GOD'S MESSENGERS

 

GEO. I. BUTLER

 

The heavenly angels are intensely interested in those who are fighting the good fight of faith. Our Saviour is watching earnestly the warfare between good and evil agencies. Satan is working constantly to bring in interests that will so absorb men's minds that they will lose eternity out of their reckoning. Those in high places are so deeply taken up with that which concerns common, worldly enterprises that they have no sense of their spiritual needs. For this reason the Lord has directed the establishment of institutions upon a plan entirely different from that followed by the world.  {1MR 223.3}  

  The work of the people of God is to enlighten the world, in accordance with the directions given in the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. Here is presented the plan of work which is to be carried on in every place where the truth takes hold of minds and hearts. In connection with the proclamation of the message is to be done the work of relieving families who are in distress. Those who take their position on the Lord's side are to see in Seventh-day Adventists a warm-hearted, self-denying, self-sacrificing people, who cheerfully and gladly minister to the needy. Especially are those who suffer because they have had moral courage to accept the truth, to be helped. Those who are cast out are to receive attention.  {1MR 224.3} 

 God's purpose in giving the third angel's message to the world is to prepare a people to stand true to Him during the investigative judgment. This is the purpose for which we establish and maintain our publishing houses, our schools, our sanitariums, hygienic restaurants, treatment rooms, and food factories. This is our purpose in carrying forward every line of work in the cause. Ms 154, 1902, p. 

Testimony

I greatly fear, brethren, that there are multitudes of our people who have not half learned the value of the instruction that comes to us from the messenger of God. Brethren, if you fail to make much of the counsels of God's chosen messenger, you will suffer great loss. When I review the life of that dear, precious woman, whom I honor more than any other person, I think what a tremendous responsibility she has carried. I have been in high offices myself. F

or nearly a dozen years I was president of the General Conference; and during that time I knew there was only one thing that would make my administration a safe one, and that was to follow closely what the servant of the Lord had for me. I always corresponded with her in regard to important problems, and she kindly admonished me. Sometimes the counsel came pretty close and set pretty snug; but I am glad I prayed over it a great deal, and trusted God to make matters plain; and I am glad to say that everything finally came out just had said it would. {May 28, 1913 WASe, GCB 163.5}

That dear woman has lived for more than fourscore years, and she, of course, feels the effects of age. I think the Lord is taking off from her some of the heavy burden of responsibility that she has previously carried. She is not so strong as she once was,--how could she expect to be, when she is eighty-five years old,--and yet she is able to look after her writings and to give us good counsel. She is not here with us this year, though she was four years ago, and really risked her life in coming, too. But, O, what a flood of light she has left for us! Those precious volumes,-- what could we do as a denomination without them? And now the question is, Will we, as a people, give proper attention to these counsels? As I advance in years, I find developing in my heart an increasing desire that our people, our leading brethren, carefully study what these Testimonies say, and live up to their teachings. I am watching this point pretty closely, and I want to say a warning word here, because I am one of the old wheel horses of this denomination, or have been, at least,--I want to say that if we do not follow these things very closely, we shall fall into serious difficulties. {May 28, 1913 WASe, GCB 163.6}

In later years, after being called to the presidency of the Southern field, I corresponded with Sister White a great deal concerning my work in that district. Elder Daniells and Sister White had urged me to serve, in spite of my protests. I worked there six years, as hard as I ever worked in my life, and I believe God blessed me, too, during that administration. {May 28, 1913 WASe, GCB 163.7}

Voices: Amen! {May 28, 1913 WASe, GCB 163.8}

Now, in regard to (1)the sanitarium work, I wish to say that some three or four sanitariums were built in the South, in harmony, as we understood, with counsels received through the spirit of prophecy. Sister White and I were in constant correspondence, and I cannot tell you of the interest she manifested in building up those institutions in the Southern field. And I cannot tell you, my friends, how sad I feel when I see that some of them are likely to be dropped out. One of them, I understand, has already been closed. This is not because Sister White counseled thus, for she advised that it be permitted to live, if possible. "Why," said a brother, "it was running in debt!" But I wish I could tell of the hard experiences many of our greatest sanitariums have had to go through. I remember when they started that sanitarium in Battle Creek, the first one, that has done so much good in the past. They hardly even had a doctor when they began, and they had to begin in a private dwelling-house. There came a time when it appeared as if everything was going to smash, entirely demoralized, and they had to gather all the men together and plead with them to lend a hand in helping to relieve a difficult situation. {May 28, 1913 WASe, GCB 163.9}

Then, too, there is the sanitarium at St. Helena, Cal.; I am under the impression that there was a time when they were one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars or more in debt there; and at the same time their water supply was inadequate, and they seemed to be going right on deeper into debt. Would it not have been sadly unfortunate if they had given up that institution then? That institution has been prospered by the hand of God, and it has come up to a high standard of efficiency, and is doing a noble work. The debt has been paid by the earnings. {May 28, 1913 WASe, GCB 163.10}

And so it is, my friends, with our sanitarium over in Colorado. I have made up my mind, though I am not much of a sanitarium man, that the devil does not like our sanitariums very well, and he will throw every influence possible in the way of stopping them. I believe those institutions might be made to prosper if we could get the right kind men to manage them. {May 28, 1913 WASe, GCB 163.11}

Brethren, we are getting to be a great people, and we shall have to watch our(2) schools, our educational work, and our sanitarium work. I am so thankful that our educational work has developed, and that our children can attend our own schools. We must be careful to live close to the Lord, and pray him to guide us in all these matters, and to keep us walking in the light. O, I see dangers coming to us! I see that we are letting down the lines somewhat. I believe we are making a great mistake in our(3) music. I believe we ought to make more use than we do of our standard hymnbook, "Hymns and Tunes." I told you that four years ago, and now I tell it to you again. {May 28, 1913 WASe, GCB 163.12}

We must be guarded on all points; we must keep up the standard; we must not permit ourselves to drift like the world. Every important religious movement in the world has started encouragingly, but by and by wordliness has been allowed to prevail. The Catholic Church went into apostasy, Protestantism today is drifting in the same direction. The greatest danger we as a people have to meet, as we become numerous and prosperous, is wordliness. Let us guard against this. Let us ever cherish the high spiritual standard upheld by the pioneers of this message. May God help us, is my prayer. {May 28, 1913 WASe, GCB 163.13}