Our Position and Work by George I. Butler

Review and Herald Publishing Association

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 42, No. 24 Supplement

Our Position and Work.

By George I. Butler

It is always best when an important enterprise is to be performed to have a clear conception of its nature and importance, and what will aid in its accomplishment. Indeed, success cannot reasonably be expected without. For efforts will not be well directed, and there will be a failure to put forth those well adapted to secure the desired end. As a people, we claim to have a great work to do. A closing work of warning which shall bring us to the revelation of our Lord in glory, we are proclaiming. This warning, brought to view in the third message of Rev. 14, contains the most terrible threatening of the Bible. The unmixed wine of God's wrath, wrath with no mercy in it, is to be visited upon every one who rejects it. The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ are the basis of reform to which the minds of every honest person is called. These are the great moral truths of the Old and New Testaments, the very truths taught by the apostolic church. The man of sin, the great apostasy, that mongrel system of heathenism and Christianity, which the devil caused to be developed, palmed itself off for ages upon the world as the true church of our Lord and Saviour. The great Reformation was not complete, and the Protestant sects have been wrangling more or less for near three centuries over various points of doctrine which the apostasy had obscured, until they have about made up their minds to fellowship all, however erroneous their teachings, if they think them only honest. While there were earnest efforts being made by these to reform upon various points of truth, God blessed them in so doing. But God cannot be pleased at this settling down, satisfied with such a mixture of truth and error, and with so little of zeal and sacrifice. Says God, “Woe to those at ease in Zion.” How much worse when that ease is connected with error and apostasy. Where are the men to-day in the popular churches who are earnestly seeking for light and wisdom to get out of this state of things. Are they not generally satisfied where they are, in a state of confusion? Are they not trying to patch up a sort of truce between themselves by calling their differences “non-essentials,” fellowshipping things which they believe are not true, that they may meet the powers of papacy and infidelity with a kind of united front? They call this patched up truce, union and brotherly love. Our grand evangelical alliances are nothing more nor less than a manifestation of this. Our Young Men's Christian Associations are designed to bring about the same end.

The grand result then of the Reformation is now to be consolidated into a union of error and truth. They must acknowledge this from their own stand-point. Each denomination has some point of truth upon which they are strong. But for the sake of union with error, they call this non-essential. The tendency in this direction was never so strong as at the present time. God's pure, unadulterated truth has little to hope for from such a union as this. Truth cometh from God. Error is from Satan. These parties have never yet formed a partnership. They never will. We say the time has come when a grand reform upon all of God's truth is demanded. “The commands of God and Jesus' faith will shield us in the day of wrath.” That day approaches. It is very near. God's translated people shall stand clothed, not with the rags of papacy, but with the pure truths of his word, when Jesus comes. How beautiful the thought!

We most confidently affirm that the third angel's message is a prophecy of this movement. We are prepared to prove it by the clearest logic.

Like any other great movement which has permanently affected the welfare of mankind, this one has been laying its foundations slowly, surely, amidst adversity, opposition, and unpopularity. The fact that it has grown up in the midst of these opposing influences to its present strength and prosperity, so that its enemies look upon it with wonder, demonstrates the fact that there is a vitality about it that promises important results. We see the manifest hand of God in our history. This cause has been brought through many a crisis where human aid seemed wholly insufficient. Thus far we have been organizing various means and enterprises connected with the prosperity of the work. Internal as well as external difficulties have stood in the way of our prosperity. But we thank God that these have of late been vanishing, and light and union are coming in more fully than before. We have come to the time when we must reach out in all directions, and scatter the seeds of truth broadcast over the land. This message is to go to “peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” People will not believe these things. They despise this work. It remains for us to demonstrate the matter to their entire satisfaction. How must we do this? By setting before them a higher type of piety, honesty, earnestness, sacrifice, and true Christian philanthropy, than can be found elsewhere. And further, by causing the seeds of truth to be scattered broadcast over the land. We must act out an intelligent faith. Have we the truth of God for the last days? We think so. Then it must go everywhere. Every honest jewel must be searched out. The hard crust of prejudice must be cracked and the seed of truth be dropped in to germinate and bring forth fruit. Every nook and corner of the land must be entered. Other lands must be visited. Missionaries must be preparing by properly qualifying themselves for the work of the Lord. What are our young men doing here and there among our people? Getting rich? Laying up a competency for a rainy day far ahead? Then they are positively denying their professed faith. They claim to believe that day far ahead will be on the other shore. There is only one way they can lay up treasure there. By doing good with their talents of means and influence. The treasures of this world will be consumed in the fires of the last day, and their owners with them. That which is used for noble purposes is all that is saved.

Our young men by scores and hundreds should be qualifying themselves for usefulness. They are drying up spiritually because they do not go to work. God will never give great strength and blessings to those who will not use them to benefit others. We talk about blessings to consume on our lusts, and what is that but to expect blessings mainly for our own happiness. Where are the young men who are really and intelligently qualifying themselves to carry this message everywhere? The coming winter is a good time to get ready by the study of the present truth and other necessary things to qualify themselves to labor in the vineyard of the Lord. If the work of God had that place in the hearts of the people that it should have, there might be a hundred preparing themselves to go out as well as not. The fields are white. The ears of the people are open. The truth is plain. There is a spirit of inquiry abroad everywhere. Our young men talk of the third angel's message, and the great work it is to do. Why in the name of all that is solemn and sacred then are they not preparing themselves to do something in this work? I mean young men who have ability to do something, and have shown it.

Why cannot young men who can succeed in other things succeed here? They can if they only have genuine faith in God and his truth, and a willingness to sacrifice for it. We are in need of men more than money. We might pile up millions of money, and we should be lame without the men. As the apostle says, we want not yours, but you. We want men consecrated to God, who can suffer and do for him. We are far behind the providence of God. Openings are all around us. Perishing souls cry for light and truth, and our young men are working upon their farms to get rich. God will sooner or later visit for these things. He has already visited many by withdrawing his Spirit from them till they are dark and cold, and know not what is the matter. They need not expect to enjoy God's blessing while going contrary to Christ's example, and selfishly hiding the light which God in mercy has given them from others. God waits long, but he will spue out of his mouth at last those who have not the spirit of love in their hearts to work for others' good. Young men, look around you, and go to work for God.

Our tract and missionary work is one of immense importance. It is now being organized in all our Conferences, and our people are being made acquainted with its aims and workings. The object of our new paper is especially calculated to strengthen this enterprise. We want all our people to be workers in the good cause of truth. The tract society makes this possible. Wherever we extend the circulation of our periodicals the seeds of truth are testing hearts. Prejudice is being removed. Could the Health Reformer and Youth's Instructor enter a hundred thousand homes the coming winter, we have no question but the way would be prepared for a rich harvest of souls. Our trial volume of the Review is a most important movement in the right direction. Just the matter the people need will be found in it. A special effort will be made to place those things before them which will be calculated to reach them where they are. The live issues of the present hour, they need to consider. What the Lord has said concerning the signs of the times, the law of God, the Sabbath, man's nature and destiny, the closing work of probation, and many other things which people must know, will find a place in it.

Our people should everywhere make an effort to circulate and introduce it. Our writers who already have their hands full of cares will make special efforts to make this an interesting volume. We expect to see it excel in interest any past volume in these directions. Our Tract Societies have something to do this fall and winter, and we hope they will improve the time. Not only in the direction I have indicated can they work to advantage, but in circulating our books and tracts. We must scatter these everywhere a person can be found who has any desire to read. In the large list of subjects connected with the present truth, there are certainly some that will interest a variety of individuals.

We are not to make an effort to cram reading down people's throats against their will, but by using a little common sense to find out, without disgusting them and closing their ears, what would be of interest to them, and then furnish it. If our people were not so inclined to be clannish and unsociable at times, they could be able to accomplish much more in this direction. Let us beware of the spirit that virtually says, “I am better than thou.” Let us reach the people where they are. If we have a better religion than our neighbors, we shall have a greater love for them, and make greater effort for their good.

We want the silent messengers judiciously circulated all through the land. We want our hearts to be filled with interest for others. When we converse with our neighbors, we can, if we have the love of the cause of God, give the conversation such a turn as to bring in those truths which will lead their minds in the right direction. If we see that it excites a feeling of disgust, and is not pleasant, we can easily turn it in some other direction. We should refrain from contention and disputation, for these excite combativeness, and the person then is further off than before. The truth will never be received where it is not listened to with willingness. Here is where many of our people greatly err. They think to cram it down the people's will by force. Others never have any interest at all to do anything. They would be ashamed to speak of religion to their friends. They could talk glibly about other things, but that which was of greatest importance, they would not speak of. Why this fear and reserve? I know of no other cause but the fear of man and the fact that we do not really feel that love for our fellow-men that we should, and we prize the truth of God less than we should.

We want to start out in this work with a greater interest than we have had. We want to act as though we believed what we profess to believe. We want to make our religion a reality. Then others will feel its importance, for our course will be a help to them. Let us wake up, brethren, and use the present time in circulating the truth in every way that is reasonable and proper. The battle will soon be over and the victory won. Shall we be on the victor's side? We shall if we are workers in the cause, and fight well the battles of the Lord. The true watchword is, Watch, pray, and work. Let us ever regard it. GEO. I. BUTLER.

Battle Creek, Mich., Nov. 23, 1873.