p. 320 | Untitled article by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, November 5, 1867

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. XXX, No. 21

WHAT SHALL WE DO?

By James White

The present state of the cause demands labor. The harvest is ripe for an ingathering of souls. All things seem ready for an effectual blow to be struck. This good work, as far as our feeble labors are concerned, commenced with the present year in Northern Michigan, increased with each meeting held with different churches during the spring and summer, and was manifested on a larger scale in the two great gatherings in the West.

A still deeper work has been done at the very heart of the work, at Battle Creek. We held fifteen meetings with this church, at the last of which, one hundred and twenty-five engaged in the ordinances of washing the saint’s feet and the communion. All the church had confessed their backsliding from God, and sinners had been converted, and were present to enjoy this season of solemnity and refreshing. All seemed humble and peaceful. We could hardly see what more could be done for this people. At least we could not see that we had any further labor for them at present.

We have regarded Oswego Co., N. Y., as the darkest portion of all Seventh-day Advent christendom, and yet our meeting at Roosevelt, in that county, has just closed gloriously. This meeting held only three days. Could it have held a week a very much greater work might have been done. In the short time of three days, the very bottom of long-standing errors and wrongs was reached, confessions were made, sins were forgiven on earth, and we trust in Heaven, the brethren seemed resurrected to new life, backsliders were reclaimed, sinners were converted, and eight were baptized. Many more who attended the meeting from different parts of the State will go forward soon.

But the labors of Mrs. W. and self are too great in these meetings. This kind of work is the very hardest in all the gospel field, and in all of these meetings, though other preachers may be present, the burden of labor is upon us.

As a sample of our labors I would state that we reached Roosevelt in the evening of sixth-day. On the Sabbath I preached twice and spent several hours in social meeting. First-day and evening we held three long meetings; preached in the forenoon one hour and a half, and appealed to the congregation many times during the afternoon and evening. Second-day we were in meeting nine hours, often exhorting the people. This morning at six (third-day), I spoke on baptism, took breakfast, packed up and rode twenty miles, to Syracuse, and am now near Albany writing as the cars are moving at full speed. To-morrow we reach Topsham, Me. Next day to reach the place of meeting, and the very next enter upon the labors of the Norridgewock meeting. This labor is too much for us. But what shall be done to relieve us?

1. We must have seasons of rest, therefore cannot have many meetings on this tour, but must soon return to our home and find rest.

2. If brethren want our services they must seek to lighten our burdens, and not pour all their trials into our ears.

When we have labored long in meeting, or have spoken from one to two hours, we need rest, and no one has a right to deprive us of it. But there are those who will take this very time, when the mind and strength have been taxed to the utmost, to claim special favors in the way of advice in regard to some of their personal matters. Perhaps, in consequence of a lack of consecration on their part, they are entangled in trials with their brethren, and in order to set the matter fully before us claim our undivided attention half an hour, to enter into all the particulars of a painful narrative in which a lack of religion and sanctified common sense is most apparent.

Sometimes these persons will not be put off, unless we positively refuse to hear them, and then they will leave reluctantly, with apparent grief. We pity those persons and would help them if we could, and had no other duty.

Rest is a duty as much as labor, and we must be judges when to labor and when to rest. Some seem to think it a matter of course that they must pour their trials into our ears, and regard it our duty to hear them whether we can help them or not. They must talk, and we must hear, irrespective of circumstances. Whether we are weary or rested, whether they can be helped or not, whether we wish to hear or not, we must hear. That these persons may find some relief for the time being in burdening us with their troubles, we doubt not; but we doubt the justice of taxing our worn spirits in order that they may find temporary relief.

Again, when we have passed through the arduous labors of a meeting we need repose, and the most favorable conveyance to next place of meeting. We have often felt grieved at the lack of interest and care of strong men and women who have enjoyed our labors till we were weary and faint. They would then let us go, but seemed to act as though we were not mortal, and it was none of their business whether our passage to the next place would be a means of rest, or of still greater fatigue.

JAMES WHITE.