the Lord reproved me for shirking my responsibility, and putting a board in my place in the management of some funds; and I have not forgotten it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.7
W. D. Curtis: Would you have the different donors send their money direct to the field? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.8
W. W. Prescott: I would not run anything. Do not ask me what to do. The Lord knows. Just as soon as we are willing to trust the Lord, and believe that the Lord knows, and is able to lead the people just as well as he does us, and give them the chance to be led, he will lead his people. But we are still shutting him out. This is a principle that cuts deep here. You have all known from year to year that Sister White appeals personally to individuals, and to the people through the papers, for funds for Australia. Does she not? Do you think Sister White believes in organization? Do you think she wants to tear down organization? What do you think of that, then? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.9
W. D. Curtis: That is the remedy you offer for the difficulty, then? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.10
W. W. Prescott: No; I do not say that. Now do not begin asking questions; but think a little about it. Let us look each other right in the eye, and have the facts. I know, if you do not, that after Sister White had appealed personally for money to be sent to Australia, and the money was sent to Australia by the individuals without any regard to any board or committee, the Foreign Mission Board took that matter up, and in order to keep the gospel order, voted that that should be credited to the general funds; and then voted that it should be disbursed to Australia. The board had never had anything to do with it at all; but in order to preserve gospel order, they did that. Sister White wrote and reproved that way of doing, and said that the brethren need not think that every dollar had to pass through Battle Creek before going to these fields. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.11
It is only the wisdom of God that can keep a man between the papacy on one hand and anarchy on the other; and we are nearer the papacy than anarchy. I believe the Lord will deliver us from it at this time, if we will let him. I trust the Lord; but I am satisfied that we shall not be delivered from it until we get rid of the fear of man and official boards. Upon every one of us rests just as much responsibility about this as upon anybody else; and we have shirked it upon a board, and told it to get the money, and left it there. The hearts of the people are drying up. You know it. The reports show it. Year after year they are drying up, not because there is not plenty of money, but because the devil’s methods are in the system. That is plain, but it is the truth. When the Lord’s methods come in, there will be plenty of money. The Lord has a better way. The only way to find that, is through the Bible. That is why I feel anxious at this time that we should go to the Bible for principles to get us out of our difficulty. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.12
C. Santee: There is a question which often comes to me when I listen to the different instruction that comes to us. We get statements of principles; then the question is, What shall be done? We say, “I am not to tell you what is to be done. You must get that out of your Bible for yourself.” Now I am in the field nearly all the time, and am meeting these things. I want to know what I should do. We are told to counsel together in these meetings. I have received manuscript Testimonies, and instruction has also come in leaflets, to set things before the churches. In these we are told to set the needs of these fields before the churches; and to impress church officers with the importance of giving heed to the appeals that come from these boards, and their duty to set these things before their churches, when the Foreign Mission Board calls for money. It is said that these officials have their places, and it has seemed to me that they have a work to do. If that is not God’s order, I want to know God’s way. We are trying, in the fear of God, to carry out the instruction given. We tell our churches and Sabbath-schools about these missions. I can speak only for Iowa; but there we do not tell the people that the money raised is for any particular field; we say that sometimes some missions are more needy than others, and so the money is sent to them; and when money appropriated for one field is used in another, the credit is kept straight on the books, and the amount is finally sent to the proper field, when it is needed to carry forward the work. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.13
I would like to know a better way if there is one. God has told us to come together and counsel over these matters. Some one may say, “The Spirit of God will tell you what is the best thing to do.” If that is the case, I do not know that I need to counsel with any one else. But I believe that the Spirit of God will lead you to help me, and perhaps lead me to help you, and thus we may interchange our ideas. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.14
The Chair: We will now have a recess of ten minutes. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.15
The Chair: The treasurer will continue the explanation of his report. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.16
W. H. Edwards: I was about to state that for two years the annual offerings have been running down, so that we have received only about half, or perhaps three fifths, of what has been customary, - say from twenty-five to twenty-seven thousand dollars. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 61.17
A. F. Ballenger: Do you believe there has been a falling off in the general offerings of our people? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.1
The Treasurer: I think not, although the last two years may not have been quite so fertile in gifts. From the correspondence which the treasurer has received, the majority have stated that they were dividing their offerings. They would say, “We will give you so much this year, and in answer to another call from another field, we will give half our offering to that field. The church fund has been divided, and has gone to two lines of work. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.2
I would like to call your attention to the upper, the debit column, and to the large credit which we seem to have with the General Conference Association. When the accounts of the Foreign Mission Board, principally Foreign Mission accounts, - were taken from the books of the General Conference Association, some of these were left on the books of the General Conference Association; and so while we have them charged, and they have us credited, to be in harmony with our books, some of these accounts could now be assumed and carried on the books of the Foreign Mission corporation. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.3
When we returned from Lincoln, there had come into the office of the General Conference Association twenty-two or twenty-three thousand dollars, - annual offerings for 1896-97. After that time, when the board had moved to Philadelphia, there was five thousand dollars more than this first item, that had straggled into the office of the board in Philadelphia. That would make the offerings but twenty-seven thousand dollars. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.4
The International Sabbath-school Association, the next item on the list, you will notice gave $5,300 that year. They really gave much more; but it was not passed to the credit of the Foreign Mission Board until 1898; consequently, it could not be mentioned in this report. This showing, giving $33,000 for 1898, is abnormally large by about $13,300. This brings the gifts down to $18,000. The $13,000 should be added to the gifts of the previous year, which would equalize the gifts of the Sabbath-schools. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.5
President Moon: You will notice that the ledger shows receipts during 1897, of $455,600. The audit for this year was $84,000, and the amount received in 1898, $82,000; total received, a little over $133,300. The audit for those two years would be about $168,000. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.6
As Brother Edwards has said, the Foreign Mission books were opened at the beginning of the second quarter in 1897; and the funds for the first quarter were disbursed by the united committees, - the General Conference, the Foreign Mission Board, and the General Conference Association, - so that the funds which have come into the treasury of the Foreign Mission Board are simply for the three quarters in 1897 and for 1898. But the Foreign Mission Board had to settle with the laborers for the entire time of 1897 and 1898; and there were some accounts left over from the year 1896, which they also paid. So you see we reached over into the second quarter, or more, before we had money enough to audit for the preceding year. We are from one to two quarters behind all the time; and this has made it very difficult for the board. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.7
The Sabbath-school Association has made an appropriation for specific fields, as in the case of the Mediterranean and Southern fields. It is easy to see that in a case where the board is so short of money, if some money came in from the Sabbath-school Association, as a specific fund for a certain field, that does not increase the general funds of the Foreign Mission Board; so it would be impossible for the board to take out that amount for six months back. If the board should take that money out, and send it direct to that field, it would so weaken the board that it would have to borrow money for other fields. We must remember that these other fields - India, Japan, Polynesia, South America, West Indies, and others - have to be cared for and carried right along, and they would take all the money that comes into the treasury of the Foreign Mission Board, which is barely enough to keep all the fields going. The brethren in these fields have no sanitariums, no churches, no schools, they have simply their bare allowance, and in the majority of cases we are simply furnishing them from ten to twelve dollars a week for each laborer, and expecting them to carry on their work with that amount. The great difficulty is that we are not properly supporting our work in the field. I am sure that God has revealed this to us all by this time, and that it will be the purpose of this conference that from this time there will be a change in this respect. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.8
J. H. Morrison: Doesn’t that simply grow out of the fact that you are short of money? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.9
A. Moon: Yes, sir; there is an insufficient amount of money received, whether for specified appropriations or in general funds, to carry on the work now in progress. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.10
J. H. Morrison: Why would it not be proper, when there is a special donation for some special purpose, to allow that to go toward such emergencies? Of course it would involve a little difficulty; I can see that; but would not that be the proper way? If you receive $100 for a certain purpose, and down the street you meet a poor man, who has not enough clothing, and take part of that to supply his need, would it be proper for you to do that, when the money was given it for certain other purposes, and is therefore not yours to distribute in that way? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.11
A. Moon: When individuals have sent money to the treasury of the Foreign Mission Board for a specified purpose, or a specified field, it has been set apart sacredly for that purpose. Am I not correct, Brother Edwards? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.12
W. H. Edwards: Yes, sir. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.13
J. H. Morrison: Isn’t it just the same, when a person or an association does this? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.14
A. Moon: The Foreign Mission Board receives its funds from three sources, - the annual offerings, the Sabbath-school offerings, and miscellaneous offerings. The funds from these three sources altogether are insufficient to carry on the work. Now if one of these funds is divided, - say, here is half of the Sabbath-school fund for 1899, and the Foreign Mission Board should devote all that in one year to carrying forward the work in that field, what about the work in the other parts of the field? But on the books that specific field is given credit for this appropriation, and then that is drawn upon for that field, as the needs of the field require it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.15
Now the superintendent of the Mediterranean field has not called for all the appropriation for that field; but has said to the board that he will call for it as it is needed; and therefore, while the credit stands on the books, we have gone on using the funds in the treasury, believing that when the Mediterranean field needs money, God will so bring it about that the board can appropriate it, as in the case of India. There was one time when there was a credit of more than $20,000 to the Indian field. That money has been paid out year after year. If we had sent all that $20,000 to India at once, they would have laid out large work there that would have required an equal sum each year to carry on the work; and so it did not seem wisdom that all the funds should be sent there at one time. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.16
W. W. Prescott: Was it wisdom to appeal for that money at that time? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.17
A. Moon: I can not answer that question. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.18
J. N. Loughborough: I do not see any difficulty in this matter. It seems to me it has been made clear here that all moneys are credited to these missions, and the board considers itself under obligation to pay it when it is needed. If I understand it, the difficulty was not in making the call; but I think it has been explained that during the last year, the call has been for the most needy field. The board considers itself morally and legally responsible for that money to go to its proper field, and an effort must be made to raise it. I do not see that there is any dishonesty about it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.19
C. H. Jones: Speaking for the Sabbath-school Association, I would say that when these donations have been called for, for a specified field, before making the call we have always counseled with the General Conference Committee and the Foreign Mission Board. There were fields that needed to be opened. Sometimes they were not quite ready; but it was thought they would be ready the next year, or very soon. And so it was thought best to have a fund on hand with which to enter such field at the proper time. We thought we would receive a larger donation by giving to a special object; but later on, the last year or more, we have been giving to the most needy fields; that is, placing the funds in the hands of the Foreign Mission Board to use wherever they thought best. I do not see that the contributions have been diminished in the least, and it seems to me that it is a very proper way of doing. There is something in the point that Brother Prescott made; but I do not see all in it that perhaps there is in it. It seems to me that when this money is raised for a special field, and it is turned over to the Foreign Mission Board, and that field is credited on the books with that amount, and they have the privilege of drawing that money whenever it is needed, it is not a misappropriation of means to use that somewhere else, any more than it is when a person makes a deposit in the publishing house. Such deposits are used in various ways. It is expected we will be ready to pay the amount when it is called for. If we were not, there might be a question of misappropriating means. Now if the Foreign Mission Board is prepared to hand this money over whenever it is needed, I do not see any need of letting that lie in the bank, when there are needy fields and they call for money; but if they could not supply it when needed, there is danger in that. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.20
A. F. Ballenger: Have they been able to do it always? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.21
C. H. Jones: I am not prepared to say. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.22
A. Moon: Since I have been in connection with the board, there never has been a call for money from any of these fields that had a credit, that has not received the money asked for. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.23
W. W. Prescott: The Foreign Mission Board controls, in large measure, the call, by its way of sending workers; so when the same board knows about the funds, and largely controls the call, of course the call will not come when the board has not the funds. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.24
C. H. Jones: I do not know that I have anything more to say just at this time; but this is an important question. I know there have been those who have thought that money has been misappropriated; but if the board stands ready to supply the calls as they are made, I do not see any harm in occasionally using the money that is on hand in some other way. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.25
H. W. Cottrell: Personally, I am very much pleased at the explanation concerning this fund, and to me the explanation is perfectly satisfactory. I wish, also, while speaking, to place myself on record before this delegation as being in perfect accord with complete organization, systematically managed. I do not see any need whatever of our getting near the papacy or near anarchy. There is a happy medium, and I think there is where we should stand. Now the illustration of a personal call that was used by one speaker, to show that personal calls might be made: To my mind, there is just as much difference between the call made by the one who made that personal call and a call made by me as an individual or by you as an individual, as there is difference between the one’s work who made the call and your work or mine, who might make a similar call, provided we believe the work of that one who made that call referred to is the work that we say it is, - directly inspired of God. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.26
Now suppose the board that is managing the work, did not supply the need as she thought it ought to be supplied, then if we believe that her work is, as I said a moment ago, what I say it is, she had a perfect right to make a call above the board. But I tell you, brethren, when we take that position, and maintain it to the end, it is right for everybody to do it, then we disorganize ourselves completely. And when a person can rise up in one conference, and another one in another conference, and others in different places, and each makes a special call for a special work, then when the management calls, and makes special calls, it gets nothing. We have had a little experience here, yet we have organization. Despite all efforts to disorganize during the past, we still have organization, for which I praise God. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.27
J. H. Kellogg: I would like to ask what kind of organization you mean, - human organization or divine organization. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.28
H. W. Cottrell: I mean divine organization, of course, because the human is always of the papacy, and the opposite of that is anarchy. When we come to the happy medium, we will have a complete system, - not human, but divine. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.29
J. H. Kellogg: When I go to work and make an organization, it is human; for I can not possibly make an organization that will not be tinctured with my humanity; and I can not make a scheme or a plan so perfect that it will not be a human thing. But God can make a plan, and so organize a thing, that it will be absolutely perfect. I believe in divine plan of raising money is to let every man know each particular need; God will appeal to each heart to do what he is able to do. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.30
M. C. Wilcox: The Spirit of prophecy certainly does recognize the Foreign Mission Board. It recognizes that it should have sufficient means and the proper funds to carry on its work. The Spirit of prophecy also recognizes the fact that whoever the Spirit of the Lord impresses with his duty in regard to his stewardship has a right to do that duty; and no board, or organization, or anything of the kind, has a right to stand between him and the Lord, and say what he shall do. It seems to me that both are true, - that there are general funds, and that these general funds should go to those general boards that were organized for that purpose; but no board, no organization, has any right to say that all funds of a certain kind shall go to a certain work. We had that two years ago at our conference in College View. There was a vote passed by that conference that all moneys raised in a certain way, - missionary farming for instance, - should go for a certain line of work. I do not understand that any body of men has any right to say that what I shall raise on my farm shall go to any special line of work. The Lord has placed me there as a steward of the money that comes into my hand, to place it where I desire. When a part of that goes to foreign work, that is all right in a general way; but if I feel that the Lord wants me to put it in a specific way, or send it to a specific field, no one has a right to say that this shall not be turned over to that field. If the Spirit of the Lord shall say to me it should go there, it ought to go there in future. It seems to me we can all agree on these principles, and the Spirit of prophecy has spoken very definitely and decidedly. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.31
J. O. Corliss: The remarks of Dr. Kellogg have called to my mind some of the early experiences of our work. With all due deference to those who have been at the head of our work for a number of years, I am forced to say that I do not think any man was ever more successful in leading out among Seventh-day Adventists than Elder James White. Being associated with him a good deal in early days, I learned very much of his methods of operation. When some important measure arose that he hardly dared to grapple with on his own responsibility, even though the General Conference had been adjourned but a few months, he would issue a call for the General Conference delegates to meet together, and formulate some method, or plan, by which that necessity could be met. When these came together, he would simply place before them the difficulties, let them wrestle with them, and pray over them; and when they had decided what they would do, he would say, Now, brethren, these are your plans under God; they are not mine. With the grace of God I will carry them out as best I can, as the servant of the people. Then he had the support of every part of the field, because these men would go home to work with all their might for the plans they themselves had formulated. They simply made him their executive officer. He always kept near the people, and so ever retained their confidence. When funds were needed for any specific purpose, he made it a rule to call through the Advent Review for funds for that specific purpose. There was a list kept, and the name of every person who pledged for that specific purpose, was put down in the list. When the first printing-press was placed in the Review Office, donations were asked for that very thing; and hundred-dollar men were placed on the list, until there was money enough secured for the putting up of that press. That money was considered sacred by Elder White. He never would have permitted it to be used for anything else but that to which it had been devoted by the donors. When funds were needed for specific work in a certain part of the field, he called for funds for that, but always stated the thing to be done. He laid it all out clearly before the people; and then when they were appealed to, their hearts were opened and every one in all the ranks had the privilege of placing his contributions where he believed they should go. Thus every one became his own administrator. I am sure that God, by his Holy Spirit, is able to direct every individual where to put his money, and that it is his privilege to respond to the direct call of God for funds to a specific work. To place all contributions in one general fund, for men to hand out as they see fit, is really throwing the responsibility off from ourselves, and saying to another: Now you take the responsibility, and act for my conscience in what the Spirit of the Lord wants me to do. I believe that every one of us should preserve his identity in the sight of God, and act under the direct influence of God’s Spirit, in the matter of our contributions, just as freely as in all other devotions. This would not do away with the executive power of the Foreign Mission Board, but leave them to carry out the will of those who have given funds for the support of the work. I believe this to be a simple problem, which may be worked out in a very easy manner. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.32
A. T. Jones: So much has been said on this matter that I went over to my room for a Testimony I have, which says something on this subject and I know it will correct much that has been said. The question was asked if any of the funds had been misappropriated. I will not say whether they have or not; I will read what the Spirit of the Lord has said; then you will know. This Testimony was dated March 2, 1897. It is a personal Testimony, of course; but I will read only that which is general, without reference to names: “I have been deeply stirred during the night season. I was in a meeting where were present men to whom had been entrusted large responsibilities. I can not now write as fully as I would like to, because I have not the strength, but I have words to say that I dare not leave unsaid. One stood in our midst, and said: “There is a large work to be done, in lines that the Lord has laid out before you, - a work that has yet scarcely been touched. I have sent my message to you; and what have you done for the Southern field, - for the colored people? What have you done with the means solicited for that field? You have robbed this destitute field of the means that God designed should come into it.’” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.33
You can call this “misappropriation” if you want to; but God calls it robbery. Funds that were raised for that Southern field, - I do not know how many years ago, - have not reached there yet. It is on the books, of course; it is there to the credit of the Southern field; but where is the money? Now you can see that there is a place right in there somewhere where the coupling-pin has been removed. It is all right to raise money for the Southern field, or for the Mediterranean field, or for other fields; but when those fields call for and need that money, and the money is not furnished, but has been used for something else, then the connection has been broken. If the money is in a general fund, and the field to which it is given does not need it, but another does, and it is given to that needy field, then when the proper field needs it, it can not be paid. Where is the money? There is a broken connection, and that connection has got to be found somewhere; so that the money that is raised for a certain place can go to that place; and it must be guarded to see that it does go to that place, so that its proper destiny shall not be jeopardized. I will read again that last sentence, and another with it: “The money brought in in response to the appeals made in behalf of the Southern field was just as much set apart for that work as is the tithe for the support of the ministers.” And in that system that is reproved here, even the tithes were taken and used for other things. When this present General Conference Committee came in at the last session, there was $15,000 tithe credited on the books, that belonged to the work of the ministry; but not one cent of it has been able to be collected yet. So the report was made: so much funds and resources to that General Conference. This $15,000 was a part of it, but that is no resource at all. There are no resources in figures; for figures do not pay the bill. What do we care for a credit that is no credit? That is a reform that must be wrought, and you and I, and every other Seventh-day Adventist, and especially delegates in General Conference, must work that reform; not argue about it, and whittle away, and see whether this, that, and the other are not all right, in spite of what the Lord may say, and what has been done. Look the thing fairly in the face; correct the fault. You should not be afraid of God’s cause going to pieces; you need not be afraid of anarchy; you need not be afraid of the papacy; for God is alive, and in the church. He is the head of the church, and he is going to live and remain in the church until the end of the world, and then forever after. So nobody wants to talk about anarchy, or the papacy, either; for the Lord Jesus Christ is in his church, and he walks about in the midst of the golden candlesticks, and we need not be afraid he is going to abdicate in favor of any Seventh-day Adventist, or any Seventh-day Adventist combination. There is a place for the organization which God has built up. He will preserve it. There is a place for the Foreign Mission Board; there is a place for the General Conference, for the General Conference Association, and other associations. But there are reforms which must be made before these shall be efficient; and the General Conference, and the boards, and we, and all together, must face the condition, as well as one another, and correct the condition, under the wisdom of God. Then the thing will go just right; and the man who is farthest from God will see that he is going into anarchy and papacy. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 62.34
Mrs. S. M. I. Henry: No one can pluck us out of His hand. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.1
A. T. Jones: I am not reading this in reproof of anybody, or any board, but that you and I can see what God sees, and then in the fear of God correct it; - and correct it without casting any reflections upon any man, or any set of men. We have no charge to bring against anybody. There is something for us to do, and we are to do it. Brethren, you are all my brethren, and I am one with you; we must be one in following God and in facing the situation we have been mistakenly got into: “Why has the Southern field been passed by on the other side, as though its people were not worthy of saving? Why have you not heeded the appeals made, and brought your means into the treasury? God is displeased with your unfaithful stewardship. The books prepared to bring in a revenue for that field might have helped largely; but dishonest measures were used to control these works, that other interests might be advanced. God hates this dishonest dealing.” Let us hate it in ourselves - not in the other man. “He can not sanction such artful scheming, such dishonest practices. He now calls for these very facilities to be appropriated where he designed they should be.” But where is the money? That question faces the board; it faces everybody. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.2
A. F. Ballenger: Can any one tell how much money was raised for that field, which was not appropriated? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.3
G. A. Irwin: It was $11,554. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.4
A. T. Jones: The Southern field is dying to-day for a little of it; but it can not have any. The Lord says it must be appropriated, but where is the money? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.5
A. F. Ballenger: If you should go to the people again for this money, is there any surety that what they give will not be misappropriated, or go somewhere else than where it was intended to go? Brethren, we must get where the people, when they pay in money, can feel that it goes just where they intend it to go; or else we can never expect them to give. This people have plenty of money, and their hearts are enlisted in the Lord’s work. But when we have taken a course that turns the money aside from where they gave it, - to where they say, and where God says, it belongs, as sacredly as the tithe belongs to the ministry, - we can not go to them, and say, Give us $11,500. “Mismanagement, wrong methods, ill-advised, movements have brought a reproach upon the work and cause of God, and these matters need to be adjusted. The book work needs to be cleansed of every artful intrigue. Those who have stood at the head of this unjust dealing will never be clean in the sight of God until they restore that which they have taken away. They are held responsible for the work that might have been done, but is not.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.6
That is a fearful responsibility; and brethren, we must stand by these brethren and help them out. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.7
“The use of means in lines that will make a good showing is right, but not until you have done the work the Lord has appointed you to do in the field that has been so manifestly neglected. The Lord says, Their suffering, their poverty, their degradation, has come up before me. I have heard their cries, I have seen their neglect. I have called your attention to the field. But the means you should have used to advance the work there, you have appropriated to more pleasing work, to more promising fields, - fields that have not such necessities, and will reveal no better results.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.8
One other paragraph:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.9
“There need be no dearth of means to-day for the advancement of the work, but the Lord has no pleasure in his people, because pride and selfishness have expelled mercy, and the love of God and for their fellow-men from their hearts. Wrong actions are clothed with a pretense of righteousness, - that which the Lord calls dissembling, false weights, unjust balances, and fraud.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.10
The book of Daniel is present truth. The lack of principle is what ruined Judah. The same thing left Jerusalem desolate and the land empty. Yet back there the people said: “The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we.” And the Lord says that we have been saying that ourselves:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.11
“There have been dishonesty, fraud, the turning away of a man from his rights, and disregarding the principles of the commandments of God. You have had men, schemes, and devising of plans with the idea that you could as a board have power to do anything that would serve the conference, and bring in a revenue. But it was more grievous in the sight of God, because you there were covering the dishonest practices, saying The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we. Yes; but that temple was just as much in need of cleansing as the temple courts in the days when Christ was upon the earth. The Lord hates the mixture he saw in the earthly temple. Unholy bartering in the temple courts brought forth the righteous indignation of an insulted God.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.12
And he can not wait much longer unless we straighten up. We must reform. Every soul of us must get hold of the principles of God, as did Daniel, and stand by them as did Daniel. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.13
“Wrong actions are clothed with a pretense of righteousness and fraud. This is the iniquity of the people of God. They have not restored the pledge, or brought back that which they have taken away. Truth has fallen in the street, and equity can not enter. The deepest humility should be felt by those who have the privilege of enlightenment and education in missionary lines.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.14
That is ourselves. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.15
“The Lord God of heaven, by whom all actions are weighed in the golden balances of the sanctuary, looks upon the thousands of colored people, our neighbors, who, in their destitution, are spreading their cases before the Giver of all mercies and blessings. These people are perishing in their sins. As a people they are ignorant, many knowing nothing of purity and godliness and elevation. But among them are men and women of quick perceptions, excellent talents, and these will be revealed when once the Spirit of God shall turn their attention to the Word.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.16
This shows that there is a great field here, and yet the money to carry on the work is not at hand. There are other things which I know, which need not be brought before us here, that, if set right, even if it should be at this very hour in the day - [at 11:45 A. M.], that Southern fund could be paid before twelve o’clock. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.17
The Chair: It is now time to adjourn. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.18
W. W. Prescott: I know it is a little late, but we can not control the Spirit of God. I have a few words to say, and I will try to be as brief as I can. One of my brethren to whom I was talking wanted me to say on the floor what I said to him privately, which made things clear to him. The other night we had a lesson on organization, - on oneness. That lesson had in it all of this matter, if we could just see the principle and let it live in us. I know the brethren think I am in favor of disorganizing the work; but so far as I am personally concerned, this does not worry me; for if the brethren understood me, they would not think so. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.19
Let us have a little Bible principle right over again, - the same principle, and have it applied. Here is the lesson we had the other night. When there were two made one by the Spirit of the life of God that bound them together, there was only one. The law of God was this living principle of life, his own character, that bound them together, the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, to bind them together. The work of the devil was to get that woman not to accept the law of God as he gave it, but to reveal to her that all there was in that law was, “Don’t you do it;” and the reason why “Don’t you do it,” was “Because if you do it, you will be like me.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.20
It was the most wondrous thing that the universe had looked upon, when God had created man like himself. But the devil brought out the false character, and revealed it in his speech, so that the woman stopped, looked at it, and saw it as he presented it; and then the one became two. What came in between the two? - It was the devil’s interpretation of God’s law. Is that clear? When you abolish the interpretation of God’s law that got in between them, do you abolish the law? The devil’s interpretation of the character of God, which he has set up before men, has made a division-wall to keep man from considering God as just and fair. He as much as said, “God does not want you to be like him; that is God.” Then I say, “I want to keep away from him;” and he keeps me away as long as he keeps up that interpretation of the character of God, unless I see it differently. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.21
Jesus Christ came into the world for the express purpose of revealing to the world what God is, and to show that the devil’s interpretation of his character is untrue; and the true revelation of God’s character will once again bind together, and make the two one. Now that same principle is just here before us this morning. It is not to abolish the Foreign Mission Board. That is not the way to begin. The way to begin is to abolish the devil’s interpretation of the Lord’s ways. Do you see what I mean? Now, brethren, I do not believe in disorganization. I believe in organization. Some of you may think that I do not; but I do not care for that. I do not care to get up to vindicate my position; but I want to show the principle of the thing, so that you will see it with me. I would not think of taking your time to clear your minds concerning my views. I want God’s views on the matter, and I want you to have them with me, and that is why I do not want to tell you my opinion. God’s opinion is the thing. I have no opinion about the matter. The very principle that we had the other night settles this principle, if we apply it; but we must learn to live by the principle. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.22
The brother says, “Counsel together.” That is right. But if you will notice, it does not say that we should argue or discuss together. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.23
I am just as much in sympathy as any one of you can be, with the idea that God has been guiding, is guiding, and will continue to guide, this people. He will guide us through, bless his name! I believe it. But why should I take a course of hiding under that idea, to keep him back from guiding me right in quickly. Was not the Lord guiding his people toward the promised land? When they turned back from the wilderness, and remained forty years, was he not guiding them still? But was it necessary that his people should take such a course as would make him guide them forty years in the wilderness, when they might have been guided the right way, which is always the shortest? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 63.24
God is guiding his people. Is it necessary for us to keep him guiding us around and around and around, to get us to go in? Why not let him lead us in by the straight and shortest route? That is what I want in the matter; God has principles for us at this time that will be a help to us in getting out of these difficulties. I thank God for it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.1
The Chair: I wish to say, before adjournment, that I am glad for all the light that has come out before this conference. I wish to say, though, in explanation, that the present Foreign Mission Board never had its attention called to this appropriation for the Southern field. That was out of its territory. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.2
Conference adjourned to 3 P. M., even date. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.3
Benediction by J. N. Loughborough. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.4
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The past year has been one of marked prosperity for this company. While we carry on a general publishing business, and do more or less commercial work, yet during the past two years we have given special attention to our own denominational work, and with the best of results. The following is a brief summary of some of the main features of our work. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.5
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During the past year we have placed two new subscription books on the market. 1. “The Story of Redemption,” by Elder Wm. Covert. This is a small book of about 240 pages, and is selling fairly well. The second and by far the largest volume, is entitled “The Desire of Ages,” by Mrs. E. G. White. For over two years we have been at work on this book, but were not able to place it on the market until Nov. 1, 1898. It contains nearly 900 large octavo pages, and is illuminated with nearly three hundred original half-tone engravings, made especially for this book. Already our first edition of 10,000 copies is nearly gone, and we are printing a second edition. An edition has also just been printed at the Review & Herald office. We are just issuing another subscription book, entitled “Heralds of the Morning,” by Elder A. O. Tait. This is a book of nearly 300 pages, size of “Story of Redemption.” It is beautifully illustrated with original half-tone engravings, and we bespeak for it a very large sale. We expect to receive copies for inspection before this conference closes. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.6
Our tracts and pamphlets have had an unprecedented sale, averaging nearly 50,000 pages per day during the month of October, 1898, and several other months have shown nearly as good results. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.7
The sales from our Book Department during 1898 were nearly double what they were the preceding year. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.8
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In this department the same increased activity has been manifested. Beginning with the year 1898, several important changes were made in our pioneer missionary paper, the “Signs of the Times,” which seemed to mark a new era in its existence. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.9
First, the editorial force was increased, and several additional contributors secured. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.10
Second, it was decided to use more and better illustrations, and also better paper. These improvements are appreciated, as is evidenced by the rapid increase in the subscription list. The average weekly circulation of the Signs during 1897 was 27,182. During 1898 it was 41,231, or an increase of over 14,000 copies weekly. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.11
The regular subscription list at the present time is about 50,000 copies weekly. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.12
The Signs has now reached its 25th anniversary. Early in the year 1898, the managers conceived the idea of celebrating this event by issuing a quarter-centennial number, securing articles from leading writers, covering the principal events of the last quarter-century. The plan met with a hearty response from our people everywhere, and a double number, containing 32 pages and cover was issued, bearing date Jan. 5, 1899. Over 400,000 copies have already been sold. The demand still continues, and we have now decided to issue a second edition, bearing date of February 22. These papers were sold to agents at 5 cts. per copy, and they retailed them at 10 cts. This effort has solved the problem of doing missionary work on a large scale with very little outlay of means. Splendid reports have been received from all parts of the field, and the judgment alone will reveal the good that has been done. It has also served to demonstrate what can be accomplished by united action. During December our facilities were taxed to the utmost, six of our largest presses, including the Web Perfecting Press, being run on the Signs, and some of them 24 hours a day. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.13
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Marked copies of this edition were sent to all the editors in the United States, and many papers have not only given excellent notices, but have expressed a desire to be placed on our exchange list. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.14
We acknowledge with gratitude the hearty co-operation we have received from our people generally. Had all taken hold of the work with the same energy and zeal that was manifested by some conferences one million copies would not have been enough to supply the demand. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.15
Plans have been laid to issue five more special numbers with covers, during the present year. The first one will be entitled the Resurrection Number, and will bear date March 29. It will contain the following special articles: “Christ Our Passover;” “The Risen Christ;” “The Necessity of the Resurrection;” “The Power of the Resurrection;” “The Memorial of the Resurrection;” “Life and Immortality.” It will have an original design of the Passover for first page of cover, and an original design of the Resurrection. These articles will show the wondrous Bible truth of the resurrection of Christ, in marked contrast to the popular methods of memorializing the event. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.16
Second, General Progress Number. This will be dated May 10. It will contain three special articles, one by Elder G. A. Irwin, on the general progress of the work, one on the Educational work of the denomination, and one on the Mission and Health work of the denomination. This latter may mean two articles. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.17
Third, Independence, or Fourth of July Number. Date, June 28. The present status of this country in its relation, in the light of prophecy, to religion, to Romanism, to the world. This includes expansion and imperialism. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.18
Fourth, Thanksgiving Number. The Second Coming of Christ, and what it means to the world. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.19
Fifth, Holiday Number, last in the year. A review of the year’s history, evidences of Christ’s coming. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.20
Each one of these special numbers will have a cover with an original illustration on the first page, and we hope to have the same hearty co-operation in giving them a wide circulation that we have had on the Quarter-Centennial number. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.21
In planning for the increased circulation of the Signs, it was seen that it would be necessary to add to our press facilities, and about a year ago a Cottrell Web Perfecting Press was installed. This press takes the paper from a roll, prints both sides, folds, pastes, trims and delivers the Signs (16) pages all ready for mailing, at the rate of from five to ten thousand copies per hour. Without this press we could not have issued the Quarter-Centennial Signs. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.22
We have also put in a new Corliss engine, and other necessary machinery to carry on the work successfully. The Pacific Press is now the best equipped publishing house on the Pacific Coast, employing about 150 hands. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.23
The branch offices at 43 Bond St., New York, and 18 W. Fifth St., Kansas City, Mo., have also enjoyed a good degree of prosperity. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.24
We are glad to know that while “intensity is taking possession of every earthly element,” “a new life and power is descending from on high, and taking possession of God’s people.” We are living in a time when we may expect the Lord to do great things, and we look for wonderful development in all lines of work during the coming year. We are told that “to sleep now is a crime.” May God help us all to awake. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.25
We desire to express our gratitude, first to God, for his fostering care which has been over the work; second, to all our people everywhere who have taken hold of the work so heartily and assisted in giving our publications such a wide circulation. We trust that the year to come will see still greater advancement. C. H. JONES. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.26
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In the summer of 1868 Elders J. N. Loughborough and D. T. Bourdeau, at the request of the General Conference went to California and engaged in evangelistic labor. The work there developed so rapidly that in 1874 it was thought necessary to begin the publication of a paper. Accordingly, there was printed in the month of June, that year, in Oakland, California, the first number of a semimonthly sheet, called The Signs of the Times. In the autumn of the same year, funds were raised in both the Eastern and the Pacific States for the erection of a permanent office of publication. A three-story building, with floor space of four thousand square feet, was quickly built; and the paper was changed to an eight-page folio weekly. In April, the following year, the Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Association was incorporated. In 1878 a large addition was made to the building, which afforded room for much-needed foundry and bindery departments, also enlarged facilities for press operations. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.27
In 1887 the demand was made for yet more room, and a four-story building was erected, which more than trebled the floor space and efficiency of the institution. Branch offices have since been established in Kansas City, Missouri, and in New York City. The rapidly increasing book trade, and the ever-growing list of the Signs of the Times, made it necessary late in 1898, to add to the already large plant of flat-bed presses, a web perfecting press, capable of turning off fifteen thousand impressions an hour. On this press the company printed a one-million edition of thirty-two pages of the Signs of the Times of the issue of January 5 of the present year, which is believed to be the largest single issue of any wholly re-religious newspaper ever published. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.28
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“If there is one work more important than another, it is that of getting our publications before the public, thus leading them to search the Scriptures.” Testimony No. 29, vol. 4, page 390. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.29
Our attention has frequently been called to this passage, but we doubt if even now, any of us fully realize its importance. But there is enough in this one sentence to demand the most serious consideration of these delegates, and our people everywhere. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.30
Within the last few years publications have been multiplied, until now we have books, pamphlets, tracts and papers covering almost every phase of the message, not only in the English, but in other languages as well. The publishers are also trying to improve on the mechanical work and general appearance of these publications, and some of the later productions will compare favorably with those of other leading publishing houses. But it is not enough simply to manufacture these publications; they must be carried to the people. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 64.31
In Testimony No. 29, vol. 4, page 389, we read these words: “The press is a power; but if its products fall dead for want of men who will execute plans to widely circulate them, its power is lost.” “Books that ought to be widely circulated are lying useless in our offices of publications, because there is not interest enough manifested to get them circulated. Other publishers have regular systems of introducing into the market, books of no vital interest. ‘The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.’” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.1
These words are fraught with meaning, and deserve more than passing notice. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.2
As the work enlarges there are new developments, and it naturally takes on new phases. This being the case, old plans will have to be modified or new ones adopted, to meet these changed conditions. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.3
Our publishing work is naturally divided into three distinct parts, as follows:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.4
1. The Subscription Book Work. 2. The Trade Book Business. 3. The Periodical Work. We will consider the subject under these three heads, and ask that you give the same your serious consideration. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.5
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In order to sell books by subscription, it is necessary to have a corps of trained, earnest, devoted canvassers, - men and women who will take hold with the intention of making it a life business. In the past too many have taken it up simply as a makeshift, with little or no preparation, and of course they have failed. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.6
The Lord has spoken to us very plainly on this subject, not only in regard to its importance, but also as to the qualifications necessary in order to meet with success. We quote the following from a special Testimony:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.7
“The canvassing work is God’s means of reaching many that would not otherwise be impressed with the truth. The work is a good one, - the object high and elevating.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.8
From another recent Testimony we read the following: GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.9
“The canvassing work is an important field of labor; and the intelligent, God-fearing, truth-loving canvasser occupies a position equal to that of the gospel minister.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.10
Testimony similar to the foregoing might be multiplied, but this is enough to show the exalted character of the canvassing work, and how God regards it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.11
It is true that we have done something in this line of work, and with a fair degree of success, but the question arises, Are we doing all that the Lord requires, in securing and training workers, and encouraging them to keep at it? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.12
It is not simply a financial question, or an effort to see how many books can be sold; but the object is to get the truth before the people. We are told that the canvassing work is “God’s means of reaching many that would not otherwise be impressed with the truth.” Well, this is just what we are all working for, - to get the truth before the people and to save souls. Now if the canvassing work is one of God’s means for reaching the people, it is manifestly our duty to study this question, to lay plans for carrying it forward, and also to give it our hearty support. In doing this we will be co-operating with God, and success will crown our efforts. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.13
Some seem to think that the canvassing work has had its day, and that but little more can be done. It is a sad fact that but little has been accomplished for some time past; but what is the reason? Is it because books cannot be sold, or is it because we have failed to put forth the necessary effort? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.14
It is also true that times have been hard and money scarce, and because of this many have given up in discouragement. We have heard persons remark: “It is no use; we cannot sell books in these hard times.” And this is the same old story, with slight variations, which we heard twelve or fourteen years ago, when we first began to agitate this subject, and made efforts to induce agents to take hold of the work. The cry was then raised, “Our denominational books can never be sold on the subscription plan. The people will not buy them.” But a few had strong faith that it could be done, so they took hold of the work, and pushed forward. Others soon joined the ranks, and success crowned their efforts. Thousands of books were sold; hundreds were brought to a knowledge of the truth; tract societies were relieved from debt, and we enjoyed a season of general prosperity. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.15
Then the hard times came on, and instead of meeting this bravely, our agents became discouraged, we lost confidence, and so the work stopped, or nearly so. Now the question arises, What can be done to revive the work, and place it upon a solid foundation? Enough has been said to show the importance of the question, and the necessity of immediate action. Already we see a revival of the work in some conferences, and agents are meeting with good success. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.16
But before we can hope to see the work move forward as it should, conference officers, ministers, and people, must sense its importance and lend their influence in every way possible. A simple passive assent is not enough. They should become so thoroughly imbued with the subject that they will talk about it on every proper occasion, and endeavor to induce suitable persons to enter the field as canvassers. Our conference officers and ministers have an influence with the people, and can do more than all others combined toward creating a sentiment in favor of the work. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.17
But after an agent has been secured, the work is only just begun. He must be thoroughly drilled in the art of canvassing. And right here is where we have made a mistake. Many times persons have been taken from the farm or shop, and after a few words of general instruction a prospectus has been placed in their hands, and they have been sent out to work. Is it any wonder that so many have failed? No, the wonder is that so many have succeeded. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.18
Canvassing is a trade, and it is absolutely necessary for a person to understand some of the fundamental principles if he hopes to succeed. It would be just as reasonable to expect a mechanic to make a success of his work without first learning the trade, as to expect a person to succeed in the canvassing work without the necessary preparation. Hence some plan must be devised to give the necessary instruction. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.19
Our canvassers must come from the ranks of our own people, and great care should be exercised in selecting persons for this work. On this point we quote the following from Testimony No. 29, vol. 4, page 389:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.20
“In all parts of the field canvassers should be selected, not from the floating element of society, not from among men and women who are good for nothing else, and have made a success of nothing, but from among those who have good address, tact, keen foresight and ability.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.21
Again in Testimony No. 32, we read:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.22
“The canvassing work is more important than many have regarded it, and as much wisdom must be used in selecting the workers as in selecting men for the ministry.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.23
It is very evident from the foregoing that greater care should be exercised in the selection of workers. Some have thought that the canvassing work was beneath them, but in a recent Testimony, we read: “I cannot see why the canvassing work is not as good and successful a work as can be done for the Lord. Were it not for the work of the canvassers, many would never hear the truth. I sincerely hope that no mind will receive the impression that it belittles a minister of the gospel to canvass. I have been shown that the most precious ministry can be done by canvassing, and that by ministers.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.24
We do not understand by this that ministers are to leave their calling and put in all their time canvassing, but there may be occasions when they could devote some time to this work with profit to themselves and to others. It would give them an experience which they could gain in no other way, and would bring them in closer touch with the canvasser. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.25
Another serious problem confronts us, and that is the calling away of good canvassers to enter other lines of work. This has been done to quite a large extent, and it seriously cripples the canvassing work. On this point the Testimonies speak as follows:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.26
“Men suited to this work (the canvassing work) undertake it; but some injudicious minister will flatter them that their gift should be employed in the desk. They are influenced to get a license to preach, and thus the work is belittled. The very ones who might have been trained to make good missionaries, are caught up to make poor ministers.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.27
Our needs at the present time can be briefly summed up as follows:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.28
1. We need more canvassers, - earnest, devoted men and women who will take hold of the work with the intention of making it a life business, not for the money there is in it, but with just the spirit which actuates the minister, - a love for perishing souls, and a desire to give them the living truth of God’s word, and who feel that this is one of God’s means for doing the work. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.29
2. We need to devise ways and means to educate and train these workers more thoroughly and more systematically than we have in the past, and to keep them in the field. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.30
3. We need good, live, energetic State agents, who are willing to go right into the field and show beginners how to put into practice what they have learned, as well as to have the general oversight of the work. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.31
4. We need the sympathy and hearty co-operation of conference and tract society officers and ministers. Not simply, to have you say, “Yes, we have an interest in the canvassing work and would like to see it succeed, but that you will come to realize its importance so much that you will speak of the work on every proper occasion, and endeavor to get proper persons to enter the field, and that you will also strive to encourage those already in the field. If our conference officers and leading brethren and sisters will only place themselves on the right side of the question, we will see the work move forward to success, for God is in it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.32
5. Above all we need the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Without this all our plans will fail and come to naught; but this is promised to all who ask for it in faith. So we can come with confidence, asking God for his help in this work, for he has owned it as his. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.33
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According to our present plan the tract societies are acting as distributing agents for our publishing houses, and many of them are doing good work. Others are doing comparatively nothing, and yet they hold the territory. Territory is our stock in trade, so to speak. Lock this up and we can do no business. We therefore submit that it is manifestly unfair for a tract society or an agent to hold control of territory which they can not or will not work. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.34
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Some publishing houses employ resident agents who have the privilege of handling all books published by the house, in the city or counties assigned him. There are advantages in this plan which it would be well for us to consider. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.35
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Territory being our stock in trade, some plan should be adopted which will insure its being worked thoroughly for all subscription books. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.36
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Subscription books are now being multiplied quite rapidly, and great care and good judgment must be exercised in placing these in the hands of canvassers and having the territory properly worked. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.37
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Heretofore the sale of our trade books has been very limited, being confined almost wholly to our own people, but this is not as it should be. We have some excellent books of this nature, and others are in course of preparation. They ought to be on sale in all the leading book stores in this country. But how to get them there is a problem which remains to be solved. We do not think that the tract societies are prepared, or will care to handle this business exclusively, and it will probably devolve upon the publishing houses to push this line of work. It would be well to have this question considered at this meeting, so that there may be no misunderstanding. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.38
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We believe that our periodical work should be as thoroughly organized as our subscription book work; and while the plans may necessarily have to be somewhat different, yet the organization should be equally perfect. All the arguments and the Testimonies from the Spirit of God which have been used in favor of the subscription book work can be used with equal force concerning the work to be done in the periodical field. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.39
This line of work has developed wonderfully during the last year or two, and a broad field is opened before us. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.40
In speaking of our periodicals and deploring the lack of interest among our people, Sister White says:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.41
“Yet it is a fact that the circulation of our papers is doing even a greater work than the living preacher can do.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.42
Now if this could be said while so little was being done, what might we expect when we have our whole force organized and at work? The issuing of the Quarter-Centennial Edition of the Signs of the Times has given a mighty impetus to this work, and it ought not to be allowed to lag. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.43
We submit for your consideration the plan of having a person in every State who will give his whole time to this line of work, - visiting churches, securing subscriptions, working up clubs, showing people how to canvass for subscriptions and sell the paper on the street and in business houses, working, not only for one of our periodicals, but for all of them. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 65.44
This work, taken hold of and carried forward in the right way, cannot fail to be a great blessing to any conference. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.1
It would also seem wise to devise some plan whereby we could secure the co-operation of our publishing houses and conferences in this work, both in carrying it forward and in sharing the expense. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.2
It will be remembered that some five years ago, the question of plans for increasing the circulation of the Signs was carefully considered by the General Conference Association. A co-partnership arrangement was entered into between the General Conference Association and the Pacific Press whereby they were to share equally the profits or losses. The retail price of the Signs was reduced from $1.50 to $1.00 per year, and very low club rates adopted. It was thought that by making this change, the subscription list would be increased to at least 100,000 copies weekly, and the loss, if any, could be made up by securing paying advertisements. But the plan did not work. The list did not come up as anticipated and we failed to secure paying advertisements, and as a result there has been a loss on the Signs every year. Last year the loss was about $4,000. At the request of the General Conference Association, that body was released from its obligation, and the Pacific Press stood the whole loss. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.3
Now, in view of the fact that this organization was active in reducing the subscription price and club rates of the paper, we would be pleased to have it take into consideration the advisability of restoring them to the original rates, in order that the publishers may not suffer such a heavy loss each year. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.4
In this connection we wish to call your attention to the fact that since these very low rates were established, the Signs has been greatly improved, thus adding largely to the cost of production. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.5
1. The editorial force has been increased and special contributors secured. 2. Very few illustrations were once used, and these were of the very cheapest quality. Now the Signs is well illustrated with up-to-date half-tone engravings. 3. The paper used five years ago was of an inferior quality. The use of half-tone engravings has necessitated the use of a better grade and heavier paper, all of which adds considerably to the cost of production. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.6
It will also be remembered that at the time these low rates were adopted, no one thought of selling the Signs. They were all given away. But now it has been demonstrated that the Signs can be sold, and our agents are very desirous that it should be well illustrated; and they would be glad to have a cover on each issue. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.7
The Signs has been designated by the Lord as our “pioneer” paper, and he has also spoken definitely in regard to the importance of giving it a wide circulation. We certainly do not wish to do anything to cripple its usefulness, neither does it seem wise to continue such low rates as to entail such a heavy loss on the publishing house each year. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.8
In Testimony N. 30, vol. 4, page 598, we read:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.9
“Mistakes have been made in putting down the price of publications to meet certain difficulties. These efforts must change. Those who made this move were sincere. They thought their liberality would provoke ministers and people to labor to greatly increase the demand for the publications.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.10
Again, on page 599 of the same volume we read: “The price of our papers should not be made so low that no margin is left to work upon.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.11
We trust that these delegates will consider all these questions very carefully, and that the Lord will lead us to right conclusions. C. H. JONES. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.12
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The kingdom of Sweden, embracing the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, has an area of about 170,644 square miles, thus being much larger than Great Britain and Ireland, and it has a population of over 5,000,000. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.13
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, has a population of 280,000. It was founded in the middle of the 12th century by the great statesman, Burger Jarl. It is built on several islands, washed by the salt waters of Lake Malar and the salt waters of the Baltic, with the North-stream swiftly running through the very heart of the city. For beauty of situation it is unsurpassed by any city in Europe. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.14
His Majesty, King Oscar II, king of Sweden and Norway, is a sovereign much beloved and respected by his people. He has reigned over 26 years, and was seventy years old last month. During this period of time Sweden has enjoyed peace, and has greatly prospered in every respect. The King is known as one of the most learned men in Europe. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.15
About the year 830 A. D. the Roman Catholic religion was introduced into Sweden. In the reign of Gustavus Vasa, 1523-1560, the doctrines of the Lutheran reformation were first preached in Sweden by the two brothers, Olaus and Laurentius Petri, who had been personal disciples of Luther himself. These learned men also translated the Holy Bible, being the first to give these people the inspired Word of God in their own language. The first printed edition of the whole Swedish Bible appeared in the year 1541. Gustavus Vasa, being known as one of the best kings of Sweden, became a very enthusiastic adherent of the new doctrine, and he abolished the Catholic religion and introduced into his country the Lutheran faith, which in 1593 was made the state religion, and has so remained until the present time. The great part that Gustavus Adolphus with his Swedish armies acted in the thirty years’ war for the establishment of Protestantism in Europe is well known. But the Swedish people have not been altogether satisfied with the state church, as it has become more cold and formal. There are at present about 155,000 so-called free religious people, belonging to different denominations, of whom the Baptists are among the strongest. A great interest is also manifested in missionary work in heathen lands, and Sweden has the credit of being the first Protestant country from which efforts were made to convert the heathen. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.16
The first angel’s message went with power in Sweden. The Lord even used small children to proclaim it. Two young persons were imprisoned in Orebro and suffered a great deal before they were released: and at the same place one brother has been imprisoned for preaching the third angel’s message. This was first preached in that country in 1879, and we have now twenty-seven churches with some over seven hundred members. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.17
More than a year ago a school farm was bought for $6,000, and a school was started October 15, 1898, with fifteen students. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.18
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The kingdom of Norway consists of the north and west part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, and is about 122,000 square miles in extent. It joins Sweden on the east, and on the north, west, and south it is surrounded by water. It is about 1,000 miles long north and south, but very narrow east and west. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.19
Hammerfest, with only 2,000 inhabitants, lies farther north than any other city in the world. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.20
The population of Norway is about 2,000,000 and they are nearly all Norwegians, excepting 18,000 Laplanders and 8,000 Kvaner. It has been said that Norway is second only to England in trading-vessels, and the Norwegians are known the world over as good navigators. The country is very rocky and mountainous. About three per cent. only of the land is cultivated. The capital, Christiania, has about 200,000 inhabitants. The third angel’s message was first preached in this country by Elder Matteson in 1877, and the first Seventh-day Adventist Church was organized at Christiania in 1879. Since that time the work has moved slowly but steadily forward, and we have now 19 churches, with over 600 members. The publishing house, built in 1885, has printed many million pages of books and tracts in the Swedish-Norwegian and Swedish languages, which have been scattered over all the Scandinavian countries and brought precious light to many souls. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.21
Philanthropic and health work in Christiania has been lately begun by nurses, trained at Battle Creek Sanitarium, and much good has already been accomplished. An experienced physician is needed. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.22
We have no school of our own in Norway, and as we lack both proper teachers and means we do not know what can be done in this direction at present. May the Lord lead us to take the right steps at the right time, and may his work go forward to his glory and to the salvation of many souls. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.23
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Finland has a population of about 2,500,000 and about one fifth of the people speak the Swedish language. The Finnish language belongs to the so-called Ural Altaic, and is different from all other European tongues. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.24
We have not been able to do much for those who speak the Finnish language for want of laborers, but we have sold many of our books to them. From the time we began work there till the close of 1898, we have spread literature in that country to the amount of about $25,000. Elder John Hoffman and wife are now at work there, and the Swedish Conference has lately sent three young men, one to assist Elder Hoffman and two to sell our books. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.25
Along the south and west coast of Finland are thousands of small islands inhabited by Swedish-speaking people who have no communication with the country except by private boats, and our brethren desire very much to secure a boat by which they can go to them first with our books and afterward to hold meetings, etc. One of our canvassers sold books on some of these islands last summer and was very kindly received; but it was too expensive to hire conveyances. Our brethren believe that two good canvassers, who know how to manage a boat, and we have such, can sell books enough to support themselves. Such a boat as they need can be bought for $250. Our brethren would be very grateful if they could be helped to this amount. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.26
Our brethren ask the conference to provide them with a general canvassing agent to lead out in that part of the work. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.27
Those who have embraced the truth in Finland are willing to help the work with their means, and they pay in proportion about as much in tithe as our brethren in the Scandinavian countries. May the light of the third angel’s message soon be brought to the Finnish-speaking people, and all the honest be gathered out and prepared for the coming of Christ. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.28
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Iceland belongs to the kingdom of Denmark and has about 75,000 inhabitants. Reykjavik, the capital, is but a small city and the only one on the island. The people get their support mostly from fishing and raising sheep. All inland traveling is done on horseback. Their horses are small but very strong, faithful, and easily kept. The people are sober, thoughtful, honest, and religiously inclined. Nearly all belong to the Lutheran Church, which is supported by the government. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.29
In October, 1897, Elder David Ostlund was sent by the Danish Conference to Iceland. At the present time we have thirteen Sabbath-keepers there, and the tithe and donations amount to $82.72. We have translated and printed in the Icelandic language “Steps to Christ,” and two tracts, one on Christ’s second coming, and one on the Sabbath. The Danish Conference has helped some with the expenses incurred. So the mission now has books on hand to the amount of $268.99 that are paid for. Brother Ostlund desires a Bible worker and some canvassers to help him. The Norwegian Conference paid the fare for a sister to go there last summer, and she has had quite good success in selling our publications. We hope many souls will be gathered out from that island. L. JOHNSON. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.30
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Battle Creek College, the parent denominational school of the Seventh-day Adventists, was founded by Elder James White and his wife early in 1872. In June of that year the school opened in the second story of a small frame building, with Professor G. H. Bell in charge, having an attendance of twelve pupils. Notwithstanding this humble beginning, its promoters had faith in its ultimate success, and agitated the question of raising money for the erection of suitable buildings to meet the needs of those who desired to prepare themselves for aggressive work in the proclamation of the Lord’s coming. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.31
More than fifty-four thousand dollars in cash, besides numerous pledges, was soon secured. Beautiful grounds were acquired in the western part of the city; and a substantial building, capable of accommodating two hundred or more students, was soon in process of erection. Later a large addition was made on the south side, and afterward a similar extension on the north side, of the first structure, which gave capacity for accommodating fully six hundred students. The instruction given at the school is now almost wholly based on the Bible; yet it carries, in addition to ministerial and missionary departments, courses of instruction for teachers and canvassers; studies in music, shorthand, and bookkeeping; and, in fact, everything in the line of advanced education. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.32
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Blow, blow, ye winds, with heavier gust,
And freeze, thou bitter, biting frost;
Descend, ye chilly, smothering snows!
Not all your rage, as now united, shows
More hard unkindness, unrelenting.
Vengeful malice, unrepenting,
Than heaven-illumined man on brother man bestows. -Burns. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 66.33
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The Bible the Only Text-book - Diversity of Gifts - Daniel as a Business Man - His Life an Example to Us. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.1
(Continued from page 56, No. 6.) GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.2
A. T. Jones: What did that say? - Prove them. What for? to see what? - To prove whether they will glorify God, or reveal the weakness of finite humanity. Precisely. When they reveal the wickedness of finite humanity, what do they reveal? - Themselves. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.3
[R. A. Underwood: Is not every discipline and every experience of every person in the world for just that same purpose?] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.4
A. T. Jones: To be sure; but the men are called to places of immense responsibility, to meet discipline that the men in low places do not. Why are these men selected and called to meet these higher responsibilities? - Because they need just that discipline and the revelation of God, which comes through that discipline to save them. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.5
Daniel was brought before the king and told him that there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and makes known what shall be in the better days. The Lord had showed to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream that the gold was not to continue for ever; that it was to cease, and would be succeeded by silver; and that by the brass, and that by iron and clay, and then finally go to pieces, and be scattered as chaff. Nebuchadnezzar’s idea was that it must continue forever, and therefore he embodied his idea in a great golden image of gold from head to foot; and that, according to him, is the true idea of the succession of things. He set up his idea against the Lord’s and required that it should be accepted instead of the Lord’s. All the people accepted it, but the three who would not; and these he declared should go into the fiery furnace, but they came out again. Then the Lord caused Nebuchadnezzar to resign his ideas of God, and to accept his ideas of what should be in the world, even to the latter days. In his confession Nebuchadnezzar glorified God, and said that the Lord had changed the king’s word. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.6
Nebuchadnezzar had learned three things: (1) That all the gods were nothing; (2) That the God of Daniel is the true God; (3) That he must resign all his own ideas, - just the same thought as is in Isaiah, - let the unrighteous forsake his thoughts, and take the Lord’s thoughts. And that is what a good many people, even in this day, have not yet learned to do. That is the great thing in Christianity. Instead of trying to hold to our own thoughts, and bring God’s ideas into our mold, the thing is to take God’s thoughts and God’s ideas instead of ours. This is the great difficulty with the people to-day, - they hold to their own ideas; and when they do accept the Lord’s idea, it has to take the mold of their own ideas. But that is asking that my own ideas shall be accepted instead of those of God. And when I preach that, it is the same as Nebuchadnezzar did. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.7
Nebuchadnezzar has yet a lesson to learn. He himself is there still. “Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?” It was a great kingdom. The Lord speaks of it, the glory of kings, the beauty of the Chaldean excellency, the lady of the kingdoms, the golden city; and these terms are all correct. Of course Nebuchadnezzar was proud of them. The Lord then gave him a dream, as recorded in the fourth chapter, of a great tree whose top reached to the heavens; the fowls rested in its branches, and the beasts gathered under its branches. Then the holy Watcher was ordered to hew down the tree, and cut off the branches but leave the stump; and three times in that chapter is it stated that this all is to the intent that the living should know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men. Then comes the king’s own confession, and his publication of it to all the people. Now with him God is the only God; he is above all, and over all, and through all, instead of himself in the world. So Nebuchadnezzar was made a Christian by the Lord. That is what the Lord can do with man wherever he finds him. The Lord brought Nebuchadnezzar into that position, that he might know the Lord. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.8
There is another thing that comes in here, but we will dwell upon this one thought this morning. Nebuchadnezzar now stands before the world, proclaiming the glory of God; preaching the message of the Lord to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples. The document, the fourth chapter of Daniel, went everywhere just as we have it. It was spread all over the world by Nebuchadnezzar, proclaimed publicly by his governors, princes, and captains in all parts of the world. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.9
Nebuchadnezzar passed away. Other kings came, and their successors, until the time of Belshazzar. Nebuchadnezzar died in 561 B. C. Belshazzar’s reign began in 538 B. C., about twenty-three years afterward. Belshazzar was out more than twenty-three years old when this occurred: but the history was all in the past. Belshazzar grew into the estate in which he was, a young man, and took the course he did. The handwriting was on the wall, and the word came to him. When it was explained, Daniel went over this experience of Nebuchadnezzar, and said that Nebuchadnezzar was so and so; that God did so and so with Nebuchadnezzar; that with him such and such things occurred. Belshazzar knew all this, and knew what consequences came when Nebuchadnezzar did certain things. He knew what blessings the Lord had brought to Nebuchadnezzar, and all about it. But he did not glorify God, or respect him. He did not humble his heart as did Nebuchadnezzar, but exalted himself; and now this handwriting has come. Thus Belshazzar, although he was born only about the time that Nebuchadnezzar died, and really came upon the stage of action a considerable time after Nebuchadnezzar had passed away, is held responsible for not conforming to that which was taught to Nebuchadnezzar; and because he despised and ignored it, and passed it by, and took his own course, this handwriting was written, and this calamity came. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.10
And to-day there are thousands of people who have all this before them just as really as Belshazzar had. They are Seventh-day Adventists, professedly, and the children of Seventh-day Adventists, who have had this all before them just as really as Belshazzar did; and they are doing precisely as Belshazzar did. Instead of receiving that truth into their lives, they despise it; they do not glorify God; they do not humble themselves; and the handwriting is written, and they are being weighed in the balances, and pronounced wanting. They are Belshazzars just as Belshazzar himself was Belshazzar. Any professed Seventh-day Adventist, any child of a Seventh-day Adventist, before whom these things have been set year after year, and who has lived in the presence of these things, and knows them just as really as Belshazzar did, and does not humble his heart, does not regard this, does not glorify God, is Belshazzar as really as Belshazzar was. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.11
Darius the Mede came in. He did not know God. The Lord revealed himself to Darius the Mede through the experience of Daniel and the lion’s den, and that scheme that was concocted to bring ruin to Daniel; and he acknowledged God when God revealed himself to him, and published his glory to the world in an official decree. He again published the message of God, just as Nebuchadnezzar had done. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.12
After Darius came Cyrus, a heathen who had grown up in darkness. The Lord has called him by name over a hundred years before his birth. He led him by the hand when he came to Babylon. But Cyrus did not know the Lord was doing this. But when he came to Babylon, Daniel brought these things to his notice which were written in the book of Isaiah, and read them to him, - these prophecies written concerning him, - and Cyrus acknowledged God. He said: “He is the God.” Cyrus became a worshiper of God. Thus the Lord revealed himself to, and led, each one of these kings. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.13
By and by Cambyses, Smerdis, Darius [the Persian], and Xerxes, in the direct book I mean, came upon the throne successively. This matter of the knowledge of God came before Cambyses, because Cyrus’s decree, which was issued for the building of the temple in Jerusalem, was opposed by hired counselors at the court of the king of the Persians all the days of Cyrus, and of Cambyses, and of Smerdis. The message of God, which had been issued for the building of the temple of God and the re-establishing the work of God in the earth which Cyrus had proclaimed, - this was opposed by those Samaritans and others in the court of Cyrus and Cambyses. And so the message of God was continually kept before them, even to the reign of Darius. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.14
Then God raised up Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets, and they kept at it, to have the temple built, until the matter was brought to the attention of Darius the Persian, who reviewed the whole matter and issued a decree by which they were compelled to support all which has passed before. Thus the Lord’s truth and message was brought before these kings, one by one, as they came up, down to Xerxes, and so on all the way through. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.15
Then we come to the mighty king Alexander. When he began his career, he didn’t know the Lord any more than any of the rest had known him, until he had fought the battles of Granicus and Issus, and had come to the siege of Tyre. Tyre was very difficult to take. It was supported by the Jews in the siege, and this made the siege so much more difficulty and prolonged. It was such a great task for Alexander that he became very wrathful against the Jews, so that he swore that Jerusalem should be made like Tyre. He started to Jerusalem for that purpose. The people heard he was coming; and the high priest proclaimed a fast, that they might know what to do. The Lord appeared to the high priest in the night, and told him what he should do - how that he should dress himself in his priestly robes, and go out with all the people, and meet Alexander and his army, and the rest would take care of itself. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.16
And when the high priest understood that Alexander was not far from the city, “he went out in procession with the priests and the multitude of citizens. The procession was venerable, and the manner of it different from that of other nations. It reached to a place called Sapha, which name, translated into Greek, signifies a “prospect;” for you have thence a prospect both of Jerusalem and of the temple. And when the Phoenicians and the Chaldeans that followed him (Alexander) thought they should have liberty to plunder the city, and torment the high priest to death, which the king’s displeasure fairly promised them, the very reverse of it happened. For Alexander, when he saw the multitude at a distance, in white garments, while the priests stood clothed with fine linen, and the high priest in purple and scarlet clothing, with his miter on his head, having the golden plate whereon the name of God was engraved, he approached by himself and adored that name, and first saluted the high priest. The Jews also did altogether with one voice salute Alexander and encompassed him about. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.17
“Whereupon the kings of Syria and the rest were surprised at what Alexander had done, and supposed him disordered in his mind. However, Parmenio alone went up to him and asked him how it came to pass that when all others adored him, he should adore the high priest of the Jews. To whom he replied: ‘I did not adore him, but that God who hath honored him with his priesthood. For I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit, when I was at Dios in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with myself how I might obtain the dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly to pass over the sea thither, for that he would conduct my army and give me the dominion over the Persians; whence it is that having seen no other in that habit, and now seeing this person in it, and remembering that vision, and the exhortation which I had in my dream, I believe that I bring this army under the divine conduct, and shall therewith conquer Darius, and destroy the power of the Persians, and that all things will succeed according to what is in my mind.’” - “The Great Empires of Prophecy,” page 171. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.18
Thus the Lord revealed himself to Alexander as certainly as he ever did to Nebuchadnezzar. But Alexander made the mistake of not following up the light. Nebuchadnezzar followed the light, and landed in the kingdom of God. Alexander had just as much light as Nebuchadnezzar, as Darius the Mede, as Cyrus; for when Alexander came into the city, the high priest took the prophecy of Daniel and read it to him in the temple; and he gathered from the prophecy that he was the man intended in the prophecy. But Alexander did not follow the Lord. He made the mistake of Saul, of Jeroboam, and Pharaoh. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.19
This sketch will give you a glimpse of what God has to do in the kingdoms of men, and bringing kings to high places. It is that they may know the Lord. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.20
The book of Daniel fits the third angel’s message very well, all around, and we are not preaching the third angel’s message thoroughly unless we get into it the books of Daniel and Revelation. It was because of Daniel’s principles of health and temperance that he was enabled to stand in Babylon, and be not of it, in the midst of all the corruptions of Babylon for more than seventy years. But there is something else connected inseparably with that chapter, and that is education. It was because of the principles of health and education that Daniel stood as he did. It was because of these principles that he had the principles of health and temperance that he did. And these can not be separated in our work any more than in his. The principles of education which Daniel had, and taught, gave to him the principles of health and temperance which held him, and made him, though a slave in Babylon, the freest man in all Babylon. Though a servant in condition, he was in fact greater than the king - a king indeed; he was the guide of the king. And though a student in the schools, he was the teacher of all the teachers. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 67.21
That is what these principles will do for everybody who gets them. And we are not, and shall not be what God intends us to be, until we become thoroughly imbued with these principles. They are put in the book of Daniel, and the book of Daniel is brought to us for this express purpose. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.1
It is principle, and principle only, that is the fiber, and all the fiber, of either the warp or the woof of character. Principles are the material, and the fiber of the material out of which character is manufactured. And when we have the principles, the character will be formed by the Former of all things. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.2
Daniel was eighteen years old when he was carried to Babylon. He had already been taught principles that gave him a strength of character, and such integrity as held him steady at the first step that was taken with him after he was taken to Babylon. Thus at eighteen he had such an established character, and such a strength of principle, as now is generally expected only of mature men even among Christians. Daniel was taught in God’s school, with God’s methods and principles of education; and the word of God was the one great text-book. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.3
The other day when this subject was before us for consideration, this question was raised: “What is meant by having the Bible as the only basis of all education, the only text-book? Does it mean just the Bible, and nothing more? or does it mean the Bible and something else?” The request was made that this be answered by either Yes or No. That question can not be answered by either Yes or No. The answer must be both Yes and No. The answer to this question to one man would be Yes, while to another man at the same moment the answer would have to be No. It all depends. If the Lord Jesus were here in human form, he could teach all things from that book alone, and make no reference whatever to any other book. And the reason of that is that he is the Bible. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.4
This calls our attention to the principle that the teacher must himself be the thing he would teach, or else he can not teach it. The teacher who is nearest to being himself the Bible complete, is the teacher who can teach it most and best, and without any other book than the word of God. And the teacher who is, himself, least of the Bible - who has the least of the Bible in himself - has the most need of other books. So I say, again, that every teacher who would teach anything, must inevitably be that very thing himself, or his teaching is nothing. If the thing which he is teaching is in the book, even though that book be the Bible, and not in himself, his teaching of that thing is a piece of formalism. If he is the thing himself which he would teach, he can teach it to others, whether he has the book from which he got it, or not. He is the book. He must be the book from which he would teach, and which he would teach, or his teaching is nothing. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.5
[A. F. Ballenger: Somebody might say, How will that apply to astronomy? We are not the stars. Tell us how that would be.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.6
Yes, that “How” of things. I will answer it. I and some others whom I could name have been many times asked the question, “How is a man justified by faith?” The only answer I have ever been able to give, or that any one can truly give, to this question is, “By faith.” But, it is said: “That is not what we want; that is what you said before. We don’t want you to preach us a sermon, or talk a long while on the subject, but we want you to show us how. Tell us how a man is justified by faith.” When a man is justified by faith, he knows how. And the only way he can know how to be justified by faith is just to be justified by faith. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.7
Brethren, this whole thing is justification by faith. God’s method of teaching God’s principles of health and temperance, God’s principles of education, the whole subject combined or separated, is all of faith. It can not be known without the faith that saves a man’s soul; it can not be taught without that same faith that makes a man righteous with the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ. And for a man to ask “How,” and “show me how,” - that itself is simply how, and that is the only way. And that is not a mixing of things; it is not mystification. It is the mystery of God; but the blessedness of it is that the mystery of God is the plainest, clearest, and most blessed thing in the universe. The secret of all is for each one to have these things in himself. I must be this thing myself. Then it is easy. Then it is plain. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.8
When I have this thing myself, and you have this thing yourself, even then it does not follow at all that the “How” by which you would teach that thing is identically the “How” by which I would teach that thing. You and I may have the same identical thing; but when you teach that thing, you must teach it with the ability which God gives you. When I teach that thing, I must teach with the ability which God gives me. We are not precisely alike. And you have not the same ability he gives me. We are not precisely alike. And when you receive that thing from God, and give it to another, and I receive that thing from God, and give it to another, the “How” by which you do it will not be identically the “How” by which I do it; but the man who gets it will have the same thing, and he will know it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.9
[Mrs. S. M. I. Henry: It will appear different to him from what it did to either of his teachers.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.10
Precisely; and this simply brings us to that one grand truth that is over all, and in all, and through all, - that “The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God,” and no man can get these things from a man. Each man must get these things from God by the Spirit of God. And this is what every one of us must have. We are ministers of the gospel in the field. We are teachers of the people; we must be what we teach, or our teaching is nothing. The teachers in the schools are ministers of the gospel; but they must be that thing; they must be the gospel, or their teaching is nothing. And when we become that, and teach, - whether I be in the field, teaching a company in the backwoods in a log schoolhouse, or whether I am in Union College, or wherever I am, I am the same person, and I am to teach the same thing, and teach it the same way. When we all are all that, there will be more ministers in our schools, and more teachers in our ministry. And there will be no criticism at all. You remember that beautiful thought that Brother Lewis gave us the other day. God wants us to see eye to eye, not eye through eye. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.11
[E. J. Waggoner: Literally, that is eye in eye; that is the Hebrew.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.12
That makes it a little more forcible, - see eye in eye. But here is a thought in that. Brother Lewis pictured it to you. See eye to eye; it is to stand facing one another, looking into one another’s eyes. When you look into my eye, what do you see? - You see yourself always. You see yourself imaged there. You do not put much criticism or condemnation on yourself, do you? You see yourself there. Then simply love your neighbor as yourself there, and you are all right. And this same thought is here: I have set always the Lord before me, before my face. We are to look into his face. But what part of the face is it that gives the expression? - The eye. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.13
This principle of being what we are, of having right principles, and having these to make us what we should be, runs through everything. We are called upon to consider it right now, in all parts of the work of the third angel’s message. He has said there must be “an entire change of principles and methods of teaching in our schools.” In some places, some methods have been changed; in some schools some principles have been changed, but I know not of a single school among Seventh-day Adventists where there has yet been an “entire change of principles and methods.” When God calls for an entire change of principles and methods, of course it means a revolution; but it is his own, and neither you nor I, whether teacher or minister, whether General Conference Committee, or man in no office, are following the instruction of God until we find out what that entire change of principles and methods is, and are that. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.14
God calls for “an entire change of principles” and practices in the publishing business. And no one connected with the publishing houses, or with the General Conference, or the whole work of the Seventh-day Adventists, is doing his duty, and standing in his place, until he studies up that thing for himself, and knows what it means to him. When the principles change, of course the practices will be changed. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.15
He calls also for an entire change in principles and practices in church, conference, and General Conference procedure. Then neither you nor any other Seventh-day Adventist is abreast of the message, unless each one for himself is studying and praying night and day to know what that entire change is, and to see it wrought. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.16
But to see that entire change wrought, I must see it wrought in me; the managers of the publishing houses must have it wrought first in themselves. Every official, and every employee, of the publishing houses must see that that entire change of principles and practices is wrought in himself. Then, so far as he is concerned, the institution is reformed. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.17
This is so in the educational work. Every teacher must see to it that this change is wrought in himself, or it will never come anywhere else, so far as he is concerned. If the Lord should make the change otherwise, and not in himself, he could not see it; he would be afraid of it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.18
In churches and conferences - General Conference and all - each one, from the president of the General Conference to the newest convert, must see that this change of God is wrought in him day by day, making him a new creature in Christ Jesus, actuated by the living principles of Jesus Christ, the practices following accordingly; or he will not understand the change that even the Lord may make. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.19
May be some of this is so new that you doubt it. That on education is not new; it has been published some time. Here is a passage written in direct reference to the publishing business, which says: “He calls for an entire change in principles that have come in to divert the mind, and draw away the heart to serve the plans of Satan.” In order to do this, “A close investigation should be made of principles.” Again: “Let every principle be considered.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.20
Now as to churches and conferences: “This worldly policy has wrestled for the victory among the Seventh-day Adventists, and the principles which should have been kept pure and unadulterated have been overcome.” What is it to overcome? - To conquer. The true principles have been conquered among Seventh-day Adventists. Worldly policy has the victory. “This condition of things has been created in our conferences and churches under a religious cloak, which has existed in the world.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.21
Reform is called for, brethren, - reform of the whole thing, - churches, conferences, schools, publishing houses, General Conference, - everything. Each one of us is to be a reformer, but each must reform himself. I must reform myself, not my brethren. I am to put myself under such discipline that I will hold myself face to face with God, day and night, and never allow myself to swerve a hair’s-breadth from principle, but put myself under the strictest discipline of the judgment of God. And anything that I do or say that will not meet to the full the perfection of the judgment of God, I am to put away. This is all - simply to be doing what we are told always to do. “For it; but the man who gets it will have getting the things that are behind, and reaching forth unto the things which are before.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.22
Precedent is the ruin of everything. Principle is the life and the salvation of everything. Have nothing to do with precedent; study principle. Ask not what has been done; ask what ought to be done. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.23
I am not off the subject yet. This was the education which Daniel had. This is what made Daniel what he was, where he was, and wherever he could have been; and only this will make you and me what we must be, wherever we may be. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.24
The brethren sometimes say, “Well, that says that an entire change in principles must be made. I do not see where anything is wrong. You point it out to me.” It is not my place to point it out; it is for you to search it out. If, for illustration, I should point out something, he would say, “Oh, well, I don’t know about that; I don’t see in that exactly what you see; but if you say that is the thing to do, I will do it?” I am not God. I have nothing to do with what you are to do. You must find out for yourself what to do, and the how to do it; and then do it because God has told you to do it. If I point it out to you, and say that a certain course is right, and then you follow it, God has no place. You put me, and I allow myself to be put, in the place of God. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.25
Plainly this calls for an entire change in everything, and for an entire conversion in everybody. Oh, then, it is asked, Do you mean to say I never was converted?” - No; I do not mean to say any such thing; but I do mean to say that though you or I have been converted forty times, we need to be converted just now. I must be converted just now, or I lose the whole thing. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.26
[A. F. Ballenger: The Lord says that Judas betrayed his Lord because he failed to be converted every day.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.27
So will we all. I, to-day, will betray my Lord if I stand on the experience of yesterday. In this meeting, I shall miss my whole aim, the right aim, Christ’s aim for me, if I have not an experience now. Yesterday’s experience does not count to-day. If I have not that same experience renewed, and improved, I am losing something. That is Daniel. It is Christian education; it is health and temperance. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 68.28
Daniel was educated in the school of the prophets. How many of you, brethren, in your study of the book of Daniel, have searched out in the Bible what the schools of the prophets were, and what was taught there. We can all do this; but it has long been neglected. But however much time we have lost, we can redeem it. God’s power is able to give to the man who comes in at the eleventh hour, all that we shall have obtained in all the season. God’s power is able to enable us to redeem the time; so if in all this study you see something that you have neglected, and are sorry for, do not stand mourning, but start right in to revolutionize and reform everything in yourself; take hold of right principles and practices, and then ask God for the power of his Spirit. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.1
How can you and I preach the book of Daniel unless we know the things which are in the book of Daniel? How can we know the things which are in the book of Daniel unless we search them out? The second step in the book of Daniel, is education: and God’s principles of education are to-day where Daniel got them. You can find them; they are in the Bible. Who was the chief teacher of the schools of the prophets? - The Holy Ghost. Who was principal in the schools of the prophets? - The prophet. What was taught there? What was the text-book there? - The Bible. But we can not understand either Daniel’s attitude or his character unless we know what made him what he was. And when you know what made Daniel what he was, then you may know what will make you in your place what Daniel was in his place. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.2
We live in the day of Babylon, - in the midst of the corruptions that were in old Babylon. Licentiousness of every sort is becoming more and more prevalent, and even creeping into the church of God. Belshazzar’s feast is given to us to show what the characteristics of Babylon were. There was feasting, drunkenness, licentiousness, and defiance of God. These are all in the world to-day. The Babylon of the book of Daniel is simply the antecedent of the Babylon of the book of Revelation. The Babylon of Revelation is given to us that we may know that the same things that were in the days of Daniel are here for us to meet. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.3
Daniel passed in and out among the multitude of Babylon for more than seventy years, at a time when the wink of an eye, or simply seeing nothing, would make a fortune. And when it came near the end of his life, an especial test was placed upon him. Day and night he was watched, that some defect, some fault, some error in the conduct of the business of the empire, might be found. And after all their efforts they had to confess their utter failure to find a single thing. Now it takes character to live in such a place as that as long as that. It takes the character which only God can create in a man, to be subject to such a test. There was no fault to be found in all his business, nor in any of his accounts - not one figure wrong. That shows not only integrity of character, but such discipline of mind, such precision of mental action, as can be only where the mind of Jesus Christ is in its completeness. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.4
Daniel is given to us, and the book recording Daniel’s life is given to us, and these proceedings are set before us, to show us what the mind of Christ will do in you and in me. It is to a character that will despise everything that is covered up, everything that must be secret or underhanded, - a character that will abhor all these, - and to a mind of such precision of aim, and such perfect action in its aim, that it hits the mark every time. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.5
That is a great thing; but it is the thing to which we are all to come. What is Daniel put before us for, unless it is for this time; and if what he had is not to be for every one of us? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.6
Especially is this for our business men, who handle accounts, manage funds, and deal with the world. Daniel was not a preacher as we count preachers, neither was he a teacher; but he was a business man, conducting perfectly the business of a world’s empire. There is God’s business man, set forth as an example of what God will make of every business man if he will let him. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.7
I am not teaching you something here that I have framed myself, just for the occasion. If I were to go out from this General Conference to hold tent-meetings, I would preach the book of Daniel just as I am doing here. The world needs the truths it contains; and when these things are given to the world, they will receive them. And when they begin to inquire, you can tell them the only way to it is the Way, Jesus Christ. Business men can not read the book of Daniel and then do as Daniel did, unless they do it by the same power that he possessed. There is no way for our business men to reach that place except by that same Living Way. What God did for Daniel, he will do for every one of us. And the way to it is ever the one only true Way. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.8
No Authorcode
Every meeting of this conference is a crisis. At every service a terrific battle will be fought and won, or lost. To-night the enemy marshals his hosts to defeat this meeting. The Lord wants it to be a success. And I want the prayers of every one present that it may be a success. It is a terribly wicked thing to appoint a man to speak, in these awful times, and then sit and look at him, and say, We will let him get through the best he can. [Voice: That’s so.] When you put up a man to meet the enemy, hold up his hands. I feel, in going against the enemy to-night, that I have no older brothers in the audience who are saying, Where did you leave those few sheep? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.9
I will read a familiar scripture - Revelation 18:1: “And after these things I saw an angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.10
As a people, we have understood that this scripture predicted a time when the latter rain, the fulness of the Holy Ghost, would be poured out upon a despised people, and they would fill the earth with the glory of God. That has been our hope for more than forty years, and, brethren and sisters, that hope must soon be realized. By no manner of interpretation can we interpret away the prophecies that we have given to the world these last forty years, by which we promised them the coming of the Lord in this generation. All I say that for, is to convince us that it is time to take hold of the arm of God as we never have done before. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.11
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power.” “And ye shall receive power,” said the Lord, - the last words that he ever spoke before the cloud hid him from view, - “ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” In prophecy an angel symbolizes a messenger carrying a message. Angels do not preach the gospel to men, and this symbol of an angel from heaven, bringing a message that comes in power, is but the symbol that God uses to symbolize men, - humble men like you and me, - coming from the closet, where we have been with God, and going to the people with the message that has the Holy Ghost for its power. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.12
The only power which God has to manifest through men in the world, for the propagation of the gospel, is the Holy Ghost, and therefore that angel of Revelation 18 is but the symbol of messengers that come baptized with the Holy Ghost. Praise the Lord, that message is come! Ten years ago, the Lord, through his servant, said that the angel of Revelation 18, was on his way to the earth, and he came with the loud cry, but that loud cry was the cry to men and women to receive the righteousness of Christ. Why was that? I’ll tell you. Before any man can give the loud cry of the third angel’s message, there must be a loud cry heard in that man’s life. How many times has this poor man stood before the people of the world in camp-meetings and in tent-meetings, and read these scriptures, and cried with a voice that could have been heard half a mile, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen; come out of her, my people”! But I found out that it takes something else besides a loud voice to make the loud cry. I would have given the loud cry long ago, if a loud tone of voice had been the loud cry, but it is not. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.13
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt with men.” I am making a translation of the Bible for myself these days, my own. I am translating its promises into my life. And before any man can give the loud cry of the third angel’s message, that man’s life must be a loud cry in his home, with his wife, in his local church, in his neighborhood, wherever he is. But more: he can not then give the loud cry of the third angel’s message, unless he has help. You can not give the loud cry of the third angel’s message unless the church will help you. This is what I mean: the man who stands and cries, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen; come out of her, my people,” must couple that cry with another cry, - “All things are now ready; come in.” It is not fair to ask the people to come out of Babylon, unless you can furnish them a home. [Voices: Amen.] O, for an orphans’ home! O, that Seventh-day Adventists would become an orphans’ home! I mean that there are honest men and women in the churches to-day, that are being driven out, that are not hearing the call, “Come out,” that should be heard from this people. May God make a home for them! [Voices: Amen!] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.14
While at Asheville, North Carolina, I was invited to go to see an old saint of the Lord. His face shone with the goodness of God, and his hairs were white through service for the Lord. He had his membership in one of the popular churches, but he said, “Brother Ballenger, I don’t feel at home there, and I have built a little chapel on the back side of my lot, and a few of us from the various churches meet there and worship together.” He said, “My pastor told his congregation recently, that he would never turn anybody out of his church, no matter what they did.” He said, “The church is in an awful condition.” I said to that gray-haired man, “God will yet have a clean church on the earth. The Lord said, before he went away, that the gates of hell should not prevail against his church, and there will yet be a church that is clean.” He looked down at the floor, shook his head, and said, “I fear not, while I live.” We were standing side by side when he said that, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and I stepped around in front of him, and looking him squarely in the face, said, “Brother, God will make of the Seventh-day Adventist church that church.” Then I said, “Brother, I have gone from Massachusetts to California, and from Canada to Texas, and I have told our people to either clean up or get out from the church of God. Brother, I dare do that; I dare talk just that plain to my people, and, thank the Lord, some are getting clean, and some are getting out.” He seemed glad to know it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.15
Only a few days ago, in a testimony meeting, I stood in the presence of a woman, who stood up and said that when she heard the truth of the third angel’s message, a little while ago, her heart burned within her to know that there was so much truth for her; but, she said, with the tears running down her face, that when she came among us as a people, she was disappointed because of the lack of the power of the Holy Ghost among us. O, brethren and sisters, shall we hold down this truth in unrighteousness any longer? Can not the power that ought to go with this truth return again, that people who hear the truth and see its beauty can come among us, and find a corresponding power? Again I cry, O, for an orphans’ home! GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.16
There are so many people coming out of the churches, that are now without any home at all, that I am afraid if we do not hurry, they will organize themselves into a church, and then it will be harder to reach them. O, let us invite them in while they feel that they are orphans, while they are without any home! We will do that by putting away our pride and our selfishness, our self-seeking, our criticizing, all our sins, and receiving the Holy Ghost. [Voices: Amen.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.17
Brethren, can I say to these people, Come out, with as much power and confidence as I could if the Seventh-day Adventists were clean? - No; I must have clean church to invite the people into, before I can stand before the people to give the loud cry in all its glory. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.18
Down in Florida, a Baptist deacon rose up and asked me to pray for him, that he might have his sins forgiven. One of the brethren asked a Baptist in that neighborhood what the matter was with the churches. He said, “Too much whiskey.” O, brethren, if we could get the Spirit from on high, and go through the country baptized with the Holy Ghost, the men who see that there is too much whiskey and too much pride and too much love of the world, in the churches, would flock as doves to the windows. Then let’s do it! [Voices: Amen.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.19
Let me illustrate. Suppose there is a cage hanging yonder, with four sweet little canary-birds in it, and one crow. Over on the other side of the room there hangs another cage, which has four crows in it, and one sweet little canary-bird. These canary-birds on this side of the room sing the sweetest quartet, inviting this poor little canary-bird to come away from that cage of unclean and hateful birds, and come over into their cage. They sing so sweetly, but every once in a while the song is marred and interrupted by the squawk of the crow. The little bird hears them calling, and says, I hear you, and Oh, I would like to come out of this cage of unclean birds, for I don’t like crows, but if I hear aright, there is a crow over in your cage. Brethren, an unclean bird in the Seventh-day Adventist church is just as unclean as an unclean bird in any other church. [Voices: Amen.] Let us commence to pray that God will clean the unclean birds out of his church, for it mars the loud cry. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 69.20
But in beginning the cleansing of the church, I find that I have to begin with this poor man. Let us all being there - not begin to clean somebody else, to get our own hearts clean. If we do that, this conference will be the cleanest conference ever held by the Seventh-day Adventists, and it will proclaim the loudest cry to the world that his church has ever proclaimed. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.1
How many of you are candidates for the reception of the Holy Ghost? [Many raised their hands.] One evening, a year ago last fall, while the meetings were in progress in Battle Creek, we assembled as usual in the little upper room, as we called it, for prayer before going before the people. We would counsel together there every night, and try to see eye to eye. One day a brother whom I love and respect, brought this little book, “Early Writings,” with him to the meeting, and read to us this statement: “I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing,’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action.” This was used as an argument that it was not wise to go on calling men to receive the Spirit, until they had gotten the victory over every besetting sin. That was right; but I had not seen it in that light as clearly as I do now, and it staggered me for a few moments. Oh, I said to myself, must we go back into the wilderness another forty years? I thought the pillar was moving forward now, and we might go ahead. I knew the Lord was moving ahead, and there must be some other explanation of it than that; and I found it, thank the Lord. I want to tell you what it is: instead of going back into the wilderness another forty years, to get the victory over our besetting sins, let us get the victory over them to-night. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.2
I have discovered a short cut to victory, victory over besetting sins, praise the Lord! It is to find out that you are sinning, and then go and ask the Lord to give you strength to stand the next time when you meet that thing. Claim the victory by faith before you ever see a victory, and go against that thing the next time with the victory that you already have by faith. It does not take very long to do that. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.3
I want you to see that. Suppose there should come into our meeting a man who was addicted to strong drink; and he should listen to the truth of the word of God, and it should appeal to his intellect. By and by he would come around some night, and say, “Brother, I believe you people have the truth. I have not been to a meeting in ten years; but I believe this truth, and I want to join you. I will tell you what I will do. I have not been thoroughly sober for forty years. I have been more or less under the influence of drink for the last forty years; and that habit has fastened itself upon me, so that it will be impossible for me to break it all at once. But I will tell you what I will do. Now I am in the habit of getting drunk, and coming home at night and whipping my wife; but if you will take me in, I will promise you that the next week I will not get drunk more than six days in the week, and I will be sober one whole day. The next week I wouldn’t wonder if I would be sober two days. Think of it! Two days in the week - something I have not known for years. The next week, it may be, I would be able to keep sober three whole days; and the next week, four whole days. Think of it! That is more than half the time! After a while, a few years, I will only just get drunk Sundays, and I will be sober all the rest of the week. Then, in a few years more, I think that I will be sober all the time, excepting Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July. And then, after a while longer, I think I will be able to be sober all the time. Now I want you people to understand this. If you hear that I am drunk this next week and whip my wife, I want you to have a clear understanding about it, so that there will be no fuss about it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.4
Brethren, would you take him in? All who would not take him in, raise your hands. [Hands raised by all in the congregation.] What would you say to him? [Congregation: Quit now.] Quit now! What! Quit drinking right off? [Congregation: Yes.] What! Stop a habit that has fastened itself upon you through forty years of indulgence - stop it right off? [Congregation: Yes.] If he should look up into your face and say, “Brother, do you mean to tell me that there is power enough in the gospel that you people preach, to deliver a man as quick as that?” what would you tell him? [Congregation: Yes.] Then, brethren, we can be delivered, too. That is the lesson I have learned from the people whom God has saved from the slums. The Lord says we can not have the baptism of the Holy Ghost until we get the victory over every besetting sin. Again I say, It will not take very long, if we will go at it in God’s way. When you raised your hands, and said that you would not take that poor man into the church, but compel him to get the victory right now over that awful habit, you condemned every besetting sin of your life. You said you were a candidate for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Now, are you ready? Have you got the victory over every besetting sin? Does the Holy Spirit to-night reveal to you some besetting sin that would keep the Holy Spirit away from you? If so, come, let us get the victory over it. The world is waiting for us to get the victory. We want power for witnessing, do we not? “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Brethren, what have you got to tell, that you want such mighty power to tell? Do you sometimes get impatient? Do you want tremendous power to tell that to the world? No; we want that kept still, do we not? If the Lord should give you tremendous witnessing power before that besetting sin was rooted out, you would become a tremendous witness against God by that failure in your life. Then do not let us ask God to baptize us with power that will bring us into prominence before the world, before we have put on Christ; so that when the world turns and looks upon us, they will see the Lord. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.5
Is there any one here to-night, whom the Spirit of the Lord convinces of some definite weakness in his life, which stands in the way of his receiving the Holy Ghost? If you find such a thing in your heart, may God give you strength to put it away to-night. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.6
The following extracts from a letter from Sister White appeared in the The Review and Herald, February 14, 1899: “I came on the grounds Friday. On Sabbath I attended the morning meeting the subject of the reception of the I had seemed to be in meetings, presenting the subject of the reception of the Holy Spirit. This was my burden in laboring - somewhere, I can not tell where. The whole subject was the opening of our hearts to the Holy Spirit. I was trying to present to those who were there the great necessity of receiving the Spirit. Christ told the disciples, ‘I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye can not bear them now.’ Their own limited comprehension put a restraint upon him, so that he could not open to them the things he longed to unfold: for it would be labor lost. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.7
“In my dream last Friday night a sentinel stood at the door of an important building, and said to every one who came for entrance, ‘Have you received the Holy Spirit?’ A measuring line was in his hand, and but very few were admitted into the building.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.8
Oh, I am so glad that somebody is going in! “‘Your size as a human being is nothing. Your size as the full stature of a man in Christ Jesus according to the knowledge you have had, will give you an appointment to sit with Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb; and you will never know the extent of the great advantage given you in the banquet prepared for you. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.9
“‘You may be tall and well proportioned in self, but no such ones can enter heaven. None can be admitted who are grown-up children, with all the habits and customs, the disposition, the characteristics, which pertain to children. You have nurtured your suspicions, your criticisms, your bad temper, your self-dignity, and you can not be permitted to spoil the feast; for all who go in through this door have on the wedding garment, woven in the loom of heaven. Your leaven of distrust, your want of confidence, your power of accusing, closes against you the door of admittance. Within this door nothing can enter that can possibly mar the happiness of the dwellers here by marring their perfect trust in one another. Those who have educated themselves to pick flaws in the character of others have thus revealed a deformity of character which has made families unhappy, which has turned souls from the truth to choose fables. You can not join the happy family in the heavenly courts; for I have wiped all tears from their faces. You can never see the king in his beauty if you are not yourself a representative of the loveliness of Christ’s character. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.10
“‘Abiding with Christ is choosing only the disposition of Christ, so that he identifies his interests with yours.’ GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.11
“As these things were spoken, I saw that some turned sadly away, and mingled with the scoffers; others with tears, all broken in heart, were making confessions to those whom they had bruised and wounded. They did not think of maintaining their own dignity, but asked at every step, ‘What must I do to be saved?’ The answer was, ‘Repent and be converted, that your sins may go beforehand to judgment, and be blotted out.’ Words were spoken greatly to rebuke all spiritual pride: for this God will not tolerate. It is inconsistent with his word and with our profession of faith. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.12
“Seek ye the Lord, all ye who are ministers of his. Seek him ‘while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteousness man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.13
That is what the angel with the measuring line said, as he stood at the door as the people entered in. Is there anybody here that wants to drop off to-night some hindrance, that is keeping him from entering in? May the Lord help you to be humble enough to acknowledge it. Are there some souls that feel their need of victory on some point, and feel it so thoroughly that they are willing to rise up, and by rising up, acknowledge that they have some besetting sin or weakness in their life that will keep the Holy Spirit away? If there are any such, let them rise up. [Many in the congregation arise.] Praise the Lord! We are laborers together, and God has blessed us; but though we have labored together for fifty years, yet if we see something that is pointed out by the Spirit as wrong in our lives, we should not hesitate to put it away to-night. The Lord can change us in an instant. What did he do in the beginning? He spoke the word, and the earth was brought into existence. We need to let the Lord speak again. He can speak not only victory over our besetting sins, but he can command that victory to stand fast. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.14
[W. W. Prescott: Are you not going to give saved sinners a chance to speak, too, as to the power of God?] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.15
Certainly. Speak on, Brother Prescott. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.16
[W. W. Prescott: I was going to say this: I feel that I want to be in the full current of this blessing, and I don’t want to be shut out, in the least. I bless God that he has saved me, and keeps me. But that does not fully satisfy. There is still more to follow. I fully believe that, and it is what I am praying for, and seeking for day by day; and I felt as though I wanted it to be known. It is my desire constantly to have more and more of this blessing; and I expect always to desire that, even with the Lord. Bless the Lord.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.17
Good. You that arose, let me read something to you that will help you to believe. Early Writings, 61: “Faith is ours to exercise, but joyful feeling and the blessing are God’s to give. The grace of God comes to the soul through the channel of living faith, and that faith is in our power to exercise. True faith lays hold of and claims the promised blessing before it is realized and felt. We must send up our petitions in faith within the second vail, and let our faith take hold of the promised blessing, and claim it as ours. We are then to believe that we receive the blessing, because our faith has hold of it, and according to the word it is ours. “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.18
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Bible Study - The Child Jesus an Example - No Real Knowledge Without Knowing God - The Nature of Truth - All Found in Christ. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.19
I think the same text we began with last night will serve us still: “The word of the Lord came to John in the wilderness.” “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” What a wonderful thing it is to have the word of the Lord come to us! There is power in that word. John was in the wilderness, away from men, and there the word of the Lord came to him. How did he get it? It came to him, and he recognized it as the word of the Lord, and that word was power and wisdom to him, and in him. “He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 70.20
So when the word of the Lord comes to a person, what comes to him? - Power, wisdom, discretion. “For the Lord giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” “For the Lord giveth wisdom,” not a part, but the whole, all one can have. Then, apart from what one gets from the mouth of the Lord he can not understand anything and he can not know anything. Then we have a basis here for education. Out of the Lord’s mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.1
Out of the Lord’s mouth cometh the word, which he breathes forth, the word that made the heavens. You remember the text, don’t you? “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” So the word of the Lord is the breath of God. Therefore, all scripture is the breathing of God, and “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.2
Hear Job: “I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach them wisdom. But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” “In reality it is the spirit in man and the breathing of the Almighty that giveth understanding; whether he be old or young has nothing to do with it. That is demonstrated in the little boy Jesus who was talking with the old doctors. There were many present of mature years; but there was one of only a few years who could teach them wisdom. Why? - Because it was the Spirit and the inspiration of the Almighty that gave him understanding. Now God is no respecter of persons. The Spirit is given freely to every one who asks. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.3
These are fundamental principles. We all say amen to them, because they are simply the word of God; but we don’t stick to them. Time and again I am reminded of an occurrence in my boyhood. I was playing on the ice with one of my mates, and he had a long pole in his hand with which to keep himself afloat in case he were to fall through one of the air-holes in the ice. He carried the pole very bravely until he fell through one of these air-holes, then he dropped the pole and clutched the ice. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.4
So here are these simple truths, just as simple as the word of God can make them, and we read them. We believe them - why, of course we believe them; we could not be Seventh-day Adventists if we did not believe them, for it is according to our profession of faith to believe the Bible - until we get to the place where we apply them, and then they go. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.5
It is the Spirit and the breathing of the Almighty that gives understanding; and that Spirit of Christ is the spirit of meekness and humility, of receptivity or teachableness. “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Jesus was not a prodigy; he was an example and pattern. Therefore the wisdom that was manifested in the child Jesus at twelve years of age is simply the wisdom that should be in every child at that age, and the wisdom that might be, would be, in every child at that age, if that child was subject to the inspiration of the Almighty. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.6
When Jesus came before the people, they were astonished at his doctrine, and they said, How does this man know? Mark you, they did not say, He does not know anything; no; their question was, How did he learn? We never had him in our school; he has no diploma; then how is it possible for a man to have wisdom greater than we, when he did not go through the set form and ways? Yet in every question asked of him he knew what to say or what not to say; he knew when a question ought not to be answered. It takes a good deal of wisdom to know that. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.7
Take this text: “We speak of wisdom among them that are perfect; yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught: but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.” We preach “as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.... For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.8
Let us consider this matter. “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” That is, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is not a Christian. That is a simple proposition; the Spirit of God marks one as a child of God, a son of God, as one with the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Spirit is given to us for a definite purpose, as we read here. What for? - “That we might know.” We just cut the scripture right off there for a moment. It is given to us that we may know. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.9
How much can a person know who does not know the Lord? It may seem to some as though it is drawing the thing too fine if it is stated that a person knows nothing, if he does not know God; or that a person can not know anything, if he has not received the Spirit of God. But let us see. “We have received, not the spirit of the world [that is a different spirit from the Spirit of God], but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.10
The Spirit is given to us in order that we may “know the things that are freely given to us of God.” Since God does not do things in vain, it follows that without the Spirit we can not know the things that are given to us of God? - “He giveth to all, life, breath, and all things. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” In him were all things created in heaven and on earth - things that you can see, and things that you can not see. “All things were made by him,” and for him; and he is before all things, and in him all things exist.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.11
“Now we have received ... the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” Or, to put it short, we have received the Spirit which is of God, that we may know all things. Since God does not do things in vain, without that gift of the Spirit we can not know the things that God has given to us - and he has given to us all things; therefore without the Spirit of God we can not know anything. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.12
Everybody does not see that. You think that is just a sort of logical quibble, a turn, a play upon words. It is not. It is just the recognition of a simple fact. If we recognized that simple fact, and held to it, every one of us would be at the entrance of the school that would teach us all things. The examination is simply this: It consists of only one question, Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ? That is the examination question that admits one into the university course, the course in which one may learn all things. When he knows the Lord, and knows the Spirit of God, then he has the key of knowledge. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.13
[A. T. Jones: I recently read in “The Desire of Ages” that the key of knowledge is faith working by love.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.14
But faith working by love - what does it do? What is its first effect? - It purifies the heart. This brings us to the same thing again. The one question, the answer to which admits any person and every person into the university course, is, Do you know and believe the Lord Jesus Christ? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.15
[A. T. Jones: In Christ nothing avails but faith, which works by love.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.16
Yes: nothing is of any avail but faith, which works by love, which is the key of knowledge. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.17
[Voice in congregation: Is not receiving the Spirit the examination, instead of knowing the Lord?] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.18
What is the difference? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.19
[Voice: Well, knowing the Lord reaches clear on - knowing all that we will ever know.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.20
I do not know what is the difference between the two things - receiving the Spirit, or knowing the Lord. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.21
[Voice: Well, the Spirit comes and teaches us to know the Lord.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.22
Yes; but then you know the Lord. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.23
[Voice: A little.] GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.24
Yes: but you know the Lord. Never mind “little” or “much;” you know the Lord. Why, you can ask a little child, Do you know the Lord? - “Well, yes, a little.” Of course it is only a little child, and he can not know so much as he will know by and by, after a few hundred thousand years; but this one thing it knows, - it knows the Lord. The child knows its father. It says, “I know him so easy.” But that is not to say that the child knows all that the father knows. There is a difference there. The child may know its father without knowing all that the father knows. That is a matter of time. Of course we shall never know all that our Father in heaven knows; but we will never know anything that he knows if we do not know him. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.25
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” And they said, “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” And he said, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house forever: but the Son abideth forever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Notice the difference in the two statements. In the first place it says: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” The truth is the Son; the Son is the truth. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Then how much does anybody know who does not know the truth? [Congregation: He does not know anything.] Do you say, Oh, he has got to have a good lot of knowledge? Do you not see the very fact of our difficulty? We have been educated wrong; and we have to get rid of some of the things that we think we know in order that we may begin to know. What is truth? - Christ is truth, and his name is “I Am.” Three different times in the 8th of John we find him applying this title to himself. It appears only once in our version, but it occurs three times: “Before Abraham was, I am.” Also, in another place he says, “If ye believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins.” That is what it is, literally. Again, “When ye shall have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am.” It is through the cross of Christ that we know God. His name is “I Am” - that is, the one who is. He is the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is to come. It is being, being, being, all the time. He is before all things, and all things are in him, and he is the beginning of everything that is. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything. Therefore there is nothing outside of him. Is not that clear and simple enough? In the Sanskrit, to which we trace our English language, the word for “truth” is simply a word signifying “that which is.” Truth is something which is. Where can a thing be which is not? Can there be any such thing? The mere statement that it is not, states the whole case. It is not there - there is nothing there. “It is not.” Rachel mourned for her children, and was not comforted, “because they were not.” She did not have any children. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.26
Then you see that you can not have anything unless you have something that is. And there is nothing except in Christ. Is not that clear enough? Then what is not in the Lord Jesus Christ is nothing. Oh, you say, you are so narrow. It is too bad that Jesus Christ is so narrow, and that knowing the Lord is such a limited knowledge! We want to know something more than that. [A. T. Jones: So did Eve.] Yes; Eve did, and we are reaping the results. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.27
There is no occasion for boasting, or for depreciating other men. The Spirit of the Lord works in a good many men besides us. The Spirit of the Lord strives with men, to enlighten every man that comes into the world, just to the extent that that man is willing to receive it, even though he is not professing to know the Lord; for there are people who do not profess to be Christians who are much nearer Christ than a great many who make such profession. But the Lord tells us of a class of people who are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,” - always learning, but never learning anything. There is no profit in that. The man who is always learning will seem to have stored up a vast mass of something; but he never comes to the knowledge of the truth, and without the truth, a man can not know anything. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.28
Brethren, the trouble with us is that we are preaching and teaching, and professing to believe that we have all of eternity before us; but when we come to the matter of education, we act as though eternity was nothing, - as though that were all to be left out. What would you think of a person who should plan and expect to live for years, and then make all his plans for only a day? Knowledge to be knowledge indeed, must lay hold of something that is. Jesus Christ is, and he is going to be to all eternity to come, - he always is, he always will be; and whatever really is - we are now using the word in its simplest significance - whatever is, always will be. Therefore, what a person really knows, - and he can not know anything unless he knows the truth, - that thing shall endure forever, and that knowledge will carry that man along with it to eternity, so that he will live forever. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.29
“What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” You know that there are a great many people who are amassing property. And then the question is, How much did he leave? Well, he didn’t take anything with him - he had to leave it all. How much has he got? [Voice: Nothing.] What is the use of it, then? He might just as well have spent his time in doing nothing. He might just as well never have been. What is the use, then, of gathering together that which he can not hold? And more than all, what is the use of gathering together that which is not worth holding? GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.30
Take the men that the world call great, the great conquerors, who gathered kingdoms to themselves. Take Alexander, who conquered the world. How much of it has he? - Nothing. How much of it, then, did he really have? - He never had it at all. He did not have anything. Take Jesus Christ, who had not where to lay his head; how much of it has he? - He has the whole of it, because the one who holds the thing is the one who has it. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 71.31
Here is a person who has not much education, and here is one that has a great deal, as the world goes. But let this poor, despised man, called an ignoramus, who knows the Lord Jesus Christ, come to the day of judgment; and let this man who has all the polish and culture of all the schools, come to the same place, not knowing the Lord, - who knows the most? That ignorant man may not have so great a range of things to show; but he knows the Lord; and he has the key of knowledge, and all eternity in which to study. I think he has the best education. What is the thing which we ought to study, then? - The Lord himself, the word of the Lord; and it is no narrow education; “for in him are all things.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.1
Now, this is just the same question that we were studying last night, - the question of receiving the Spirit, and having the Spirit of prophecy, the spirit of discernment; for, as we read, “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual discerneth all things.” When we come to the Lord Jesus Christ for wisdom, confessing that we do not know anything, and receive from him alone, it will not be a narrow course, but a real grasp of real things. Let it be in natural science, or any other branch, he will have that mind which perceives, so that when he goes to study the thing, he will see more in it in a short time than he who does not have the mind of the Spirit of God ever can see in it. So that man who is called ignorant, who knows the Lord, may even in this life know more than that other man who has a great mass of facts, and does not know the Lord. For it is the spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty that give him understanding. When Jesus stood there in that upper chamber with the disciples, what did he do? - He breathed on them, and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” That is what God did with Adam in the beginning. The Lord God made man of the dust of the earth, and breathed upon him, - breathed into him. There was the inspiration of the Almighty. Then what did man become? - A living soul. The breath of the Lord made Adam a very good man. What was he good for before the Lord breathed on him? - He was not good for anything as a man. He was utterly useless as a man - simply a clod. He was just as good as any stone; just as good as any lump of earth; but useless as a man, worthless, good for nothing. Then God breathed into him, and he became a very good man. Oh, what a blessed thing it would be if we could always live, by consciously receiving the breath of the Almighty! And we may. Why? - Because that very same breath which was breathed into Adam is breathed into the soul of every man. We live by breathing the same breath that was given to Adam. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.2
Oh, how marvelously near the Lord is. When I come here so close to Brother Corliss, and talk with him, he feels my breath upon his cheek, don’t you? [Elder Corliss: Yes, sir.] When I get so near that I can whisper in his ear, and he feels my breath on his cheek, that is very close communion, is it not? How near the Lord is, then, to every one of us! How near? - So near that we can feel his breath fanning our cheeks every moment. And the inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding. My friend,s if we recognize that, - if we take the truth of which that stands as a representative, - then we will have the key to all knowledge; and that is inspiration. God would have his word breathed into every soul; then they would know the word of God, not that somebody tells them that it is the word of God, but because they hear it from him, and talk with him, and receive it from him; for he has given the Spirit to breathe into us his life, that we may know, and that will lead us in the right way. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.3
Now there is such a thing, such a possibility, as the Spirit of God taking possession of man, and using that man, and thinking through that man; for the scripture says, - and you often quote it, - “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” When a man forsakes his way and his thoughts, what is left? [Voice: He is empty.] There is nothing there. He has no way, and no thoughts. There is nothing left. What next? - “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” When the Lord says, Forsake your way, and forsake your thoughts, what does he expect? He will put his ways into us. Now, when the Lord Jesus Christ thinks in you and me, that thought will be worth something, will it not? That will be a thought worth preserving; for the thoughts of the Lord are - how long? - To all generations. They continue forever. The thought of the Lord endures. “All scripture is given by inspiration from God” - by the breathing in of God. Now it is not enough that it was breathed into David, and Moses, and Isaiah, and Paul, and John; it was breathed into them, and being breathed into them, it was their life; but what good is it to me that John, and Paul, and Moses, and Isaiah had life, if I do not have life? Therefore the same word which was breathed into them may be, and should be, by the same Spirit, breathed into us, and then we have knowledge; “for the Lord God giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.4
Just one text more - that blessed statement concerning Christ in the 11th chapter of Isaiah! “There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots; and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord: and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord,” literally, “shall make him breathe the fear of the Lord”; or, as the French version gives it, “shall make him inspire the fear of the Lord.” What is the fear of the Lord? - “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.5
We have read something about short courses. It does not take very long to know the Lord. Then, when one knows the Lord, and brings everything right to the standard of that knowledge, - knows nothing except the Lord, - a very short course will suffice for him to begin to get hold of that knowledge, and he has all eternity before him in which to keep on learning. Nobody gets very much in school. The education of a man is received out in the world, at work. None of us learned very much in school compared with what we have learned since we have left school. Therefore, in school we ought to get the right start, and get in the right way, and keep in the right way. That is the way of the Lord; yea, it is the Lord himself, who is the way. Then we have got the way, which is the way everlasting. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.6
There is no one who has not much to learn, and every one must come under the training of Jesus Christ; he calls all to become his students. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.7
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Elder J. N. Loughborough, who has been connected with this work ever since its origin, has written of his experience and connection therewith. His book is entitled “Rise and Progress of Seventh-day Adventists.” The prices have been recently reduced to $1.00 for the plain cloth binding, and $1.25 for the cloth gilt. There is also a German edition, bound in plain cloth only, at $1.00. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.8
It is the only thing of the kind published by the denomination, and is well calculated to inspire confidence in the message for these last days. Address your State tract society, or the Pacific Press Publishing Company, Oakland, Cal. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.9
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Those interested in what Elder Waggoner has been teaching concerning the spirit of prophecy will welcome a new tract along this line written by Elder Loughborough. Its title is “Spiritual Gifts.” Its main object is to show from the Scriptures that the spirit of prophecy will be prominently connected with the remnant church. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.10
This tract deals with principles only, and does not refer to the specific work of Seventh-day Adventists. It is therefore the very best publication we have with which to introduce to the world this important gift. It contains 40 pages, price $2.50 per 100. Order of your State tract society, or the Pacific Press Publishing Company, Oakland, Cal. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.11
Arrangements have been made by which you can obtain the tracts published in Bible Students’, Words of Truth, Religious Liberty, and Apples of Gold Libraries at reduced rates. Ask your tract society or the publishers for an order-sheet and circular giving the new prices. Pacific Press Publishing Co., Oakland, California; Review and Herald, Battle Creek, Michigan. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.12
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THIS is a complete compendium of parliamentary law and practice, and just the book you need. It is highly recommended by State governors, senators, editors, city mayors, and by presiding officers almost everywhere. The great feature of this little book (size 4 x 7 1/4 in.) is the folding diagram, or chart (7 x 13 in.), which shows the relation of any motion to every other motion, and answers at a glance over five hundred questions in parliamentary practice. Bound in muslin; pocket size. Contains 34 pages. Price, 50 cents, post-paid. Order of your State tract society, or the publishers, Review and Herald Pub. Co., Battle Creek, Mich.; Chicago, Ill.; Atlanta, Ga.; Toronto, Ontario. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.13
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Of our new book, “The Abiding Spirit,” just issued, may be gained from the following table of contents:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.14
Chapter I, The Sword of the Spirit; II, The Breath of Life; III, The Signal of Light; IV, The Spirit of Wisdom; V, The Spirit of Burning; VI, With Other Tongues; VII, The Unity of the Spirit; VIII, The Message of Liberty; IX, The Likeness of the Heavenly; X, The Spirit of Peace; XI, The Spiritual Birthright; XII, Points of Light. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.15
Bound in cloth, 316 pages. Plain edition, 40 cents; presentation edition, 75 cents. Sent, post-paid, on receipt of price. Address your State tract society, or the publishers, Review and Herald Pub. Co., Battle Creek, Mich. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.16
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AFTER a careful perusal of “A School without Books,” by Martha Watrous Stearns, Dr. J. H. Kellogg, superintendent of Battle Creek Sanitarium (Mich.), says: “It is one of the most delightful and charming books I have read. The writer is evidently an artist in the broadest sense, and wields a very facile pen. This book will be found a treasure in any home. It ought to have a very large sale.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.17
Also, the following statement from the noted educator, Col. Francis W. Parker, principal Chicago Normal School, will be of interest: “I have examined the book carefully. Mrs. Stearns has some excellent ideas in regard to manual training and the teaching of children. It is very suggestive indeed, and I am sure will be very useful for teachers in their manual-training work.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.18
Again, the opinion given by Prof. Wilbur S. Jackman, Department of Natural Science, Chicago Normal School, is well worth reading: “It is suggestive and useful to teachers who wish to bring their pupils face to face with interesting things in nature.” GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.19
These are but a few of the many testimonials received in behalf of this book. It contains 194 pages, 8 x 9 inches in size, 26 full-page half-tone engravings, and 16 pattern drawings. With each book there is also furnished, free of charge, 20 full-page pattern diagrams. These diagrams are separate from the book, and, when sold separate, cost 40 cents. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.20
Price of “A School without Books,” $1.50, post-paid. Address your State tract society, or the publishers, Review and Herald Pub. Co., Battle Creek, Mich. Descriptive circular. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.21
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Whether in talking or in writing, is a sure index to your literary attainments. The much-to-be-desired habit of using correct English can be formed in two ways, and in two ways only: (1) By constant association with those who use the language correctly; (2) by a diligent and careful study of the writings of standard authors. As but few have the privilege of forming this habit in the way first mentioned, the next best thing is to obtain and carefully study the best grammar text-books. We know of no better guides to the use of correct English than the five books contained in “Bell’s Language Series.” These meet the needs of both young and old. The scope of the series is fairly indicated by the titles of the books, which are as follows:- GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.22
BOOK ONE, - “Primary Language Lessons from Life, Nature, and Revelation.” 272 pages; cloth, 65 cents. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.23
BOOK TWO, - “Elementary Grammar.” 281 pages; cloth, 65 cents. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.24
BOOK THREE, - “Complete Grammar.” 224 pages; cloth, 80 cents. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.25
BOOK FOUR, - “Rhetoric and Higher English.” 375 pages; cloth, $1.25. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.26
BOOK FIVE, - “Studies in English and American Literature.” 599 pages; cloth, $1.75. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.27
If you wish to know more in regard to these books, send for our little 8-page booklet, “Bell’s Language Series.” It is free. Address the publishers, Review and Herald Pub. Co., Battle Creek, Mich. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.28
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In stamps we will send to any address, a copy of our recent Premium Number of the INSTRUCTOR. It contains 40 pages besides the cover, and is full of splendid offers, which will be open to every INSTRUCTOR subscriber or agent during 1899. Besides offering over six hundred of the best books published, there are also offered, as premiums, over a score of useful and attractive articles, household or otherwise. By mentioning this offer to your friend or neighbor, you will be doing both him and the publishers a kindness. Address YOUTH’S INSTRUCTOR, Premium Department, Battle Creek, Mich. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.29
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That you should procure a copy of our latest book, “The Abiding Spirit,” by Mrs. S. M. I. Henry. Why? - Because it is just the book you need to help you in your every-day life. It is a small book, and is so full of good things, that many will read it through at one sitting. There are doubtless many things in regard to the Holy Spirit and its mission which this book can teach you. Send for a copy to your State tract society, or to the Review and Herald Pub. Co., Battle Creek, Mich. Prices, in cloth bindings, 40 and 75 cents, post-paid. 73 The Daily Bulletin Of the General Conference “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14. GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.30