OUR study for to-night is the same subject that we have had in the two previous studies—self-government; because that subject embraces fully one half of all the third angel’s message and its work. To-night it will be particularly a study of the financial situation of the denomination, and the relationship of the ministry to it.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 8.1

There is one thing that not one of us should ever forget, and that is that we are always in school. And when this is borne in mind, it will be easy to remember what does with it,—that everything that comes before us in the work of God is worthy of our study; and that we are to put ourselves to school to God, in that situation, to see what lesson he has for us to learn. For as certainly as we ever find ourselves in a situation that is not right, that ought not to be, there is room for a study of how we got there. We got there by some wrong management, some way, somewhere. But we should not remain there. We should get out as soon as possible. But the only safe way, the only true way, to get out is to find out how we got in, and then refuse to follow those evil principles any longer.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 8.2

The foundation of all our study in this school is found in the principle and the philosophy of the forgiveness of sins and the life of righteousness. If you want to know the true principle of financial success, study to find out the true principle of the success of the human soul in escaping from sin and keeping clear of it. And if you want to know the basis and the philosophy of recovery from disease, and the life of health, find out for yourself the philosophy of the forgiveness of sin, and the life of righteousness. The gospel of the salvation of the soul—escaping from sin, and abiding in the life of righteousness—that is the basis of all true philosophy in whatever connection.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 8.3

Last night I asked you not to think that I was saying extravagant, unbelievable things. And I ask you that same thing to-night. I am telling you the truth. If it seems new and strange, please do not think that I am indulging in mere extravagance or falsehood.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 8.4

You have no doubt heard that the denomination has had some financial difficulties; that the denomination is somewhat in debt. This being true, it is the truth that every one of us who will deliberately put himself to school in this financial condition in which we are, and will make the financial situation of the Seventh-day Adventists a problem for study, will learn the philosophy of financial success. It will be found to be simply a part of the way of our getting round to the fulfillment of that promise which I read last night: “Thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail.” And I want you to put yourself to school now for an hour, the time we shall study here, and let us find some of the lessons that are for us in this financial situation.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 8.5

And first of all, please do not count it a cause of groaning and complaining; do not think of it as an awful thing and a great burden, and inquire, “How shall we ever get out from under this awful burden?” Just put that all away, and thanks God that his love and kindness are over all yet; and that we can get out of it just as easily as we can do right?ARSH August 5, 1902, page 8.6

Some mistakes have been made in getting into this, that is true; but we are to profit by these. One that we can easily notice, and that is plain on the face of it, is that it is neither religion nor business for a missionary association to borrow money to give away; and I mean particularly a missionary association or corporation.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 8.7

An individual can, if he wants to, borrow money, and give it away; because when the money is to be paid back, he will expect to draw on his energies and his exertions to make the money, so as to have it ready to pay back when due to the person from whom he borrowed it. If an association or corporation be one that has means of making money, and so of controlling an income, and that association or corporation wants to borrow money to give away, and then make extra exertions of its machinery, or whatever its facilities may be, to increase its income, so that when that money must be paid back, they will have made enough money extra to pay it back, that can be done.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 8.8

But for an association or corporation that is missionary only, that has no way of making money,—for that kind of association or corporation to borrow money to give away,—how is it going to pay back what it borrowed?—Borrow more money, of course, to pay that back. But how is it going to pay back what it borrowed to pay back?—Borrow more money, of course, to pay back what it borrowed to pay back what it borrowed to give away. How long at that rate, could a Christian denomination proceed before it would come to the place of the fulfillment of the promise that ye shall lend to many nations, and shall not borrow?—Eternally.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 8.9

Then don’t you see that it is not sound financial management for an association that has no way of making money, to borrow money to give away. That association may get money to give away; that is all right; but it cannot borrow money to give away. It can receive money that is given, and give it away, all right.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 8.10

Now that thing has been done among Seventh-day Adventists. Money has been borrowed to do missionary work with, borrowed by the denomination to give away.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.1

The money has been well spent; that part of it is all right. The money is in missionary work, and is doing only good. But now you see that in order to pay that back, we must make the money, and pay it back. Then don’t you see that one of the first things, yes, the first thing, that stands before Seventh-day Adventists, the whole denomination, is that we simply will not get into debt any more.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.2

Now there is an arrangement that will have to be made, but that can be made without going into debt. We cannot take the position just yet that we will not borrow money. That cannot be done; for we are in a vise, and we have got to stay there until we get out. The denomination has the money of a great many people. Some persons have loaned money for a certain length of time, and now they need their money. They may be in a hardship by which they actually need and must have their money.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.3

Now it is not going into debt, you see, to borrow that same sum from some one who does not need it, in order to pay this person who does need it. That is not going into debt. That is simply holding our own, by changing the obligation from the one who needs his money, and must have it, to one who does not need his money, and is willing that the denomination shall use it until we gather to ourselves resources by which to settle the obligation without borrowing to do it. So I say, Under the circumstances, we are not at the place yet where we can say that we will not borrow; for in order to meet the needs, actual needs, of some people who have money in the denomination, they must have it, and sometimes they must have it on short order, because they are actually in distress. The association has not time to devise means to get the money as an income; and so it may borrow an equal sum to pay this sum that is needed by the person to whom it belongs. And to borrow the same sum, at the same or even a less rate of interest, is not increasing the debt. Thus, though the time has not yet come when we can say that we will not borrow, the time has come for us all to say decidedly and forever that we will not go into debt, and that we will not allow an increase of the debt that we are already in.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.4

That is the first thing. And that is an important thing; for I have found in my experience occasions in which it seemed to be an actual struggle with some Seventh-day Adventist organizations not to go into debt. It seemed necessary fairly to rally them, almost to take them by their shoulders and whirl them around as by a mighty lever, to get them to stand where they would actually refuse to go into debt.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.5

Now, if you are going to put yourself on that platform, that as conference committees, associations, etc., you will not go into debt, then you will find yourself tested. Have you the courage to refuse to go into debt when you have a good chance to go into debt? You should begin just now to gather to yourselves that kind of courage individually, because it is just as much a school for the individual, and just as much the concern of the individual man or woman, as it is of the conference committee, or the printing house, or the college; because it is no credit to a Seventh-day Adventist individual to be in debt, and to conduct things in such a way that he does not get out of debt.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.6

Another thing that goes along with that determined refusal to go into debt, is the courage to get along with inconveniences, if need be,—the courage to do without a great many things that it might be pleasant to have. And you will have to decide whether you will have the Christianity and the courage to do without a great many things that it would be pleasant to have, rather than to go into debt. You will have to make your choice, and it is Christianity to make your choice, not only to do without things that would be nice, but actually to do without things that it would be proper to have, and even things that are needed, rather than to go into debt. You must have the Christianity and the courage to pinch down to the lowest notch, hold steadily there, and do with the least that can possibly be gotten along with, and stick to that, rather than incur a debt. That is the way that you and I must do as individuals, to get out of debt; and that is the only way that we can do as committees and boards, to get out of debt.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.7

When that is done, when that experience is gained, and our lesson learned, the other thing that goes with the refusal to go into debt is that we shall maintain Christian sense enough to use money carefully when we get it. If we will discipline ourselves as individuals and as committees and boards, to do with the least possible, to do with inconveniences, to do with hardships even, in self-denial of what would be right and proper, and perhaps of what is needed, then when we do get money, we shall have learned enough not to be extravagant just because we have money. And unless Seventh-day Adventist committees, boards, etc., do learn that lesson while paying the debt,—if we do not learn the discipline that will spend money most wisely and most economically when we have abundance, then there will be no special benefit in getting out of debt.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.8

The whole story of economy, of finance and financial success, lies in just these two things—refusal to make debts, and true economy, frugality, in the use of money. And I have said to Seventh-day Adventists in other places, and I will say it now to you: If the Seventh-day Adventists of this land would to-night unitedly—institutions, individuals, and all—put themselves right there, where they would not make a cent’s further debt, and would economically, wisely, frugally, handle the money that would come in, I would just as cheerfully take the whole burden of indebtedness of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination as I would take my breakfast.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.9

It is perfectly easy not to go into debt when you have no chance. It is easy to quit then. But when you have the best chance in the world to go into debt, when all the prospects are promising, and the step seems to be “perfectly safe,” then is the time when you can prove whether you are really going to quit going into debt or not. Because, you know, brethren, that the great majority of times when persons go into debt, and the way they go into debt, is when there is some wonderfully prosperous-looking project; when by actual figures it can be made plain that it is all “perfectly safe.” But by actual experience it does not turn out profitably, and the person finds himself in debt.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.10

And you and I, as Seventh-day Adventists, will meet occasions when that same thing will appear, when it will appear to be a perfectly proper thing to incur an indebtedness; because, “Just see what is coming! just see what is in prospect for us!” But what are you going to do?—that is the question. Are you going to set yourself firmly upon the principle of self-government and self-support,—self-government first of all, that you can govern yourself enough to keep yourself from going into debt; then also wed yourself to the principle of self-support, that you will depend upon your divine resources in God to make prosperity for the cause of God, rather than to depend upon speculation? Whether you will depend upon sound principles rather than upon a bright, alluring prospect,—that is the thing that you must settle.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.11

And when we have it settled that we will not go into debt, then there will be met the temptation to use for other purposes than the payment of debts, the money that is saved, made, or received. And we must have the Christianity—the self-government—to resist that temptation. And I have seen those who did not have it. I have seen those who acted, “Now we have money. We can have this thing, and that thing, and the other thing,” which were not really needed at all. But no matter: it was, “Can’t get along without it!” And yet they always had got along without it, and could have got along well without it. But no, they had the money, and thought that a good use to put it to. The only good use that a man or an association can put money to—except only actual running necessities—when debts are to be paid, and obligations to be met, is to pay those debts and meet those obligations.ARSH August 5, 1902, page 9.12

(To be concluded.)

July 22, 1902

August 12, 1902