The Cause by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 27, 1864

The Cause.

By James White

REVIEW No. 15 has come, and although its outward appearance is very bad owing to the necessity of using a very inferior quality of paper, yet the reading matter is good, full of life, and exceedingly cheering to those who really love the cause. Probably we hail it with greater delight being from the Office, and knowing nothing of its subject matter, till the printed sheet was before us. We congratulate the readers of the Review in their happy weekly reception of the precious sheet.

No. 15 shows a living interest in the cause, and an encouraging increase of subscribers. Seventy in one week! Cheering indeed! This all shows that the cause is onward.

The brethren with God's help are doing a good work in Maine. Bro. Sanborn reports progress in Minnesota, and God has greatly blest the labors of our youthful fellow-soldiers, brethren Van Horn and Canright, who have labored with the Michigan Tent. Near one hundred souls have embraced the present truth under their labors the past summer. May God make these Davids strong in him.

The friends of the cause have much to encourage them. Preachers who leave all to battle for the truth, should be strong in hope and faith. And those who labor for God with their hands to obtain means to carry on this work, will be very happy on receiving the good news of progress which each week's Review brings them. So, brethren, let us rejoice in the Lord. Again I say, rejoice! God lives and reigns in the cause of truth. Men of professed piety may oppose it, hate it, sneer at it, and labor to crush it and its humble advocates; yet all who receive the love of the truth, and seek to honor the truth in their lives, will be recognized by the God of truth as his special treasure.

Now, brethren, is our time to do good. Our rest and rejoicing will come in due time, if we spend all these moments as we should. These times are perilous; but God looks right on, and sees all our dangers and wants, and will take care of those who trust in him, in the performance of their duty.

These times call for action. Ministers should consecrate all to God and his cause. Worldly considerations cannot hold the man whom God has called, and laid upon his soul the burden of the work.

And those who are called of God to sustain the cause with their means, and seek to do their duty, will act well their part. There are as truly called of God to act their part, as ministers are called of God to act theirs. They should work as hard as the minister, and vice versa. They should be as ready to suffer privation as the minister, and vice versa. In the final settlement "every man," not minister only, will be rewarded according to his works. Those who tarry by "the stuff," will share in the spoil equally with those who go out to battle. If in the way of duty they work for God at home, they will share the approving smiles of the Lord here, and finally receive a reward equal to those who go forth as ministers of Jesus.

Brethren and sisters, it is a mistaken idea that ministers only can work for God, and that they alone

will by and by receive nearly all the reward of well doing. You all have a work to do.

1. Good example is most powerful preaching. The popular religion of the day is of an unequal compound of example and precept of about five to one hundred. Discerning skeptics see this, and are disgusted. Good example on your part will appeal to such with a secret, yet tremendous power.

2. Many of you are possessed of good reasoning powers, and affable manners, which qualify you for family preaching from house to house. While some are coarse, blunt, uncultivated, harsh, irritable, contentious, and destitute of real piety and good manners, most of you, with a little effort in the way of practice, would make eminently good fire-side preachers. You should always carry with you a good selection of our smaller works, so that what you cannot talk, you can leave with your friends to read. Then get them to subscribe for the Review and Instructor if possible. God and his cause call for thousands of just such workers. Why stand ye here all the day idle? Brethren and sisters, the day is far spent. Why not at once enter the vineyard?

3. You hold in your hands the means necessary to sustain the cause in its several departments. True, many of you pay the small sums required by our system of benevolence, as it is called, while others do not come up even to this. Some of you are getting rich, yet you do not change your old figures of benevolence. As the currency depreciates, your real estate and finances rises hundreds and thousands, and for labor and produce you obtain double or more; yet you cheat the Lord by paying into the treasury your depreciated paper money, worth forty cents on a dollar, to meet figures set down in the church s. b. book, before the war, when a dollar bill was worth one dollar. Many of these brethren are becoming wealthy. And they are in perplexity about their money. They are at a loss to know where to invest it. Perhaps they build houses, for which they have no use, barns, or stores, at present extreme prices for labor and material, simply because they do not know what to do with their money.

We would exhort all such to first bring their s. b. figures where they should be, and then, second, to take stock liberally in the charitable objects, and various enterprises to advance the cause.

The Eastern Mission is of great importance. It has succeeded far beyond our expectations. Already four preachers, whom we hope will in due time prove to be efficient laborers, have joined the Sabbath ranks, and church after church is being raised up in quick succession. Brethren Cornell and Loughborough are toiling to the utmost, and God is with them. The openings to labor, and calls for help, are very many more than they can fill. Those men, as well as all others who work faithfully and efficiently in the cause, should be well sustained.

One year since we made an appeal in behalf of the Eastern Mission. And to encourage liberal donations we gave one hundred dollars for the mission. We expected this would be followed by the friends of the cause in proportion to their ability. But we have been surprised and somewhat disheartened to find that only about two thousand dollars have been raised, so that among the hundreds of brethren and sisters who are able to do manifold more than we are able to do, we have been left to do about one-twentieth of the entire sum. And it may be well to state that we were not in the least benefited by this fund. We paid from our own purse the entire expense of our family to and from Maine last fall and winter, their board, and the heavy expenses in consequence of the sickness and death of our eldest son, so far from home. These are the circumstances, dear friends under which we cheerfully paid the sum of one hundred dollars into the treasury for the Eastern Mission. And we have been disappointed, surprised, disheartened and ashamed to see our example followed by men who can do five dollars to our one, by donations for the Missionary Fund of two, five, and in a few instances ten or twenty dollars! Many of our wealthy churches, contented to a man with the small sums of systematic benevolence, if they have done anything for this fund, have taken from their s. b. funds the small sums of two, twenty or fifty dollars for the whole church.

Knowing that the missionary fund was nearly or quite exhausted, we again called the attention of the friends of the cause to the necessity of liberality in that direction, and led off with the small sum of $25. This, with the official statement of the Gen. Conf. Committee has turned a few dribblets into the treasury. It is extremely embarrassing to make these statements concerning our people, of whose benevolence, God-fearing, and well-doing, we have spoken in praise. But it seemed necessary under existing circumstances to bring out the facts before the face of the people plainly, that they may see their stingy offerings, and stinted liberalities, which are, at the coming of the Master, to meet their reward. We hope these remarks will do good. And the best proof that they have accomplished good, will be to see in the Review receipts from persons and churches, of fives, tens, twenty-fives, fifties and hundreds, for the Missionary Treasury. Suppose the treasury should be full, and overflow? What harm in that? It is in the care of three men of ability, piety and strict economy. The Gen. Conf. Committee, the choice of the entire body of Sabbath-keepers, have the control of these funds. The Devil knows better than to raise the cry of speculation, now as order is established among us; but he would have a jubilee to see the treasury drained, and our missionaries come home destitute and discouraged.

We wish here to state, that our intense anxiety for the prompt accomplishment of enterprises, such as the Association fund, and the relief of ministers in providing them homes, has induced us to lead off with donations far beyond our real ability. If it be inquired, How have you been able to do this? we answer, By loading our trunks, when out on preaching tours, with Bibles and books of various kinds, and becoming a traveling merchant, in connection with the duties of a minister, and the vast amount of office business, and in pursuing the same energetic course when at home. It has been double, and sometimes triple labor, that has brought into our hands means by which we could set examples, to be so slowly and stintingly followed. The sequel thus far is, you are laying up treasures on earth, while we have been growing worn and old, two years in one. And we wish here to state, at the age of forty-three, we design to content ourselves with doing one man's work. If the friends of the cause, think our services of sufficient value to give us a support, in so doing, we shall, from choice, give up all separate interests in business, and do what we can for the interest of the Association, and the cause generally. We are happy to state that our circumstances are very comfortable and respectable, for which we can thank God, and our own energetic business tact. We would not appear ungrateful for the many kind favors from dear friends since we have been connected with the cause. But it is our privilege to here state, that for every dollar we have received as a gift, we have given during this time ten dollars.

For the future we design to pay tithes of all we possess, and labor proper hours, seek for the restoring influence of rest for ourselves and over-worked family, and give ample chance for those who have a zeal for the Lord to lead off in the liberal enterprises of the cause. Only this one privilege we claim, of paying ten dollars to each efficient minister who shall be drafted from among us, to help him pay the $300.

God is raising up young men among us to labor for him, and those advanced and worn, should give them room to fight the battles of the Lord.

We like Bro. Gurney's $5 response to "What shall be done?" This brother is a hard laborer, worth about one thousand dollars of our depreciated dollars. We hope $5000 worth of just such responses will come right along. Not from the s. b. funds, but, like Bro. G.'s donation, from individual wallets.

The Association needs ten tons of paper. That amount should be put into the cellar this fall, and will cost at least $5000. If all the professed friends of the cause would donate in proportion to their means, as Bro. G. has done, the sum would be sufficient to obtain twenty tons of paper at present prices. A little more than a year since, we purchased twelve tons at three-fifths of present prices. That is nearly all used, and the Association has not money to purchase another lot.

What shall be done? Shall we raise on publications? Present prices will a little more than meet all other expenses excepting paper. Will the friends supply the Association with paper through this time of high prices by donations? Let ministers and people respond. Something must be done without delay. If prices are raised, the circulation of our papers and books will be decreased, and the responsibility will rest upon those whom God has called to sustain this work. It is for you to say what shall be done. We believe it would please God to have his people cast into the treasury $5000 for this object, and as much more for Missionary labor. And we solemnly believe it would be paid back to them in full measure, in the increase of their lands, their cattle, their business, and good health. "Give," said the Lord, "and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over."

Brethren, we have set before you true objects of benevolence. Money placed here will tell for the cause. There can be no failure. This is a certainty. Yet many will not realize it. You would sooner donate to the soldier's tract fund, where all is untried and uncertain, than to support our missionaries, who labor with a certainty, and report great success weekly. Some of you would sooner donate for a mission to China or Greenland, without the least hope of success, than to help support ministers in our own land who are yearly turning hundreds to the truth. May God pity the inquiring soldier, and may some successful plan be hit upon to furnish our publications for the hospital and military camp. But as yet there has been no other opening only individual effort of those who have friends in the army.

We say, let the Steam Press perpetually groan, and cast forth its increased copies of papers and tracts and books for the people. Give us paper, Christian friends, or the means with which to purchase it, and you shall have publications at present prices by the cart load.

Under present circumstances, it will not be a matter of surprise if but very few persons are willing to receive the Review for half price, which is only forty cents of real money for a year's subscription. Let all with cheerful hearts and ready hands act well their part, and theirs will be the exceeding joy of seeing the cause move forward.

J. W.