SOME PRINCIPLES WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION BY THE GENERAL CONFERENCE NOW IN SESSION.
1. It is well to remember that truth and light do not come from mere study, any more than righteousness comes by works. The men who think upon and study to devise plans most are as liable and likely to be led astray as the men who studied to devise works for God have been led astray in the past. Light comes by revelation, and revelation through the study of His revealed will, which is light, and the illumination of His Spirit (in harmony always with His will) in answer to earnest, importunate prayer. 2. It does not take a large “pet scheme” to shut from our minds God’s great plans of work, success, and glory. 3. All fields are not the same. All men are not the same. God directly, nor in His providence, ever made two fields the same, nor cast two men in the same mould. Let the great principles be grasped by God’s servants; let Life work them out and develop their forms as adapted to men and their respective fields. 4. It is well to remember that an old principle is the same tho it be put in new form and new dress by new men. If it is wrong, reject it. Sometimes splendidly good men hold wrong principles. 5. It is glorious to see God’s work go speedily, and it should be a great question as to how this may be accomplished; but there is one question which infinitely transcends this, and that is, “What is right?” “Speedy” work may have to be done all over again, but righteous work never. But righteous work must be done in a righteous way. 6. Righteousness never ignores or tramples on the rights of others because it has the power. He who has all power regards the rights of the lowest as truly, as considerately, as He does the rights of the great. 7. God takes men and things as they are. The tendency of modern physicians in the world is to heroic surgery; the law of God is to bind up and heal. 8. Open, frank, full discussion is better than secret, political, shrewd planning. The latter is characteristic of many modern religious conventions; let it have no place among us. 9. Plans and ideas which will not bear proper and full consideration on all sides are unworthy of any consideration. 10. God’s work is one; His body is one; His life is one. In all these there are different manifestations, but in all there is divine unity. The foot can not say of the hand, “I have no need of thee.” And this is true of every part. 11. Division of responsibility and management is good, but there is danger of carrying it too far. There is a natural division of the hand. To go beyond this, to split the middle finger or the thumb, for instance, because it is too large, would weaken the hand and shorten the blood supply. 12. There are great nerve centers of control in the human body. These centers do not control each other, but each, if normal, is responsible and responsive to the seat of all control, the brain. There are centers of influence and control in God’s work; all, if normal, will work in harmony; but all and each is to be controlled by Him. 13. “Fear God and give glory to Him; . . . and worship Him.” 14. “Love as brethren; be pitiful, be courteous.”