In company with Bro. George Amadon, and Bro. Sanford Rogers and his wife, I left Battle Creek, September 27, 1890, to attend meetings at Ceresco, Mich. We were agreeably surprised to see so many assembled as were present. Several had come from Battle Creek, among them Elder Sands Lane, who assisted in conducting the meetings.
The Spirit of God touched my heart as I looked upon this little flock, and I had perfect freedom in presenting before them the many evidences of God's love for man, and the duty of co-operating with God in the work of saving souls for whom Christ died. The people responded to the message, and I thanked God for the privilege of speaking to those who appreciated his truth. We had a precious social meeting, in which all united, giving heart-felt testimonies.
It would be an encouragement to the smaller churches if members of the large church at Battle Creek would oftener visit their less privileged brethren. Those who would engage in this good work of strengthening their brethren, would find their own souls refreshed. If those who desire to move to Battle Creek, would go into some of these neighborhoods where there are small churches, instead of coming to swell the membership of a church already larger than it should be, they would be blessed themselves, and would be a blessing to others. I cannot think that it is in God's order for so many to move from smaller churches to Battle Creek. The weaker churches need help; and in the church at Battle Creek, these who could be a blessing in their forsaken fields, are practically lost to the work; for they do not feel any special burden to labor for others. Their testimony is seldom heard in the house of God. Would it not be well for those who think of moving to Battle Creek, to inquire, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Can I do as much good in Battle Creek as I can in this little church where the brethren need all the help they can get?" Brethren, I hope you will seek counsel of God in regard to coming to Battle Creek. If you are coming in order to lay off your responsibilities, to have an easier time, it is at your peril. Do not follow selfish inclination; for in so doing, you may place yourselves in the way of temptations which you will not be prepared to resist.
If you want to move, why not go to some place where your influence and ability will tell in the advancement of God's work? Why not bring self-denial into your life-experience? Suppose that residence in the country or in a village is not as favorable for obtaining a livelihood, not as conducive to advancement in temporal things; would not God honor your trust in him? and would not self-denial for Christ's sake make your lot a blessed one? The truth must be communicated to those who are in the darkness of error, and these are questions that believers in present truth should carefully weigh before leaving their home fields if there is need of labor there, or before settling down in comfort if another field is destitute.
We all have something to do in the vineyard of the Lord, and no one can sit down in idleness, and be spiritually strong. Christ has given to every man his work, and it is an evidence that you have lost your connection with Christ, if you feel no burden to be a co-laborer with God. Jesus was a worker, and he is the Christian's example. Christ did not fail nor become discouraged, neither will his followers if they have his spirit. The Lord has made you partakers of his grace, he has given you his truth, and now you are to diffuse the light; and as you do this, it will increase. You are to keep in exercise the ability God has given you, that you may convey to the world the blessed treasures of knowledge concerning Christ and his love. He would have you spare no effort, withhold no sacrifice, but do all in your power to give the truth of God to the world. He says, "I have given my life for the world, I have given it for you. I have purchased you for my service, and I give you to the world, as God has given me to the world; you are to be my representative, as I was the representative of the Father."
I am at a loss to understand the attitude of those who claim to have great light, who claim to believe in the soon-coming of Christ, when they have so little interest in his appearing. It was necessary that the Son of the infinite God should come to be the light of the world, to be the fountain of healing mercy to a lost race. Every one engaged in the service of Christ should have the heart filled with mercy and tenderness, that he may be able to reveal Christ to the world. We cannot be justified in withholding from him our highest, noblest service, and giving our ability to self-service. Those to whom God has revealed the treasures of his love and grace, are to be representatives of his mercy; and he has commissioned his angels to be ministers unto them, that they may be co-laborers with himself. When Jesus was about to leave his disciples, he said to them, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." And what is the special work of the Comforter? "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you."
Would it not be well for the members of the churches to devote some time to earnest prayer, and to the study of the words of Christ concerning the Comforter? Christ sent the Comforter upon his disciples when they were earnestly praying for it, and were as one in their desires and petitions. "When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, thousands were converted. Angels of God that excel in strength, clothed with the brightness of heaven, came to the help of the church, and swept back the forces of Satan. The work of the Holy Spirit was not limited to apostolic days; it is not confined to any church, large or small: the field of his ministration is the world. "He will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." But the instrumentalities through which the Holy Spirit works are the members of Christ's body, those who believe in his name. It is through these light-bearers that the gospel is to be carried to all the nations of the earth.
Those who are sanctified through the truth, should with pen and voice testify what is truth, what Christ is to them. There are many branches of the work. Home missionaries and foreign missionaries are needed, and there cannot be too large a number. Everything we do should be done with reference to the salvation of souls, the glory of God.
There should be no extravagance, in building fine homes, in buying costly furniture, in indulging in worldly dress, or in providing luxurious food; but in everything let us think of the souls for whom Christ has died. Let selfishness and pride die. Let none continue to expend means to multiply pictures to be sent to their friends. Let us save every dollar that can be saved, that the matchless charms of Christ may be presented before the souls of the perishing. Satan will suggest many ways in which you may expend money. But it is spent for self-gratification,--for unnecessary things, no matter how trifling their cost,--it is not spent for the glory of God. Let us look well to this matter, and see if we are denying ourselves as we should. Are we making sacrifices, that we may send the light of truth to the lost?
How do we employ our time, fraught with eternal interests? What are we doing through personal efforts to let our light shine? We shall have to face these questions in the judgment. Have we been faithful stewards of the grace of God? Can the Lord say to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant?" How many have been converted through our instrumentality?
To what degree have you taxed your resources to answer the claims of God upon you? There should be but one interest in the church; one desire should control all, and that is the desire to conform to the image of Christ. Each one should strive to do for Jesus all that it is possible for him to do, by personal effort, by gifts, by sacrifices. There should be meat in the house of the Lord, and that means a full treasury, that responses may be made to Macedonian cries coming from every land. How pitiful it is that we are obliged to say to these who cry for help, "We cannot send you men or money. We have an empty treasury." Let all the pennies, dimes, and dollars that are lost to the cause through selfish love of pleasure, through desire to meet the world's standard, through love of ease, be turned into the channel that flows to God's treasury. It is the rills flowing into one that finally make the river. Let us be conscientious Christians, be laborers together with God.
Why is it that there is so little genuine love for Christ in the church?--It is because the love of self has taken the place of love for Him who died on Calvary's cross for the sins of the world. Let us be of one heart, of one mind, and let us draw near to God, that he may draw near to us, and fill us with his intense love for perishing souls. Let every heart beat in unison, in interest for the cause of Christ. New fields of work must be opened, souls are to be added to the faith, new names will appear on the church records,--names that will appear in the immortal records in heaven. O that we might realize what might be done with the money expended for the gratification of self!
Christ declared that the Holy Spirit should not speak of himself, but that "he shall testify of me." The Holy Spirit was to glorify the Redeemer of the world, who came to demonstrate the love of the Father by a life of suffering and humiliation, and by a death of shame. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ by manifesting in the members of the church the self-denial, the self-sacrifice, the devotion of those who truly follow the great Exemplar. They shed a heavenly influence, and reveal in their characters the loveliness of Christ, working in harmony with the Holy Spirit. They can be silent concerning their own finite selves, but can extol the greatness of Christ, wakening an interest in others by the revealing of his marvelous love. They are able to show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvelous light.
O, let the tongue be silent concerning the pictures of self! let there be shame that the money expended in this way has not gone into the treasury to reproduce the likeness of Christ, to set forth his matchless charms. Jesus alone should engage the attention. Those who have attracted attention to self should change this course of action, and turn the minds of men to Him who is deserving of the whole heart's love. They should see the sinfulness of aiding the enemy of God and man by placing objects before the mind to divert the attention from Christ and heaven.
This work of selfishness grieves the Holy Spirit of God. Did not Christ have travail of soul that the redemption of a lost world might be made sure? Then shall not the followers of Christ, those whom he has left as his representatives, be moved with soul anguish, and travail in spirit that souls may be brought to Christ? "We are laborers together with God." Christ worked unceasingly for the souls of men, and why are the members of the church standing all the day idle? Go, work in the Master's vineyard. Repent with tears and humiliation that you have wasted so much time upon unimportant matters when souls were perishing.
As stewards of God's grace, have you not a personal interest in the work of saving your fellow-men? Shall Christ have died in vain for them because he does not have the co-operation of his professed followers? God requires that you shall be filled with the Holy Spirit. The work of Christ is sacred, and the command is, "Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord." He requires perfection of character in his agents. The influence of his church must all tend toward the building up of his cause in the earth.
Each member must co-operate with the Holy Spirit in his office work. Let no one feel that he must engage in a warfare at his own charges. To neglect a single means which God has provided, is to exclude the rays of light that should shine forth to the world, and to rob the souls for whom Christ died, of the light of life. Human effort must be combined with divine power.
Stumbling-blocks are placed before those who are looking for light, because the professed followers of Christ are devoid of the power of the Holy Spirit.
The professed people of God do not study the life of Christ as they should. Satan has filled their minds with interest in things of minor importance, and the eternal realities are set aside. It is this that makes so great a dearth of laborers; this is why the sowers and reapers are so few. The fields already white unto the harvest, call for workers from every walk in life. There is so much, O, so much undone that should be done for the benefit of humanity! The widows, the fatherless, the poor, the helpless, are all around us; and we can expend money in selfish thoughtlessness when so much needs to be done? Christ will give us grace to do the work next to us; he will help us to use our time with wisdom, to give our means to unselfish projects. But he declares, "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." The absence of the heart-felt religion, the love that purifies the soul, places the professed followers of Christ with his enemies.
When Christ gave his final commission to his disciples, he said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." This commission is for us; then let us work in the Spirit of Christ for our fellow-men. In great cities and smaller cities, in highways and by-ways, let us go forth to hold up Jesus as the one able to cleanse from sin. Every member of the church may be a working member, if he can do no more than say, "Come." For the word declares, "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."