A Startling and Thought-Provoking Object Lesson

In mid-March, while on the trip to Ohio, it seems that Ellen White sent to Uriah Smith a solemn message for the church, to be published in the Review. The two-column article, which made reference to several visions, appeared in the issue of April 15 under the title “A Warning.” In it Ellen White reviewed the experience of a family of some means who had moved from New England to Illinois about the year 1855, there to engage largely in farming. There were three, the father, mother, and a grown daughter. Her article opens:1BIO 375.3

Brother Smith: As I consider the responsibilities and dangers of the people of God, I am led to fear for many, and I wish to set before them the following, which I consider a most solemn warning.1BIO 375.4

As it became evident a few years since that the burden of the third message would be in the West, a brother, who had much of this world's goods, resolved to move west with his family, and thus introduce the work in the West.1BIO 375.5

He went with one intention, his wife with another. His intention was to proclaim the truth, but her intention was to have all their means laid out in house and lands, that the means not only be secured, and kept from the cause of God, but that her husband's time be also employed in building, planting, sowing, et cetera.1BIO 376.1

He was convinced of his duty to dispose of a portion of his means to advance the cause of God, but it was a great sacrifice for him to make, for he loved this world, and he was easily persuaded by his wife and daughter to gratify their desire and love of their earthly treasure and retain it. He disobeyed the call of God to gratify his wife and daughter, and was too willing to excuse or cover up his love of the world under a show of duty to his family.—Ibid., April 15, 18581BIO 376.2

While this family was professing to be looking for the coming of Jesus and to be a part of His peculiar people, Ellen White was shown that they were investing in large land holdings, showing that this world was their home and their treasure was here on earth. And the wife was holding the husband back from doing what he knew to be his duty. Wrote Ellen White:1BIO 376.3

I was shown the wife of our brother, that she was engrossed in the spirit of this world, and loved and worshiped it; that she must unfasten her grasp, that she was a stumbling block in her husband's way, she was holding him back, and was unwilling that he should sell and give alms, also unwilling that he should go out to talk the truth to others. I saw that unless she got out of her husband's way, cut loose from the world, and distributed to the necessity of God's cause, the Lord would visit the family with judgment, and move her out of the way.—Ibid.1BIO 376.4

The message of warning was not heeded; while she was in the midst of making improvements to stay in this world, disease and affliction came, and her life record was closed. Soon after this James and Ellen White visited the place of their residence and found the husband struggling for freedom of soul. Ellen White was there given a vision, and light began to shine in upon the benighted father, but still the victory was not won:1BIO 376.5

As our brother would come up to the point to give up the world, and get it out of his heart; as he would lay his farm upon the altar, and say he would sell a part, or all of it, then the daughter would act the same part the mother had done, to pull him back, and she would plead for their treasure here.—Ibid.1BIO 377.1

There could be no mistaking that God was in earnest with those rich in this world's goods, who claimed to have surrendered their lives to Him and yet tenaciously clung to their earthly treasures:1BIO 377.2

Before I left that place I was shown in vision that God had taken the mother away, ... and unless the father and daughter submitted to God, unless they cut loose from the world and had their affections weaned from it, God would step over the threshold again in judgment. I was astonished at what was shown me in vision.1BIO 377.3

I saw that this brother loved this world more than he ever thought he did, and that it was a snare to him—it deceived him. I saw that he was so close and snug in deal, it really carried him beyond the bounds of strict truth and honesty. Said the angel, “The deceitfulness of riches causes many, many of its possessors to stumble over their riches to perdition, while only a few with the unrighteous mammon will make friends, and finally be received into everlasting habitations.”—Ibid.1BIO 377.4

In the vision she was shown the selfish character of the daughter. If her father, whether he lived or died, should leave her a few thousand dollars, “it would be enough to ruin her, and displease God.” All this, with anguished soul, she related to the father.1BIO 377.5

Again a vision was given to Ellen White aimed at saving the man. Of this she wrote:1BIO 377.6

Last summer [1857] I was again shown this brother's case, that he was not moving fast enough, that he was not using his means to advance the cause of God as fast as he should. The next news I heard was that he was dead, and had left his large property to his daughter. Nothing was bestowed upon the cause of God.—Ibid.1BIO 377.7

He was 51 years of age. In a subsequent vision, Ellen White was shown Satan's strategy:1BIO 378.1

I saw that Satan had it just as he wanted it at his death, that nothing be left to the cause of God.... I saw that it was the design of Satan to keep all the means from the ranks of the truth that he could, and to use it as a stumbling block for souls. He is willing that those who profess the truth, and are snug, selfish, and covetous should have means in their possession, for they idolize it. They nourish it, and it will prove their ruin; for they lay up treasure on earth, and lose their treasure in heaven.—Ibid.1BIO 378.2

As Ellen White brought the account of this startling object lesson to a close, she gave the reason for hastening it into print:1BIO 378.3

As I have seen that the reward of covetousness thus far upon this family should be a warning to the church, I cannot withhold from the people of God what has been shown me respecting them.—Ibid.1BIO 378.4