White, J. E.; White, Emma
“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
April 10, 1899
Previously unpublished.
Dear Children, Edson and Emma White:
I have many things to say to you, and I now feel free to say, Come to Australia. I dare not cast reflections upon others, but I feel free to say, I need your help. I cannot feel it is your duty now to be thus far away from me. I have need of the help which you can give me. Your tact in bookmaking would be of great value to me. Let me tell you, I wish to have some one to whom I can read the writings I have for books, and [who can] rearrange with the view of publishing them. W. C. White is having large responsibilities because he is in connection with me. I consult him, and when I can get his time he works hard, and the articles written passing under his inspection come out well-guarded. But you can be a great help to me, and from certain things presented to me I know your health is in danger. Therefore I now feel that you should have a change. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 1
A voyage for you and Emma on the Vancouver steamer would be a blessing to you both healthwise. Old Sister Sisley bore the trip splendidly, and she can scarcely ride in a carriage without seasick feelings. She bore the journey well and was not seasick. You can come now and help us. We will erect a house for you and Emma to live in on our land. I have quite a large amount of land for my stock, and excellent building places. You can take exercise out of doors. I have horses and carriages. We have to have these things here, for the station is at Dora Creek, two miles and a half away, and it is about six miles to Morrisset. We would be pleased to have you come when oranges are ripe. They are but just beginning to be picked. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 2
How pleased would we be to see you at this important conference! We think you had better settle up your business so as not to traverse the waters again. If you desire to be on the water, we intend to have a boat to use for transporting goods to different points. Dora Creek is a beautiful, smooth river. We may change its name. We ride in the row boat six miles, then enter the lake which is generally very smooth and pleasant. I wish your boat was off your hands, Cannot you dispose of it? Do this if you can. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 3
Will you please to ascertain what became of my adjustable chairs left at Petoskey? They have been just the things we wanted so much. Considerable furniture was left in that house we occupied, but we have received only eleven dollars for the goods. See if anyone can tell you in reference to these things. If you can get those chairs traced out and they are a wreck, let them go; but if of any value, bring them with you. I wish I could have that chair and lounge that I think so much of in Battle Creek, but it is no use. The cost will be too much. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 4
Please get me a bottle of oil of wintergreen, amounting to four shillings. You may bring me a bottle of witch hazel or the witch hazel bark and slippery elm bark. These things we cannot get here. Witch hazel we can get here, but it is imported. Put these things where you will not be required to pay duties on them, as things for your own use. The duties are no longer to be paid in the trading in the colonies. A confederacy has been doing away with duties. But the duties on foreign goods are to be paid now in Sydney. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 5
If Emma and you come to us, we will try to do all in our power to make you happy. My dear children, I have no urging to do. If you ask the Lord in regard to the matter, then do as you know is your duty. We must take life’s controversies and troubles to His feet, for Christ loves us. His every word and look invite our confidence. We want Jesus and want Him to come into our home and abide with us. He will shape and mold our characters according to His own will, and every day we will be found asking, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” [Acts 9:6.] We must not have undue anxiety, but learn the lessons of faith and trust. Let us commit the spiritual health of the soul to Him who hath loved us and given His own precious life that He might make it possible for us to learn of Him who is meek and lowly of heart. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 6
While lifting the cross He says to us, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” [Mark 8:34.] He alone can make us capable of responding when He says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” [Matthew 11:29.] This means that self must be denied every day. Christ can give the noble resolve, the will to suffer, to do, and to fight the battles of the Lord with persevering energy. The weakest, aided by divine grace, may have strength to be more than overcomers. Oh, we need an abiding Christ! We must have more than a fitful service. Learning of Jesus we will copy His character, His meekness, His lowliness. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 7
When we find ourselves in trouble, we are apt to censure someone. Now, it is not right to do this. We need to hide our individual self in God. My children, we need to have confidence in God. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory,”—from character to character—“even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” [2 Corinthians 3:18.] The Lord Jesus does not expect impossibilities of you or of me. Beholding Jesus we are changed into His likeness. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 8
“Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” [1 Corinthians 13:4-7.] Christ has, through His inspired apostle, presented the measure of a character that is imbued with the love of Christ. We are to have His marks, we are to have the likeness of Christ. This sample is given us as the specifications of the possibilities and heights we may reach in and through Jesus Christ. The standard Christ presents and dictates to all for whom He has died, perfection in Him and through His merits, we may attain. We come short because we are content with looking at earthly things rather than the heavenly things. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 9
It is by beholding Christ that we are changed from glory to glory. The eye viewing common things needs to be elevated higher and still higher. “For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity”—love. [Verses 12, 13.] No one has yet the measure of our heavenly Father’s nature, or of the character of the Son of God as it is. We must have a knowledge of God by living experience. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 10
If we follow on to know the Lord, we shall know “his going forth is prepared as the morning.” [Hosea 6:3.] We are to appreciate the talents of words, faith, hope, charity. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ... And of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace.” [John 1:12-14, 16.] 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 11
Will you, my children, receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit daily? What others may do, what others may say, what others may think of you, will not change the thoughts of God toward you. “He that doeth righteousness is righteous,” and the opinion of man will not change his character. [1 John 3:7.] You have, my dear children, a heaven before you to win, and Christ gave His own life that you might obtain the heavenly peace and rest and love of Jesus. Only keep looking unto Jesus, who loves you, who is the One you are to love, the One you are to talk about, the One who is the Author and Finisher of your faith. Edson, Jesus loves you. Emma, Jesus loves you, and the Lord Jesus takes no man’s measurement of character for you. You are to behold Jesus and reflect His image in your words, keep His love in your thoughts. Invite the heavenly Guest to abide with you. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 12
“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the (experimental) knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” [2 Peter 1:2-4.] 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 13
Now the Word is plain. We have no excuse to remain in weakness, in spiritual poverty. Every possible provision has been amply supplied, and now it rests wholly with the souls for whom Christ has died whether they will believe the words of God. The Lord Jesus calls you to be filled with all the fullness of God; then you will represent the words of Jesus Christ. “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” [John 4:14.] Jesus Christ wants us to be co-laborers with Him. He will give us to impart. When we are emptied of self, the olive branches “which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves” will empty it into the cleansed vessels for them to impart to others who are in need of light and comfort and hope and love. [Zechariah 4:12.] 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 14
My children, my words seem very tame, but try to take them in. Let your spirit be cleansed from all earthliness, all unholy, uncharitable thought. Let your words be clean, sanctified, reviving and refreshing to all with whom you associate. Be not “easily provoked.” [1 Corinthians 13:5.] Let the praise of God be in your heart and upon your lips. Then no evil thing can be said of you in truth. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 15
Mother.
You may have some goods you wish to bring. You can find out all about the cost of the family goods. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 16
If Emma could take along that chair and sofa as household goods and any such things of mine, I would be glad to have them come. 14LtMs, Lt 238, 1899, par. 17