Lt 22, 1859

October 10, 1859, Roxbury, Vermont¹

Ellen White's original handwritten letter gives no place or date of writing, but an early copy bears the heading “Roxbury, Vt., October 10, 1859.” Moreover, this letter is closely related to the content (and even wording) of Ms 1, 1859, dated September 24, 1859 (see note below), strongly suggesting that both documents were written about the same time.

Letter to
Daniel C. Phillips.²

Identity: Although this letter is simply addressed “Dear Brother P.” in the original, the early copy mentioned above reads “Dear Brother Phillips.” In addition, the close verbal parallels between the counsel given here and that given to “Brother Phillips” in Ms 1, 1859, make it certain that they refer to the same person. See, for example:

Previously unpublished.

Daniel C. Phillips called only to part-time ministry. His need to be more self-sufficient financially.1EGWLM 733.5

Dear Brother P.:

I was shown that you have the gift of exhortation. You can do good, but you let feeling govern you too much. You should lift when the work goes hard.1EGWLM 733.6

I was shown that you are not called to devote your whole time to exhortation, but can fill in here and there. When you are not especially engaged in this work of God you should be economical of your time, and should not seek to be eased while others are burdened and have all that they can do to get along. Your time should be spent to glorify God. It has troubled the minds of many that some are eased while they are burdened.³

In Lt 4, 1864 (Jan. 12), to Phillips, Ellen White is more specific. She recalls the time he assisted in tent meetings, probably those in Illinois during the summer of 1857 (the only tent meetings involving Phillips reported on in the Review). “You were not what God required you to be when you went around with the tent. Your love of ease … led you to shun responsibilities and shirk the burdens upon others. You were ever seeking to have an easy time.” The response of Phillips to this and subsequent visions concerning the direction of his life was not entirely positive. After some effective ministry in the 1850s he became involved in several compromising situations that curtailed his usefulness.

Those who have property have a duty to do to dispose of their means to God's glory, but the burden does not rest alone upon them. Many of them have acquired their property by hard labor. They used their strength lent them of God, to obtain what they have. Responsibilities rest upon them to dispose of their means in a right manner to honor God. And those who have strength of body should use their time and strength to God's glory, and provide for themselves, and do even more than this. They could bless others by advancing the cause of God with the means earned by the sweat of the brow. They should not live upon the bounty of others, but be diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.1EGWLM 734.1