BATTLE CREEK VIGILANT MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
By M. L. H.
The usual weekly meeting of this society was held Wednesday evening, March 8, 1882, and opened with prayer by Eld. Butler. Minutes of the last meeting were read, after which the time was mostly occupied by Eld. Haskell. His remarks were a continuation of a course of lectures given to the State T. and M. secretaries, and others at this place, on different features of the missionary work. Could our eyes be opened, and we see the effect which the reading matter already distributed is having, every soul would be anxious to do something in this direction. The fact that God remembers what we do in his cause is abundantly proved, though we may but speak a word of encouragement. Heb. 6 : 10. It should be enough for us to know that God accepts our efforts, even though the results are by us unseen. It matters not if outward circumstances are wholly unfavorable, our efforts feeble, and we ourselves shut off from others, if we possess the right spirit, God will make us useful. But the Lord educates his people before intrusting them with special blessings or positions of usefulness. They must first learn to suffer unjustly for Christ's sake. Men who have been the most useful in God's work were not popular, nor even appreciated, while they lived; but after their death the fruit of their self-sacrificing lives has been seen, and this has made their names immortal. God blesses our efforts in proportion as we have the spirit of sacrifice. To Abraham, who was called to leave his kindred and go out into a land which he knew not, was given an opportunity to return, had he so desired; but he voluntarily laid aside the blessings which he might thus have enjoyed, for the sake of making known the true God. In like manner, those who at the present time are willing to give themselves to the work of God, and to make the necessary sacrifices, are, after having tasted of the self-denial and trials of the way, brought by circumstances where they must make a voluntary choice. They have opportunity to take back the sacrifice if they choose, but those who maintain their consecration are precious in God's sight. It is not that which we can do just as well as not that God regards, but that which costs a sacrifice of feelings, convenience, and worldly interests. Tradition says that long years after the death of Abraham, when the idolatrous inhabitants of the land came to the altars which he had erected, they there worshiped the God of Abraham because of their exalted ideas of his greatness and goodness, which had come down to them from the teaching and example of this faithful servant of God. Immediately after David was called and anointed to be the king of Israel, he commenced to have a difficult time. Previous to this it was not so. God delivered him from the mouth of the lion and the bear, and greatly blessed him; but after he became connected with the royal family of Saul, and that, too, in the providence of God, one trial after another came upon him, until he was obliged to flee for his life,—a stranger into a strange land; yet he suffered uncomplainingly, and entertained feelings of tenderness toward his greatest enemy. Suppose he had yielded to discouragement, failed to manifest a Christian spirit, reasoned from outward circumstances, and distrusted God, would he ever have been king of Israel? Never! But he endured the trial and became a man after God's own heart. Moses passed through a similar experience. When God called him from the land of Midian to go and deliver Israel, he felt that he was not the man at all for the work. Had the command come to him forty years before, it would have found him ready to move forward, confident of success in his own power. In Springfield, Mass., there is an armory in which a large number of men are employed, but no one receives pay for his services until his work is proved and found satisfactory. Every gun before it is accepted is heavily loaded and discharged. So God tests those whom he designs shall fill a prominent position in his work. We should feel ourselves under obligation to those less favored with religious light and privileges than ourselves, although they have done nothing to place us under obligations to them. Paul had this feeling because to him had been given the light of the gospel. Rom. 1:14. The same spirit is brought to view in Phil. 2 : 3–8. Christ, although he was the Son of God, and the recipient of divine honors, thought it desirable to lay these aside, and to take upon himself the form of a servant and become obedient to the death of the cross, in order to save the human race. The strength of missionary operations lies in the possession of this spirit. Eld. Butler briefly indorsed the remarks of Eld. Haskell, and the meeting closed with the unanimous request for another meeting the next evening. M. L. H.