The Biblical Institute.
By George Ide Butler
This is designed to be an important gathering. We hope it will be made a great blessing to the cause. It comes in to help supply our greatest lack. We want laborers more than anything else. We trust this will help to supply them. The fields are white for the harvest. We must have men to gather it. Calls for labor come from all directions. We want men to fill them. How reasonable, then, that special instruction should be given to those who can be useful? To meet this want the Biblical Institute is planned. We expect a large attendance of our young men who are anxious to work for the Lord. Some who are older can also attend profitably. An effort will be made to furnish just that instruction which is needed to qualify persons to labor in this cause. Those of experience in the work will do their best to instruct those who are younger. This movement, although in one sense an experiment, is so clearly demanded by the wants of the cause, and is so reasonable in the nature of things, and intended to supply a lack so apparent among us, and to be conducted by those of such experience, that we have every reason to believe in its success. We hope it may result in giving many active laborers to the cause, and thus be an important step toward the accomplishment of this work. It is important that we secure the greatest possible good from this movement. Efforts should be made to secure the attendance of all who ought to be present. The presidents of our State Conferences, if they know of persons who ought to attend, and who are liable to be kept away, should correspond with such, and take all reasonable means to secure their presence. There may be some who should receive pecuniary assistance to enable them to be present. Such, however, should be special cases, and those in which the duty to be present is clear. This is a matter of sufficient importance to warrant careful and judicious efforts by those in leading positions. The addition of one efficient laborer to the cause is of great importance. When there are those in any locality who should be assisted in coming, that burden properly belongs to their own friends or Conferences, rather than upon those at head-quarters. Let the friends in each locality look after such cases, since their section is the one to be benefited specially by their future labor. We desire and expect a large attendance at the Biblical Institute. It must be made an occasion of great importance in regard to spiritual and mental improvement. The Health Institute has more patients than common at this season of the year. There will be many scholars remaining over from this to the winter term of school, and many will be coming in to attend that term, who will want to be here at the Biblical Institute. This church want to do all they can to help make this movement a success. They are willing to open their houses, and bear all proper burdens; but they cannot do impossibilities. We therefore advise all who come to bring bedding ticks &c., as far as possible, sufficient for their own accommodation. Those who are ready to consecrate themselves to the work of the Lord, and are eager to receive the instruction necessary to fit them for this great work, will not complain if they receive only plain and substantial fare, which we know is always best for those engaged in hard study. If there are others who wish for luxuries, there are excellent hotels in Battle Creek, where they can be obtained at reasonable prices. Neither could we advise those coming to bring their wives and friends with them, unless they themselves are preparing to be laborers also; for, however proper it might be on ordinary occasions, the crowd present at this time would make it improper. If there are those who think they need assistance to come and have not the means to attend. They should apply to the officers of their own State Conference rather than to the Review Office, seeing they are best situated to understand all the circumstances, and are specially charged with responsibilities in those sections. We believe these considerations will appear reasonable to all candid persons. We truly hope they will not deter any from attending, who should come. We want to see large fruits of this effort, and to see many laborers going forth, prepared to present this great truth to others. We trust it may be an epoch in the cause, of no small magnitude. Come, friends, prepared to enter into the work of mental and moral improvement with ardor, and thus be ready to labor for God. Geo. I. Butler.
Battle Creek, Mich., Nov. 27, 1874.