Haskell, Brother and Sister
St. Helena, California
February 10, 1906
Portions of this letter are published in TDG 49; 7MR 403.
Dear Brother and Sister Haskell:
I shall begin this letter, but I may be obliged to leave it before it is finished. I have taken great pleasure today in reading the following verses from the first chapter of Mark: 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 1
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; as it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 2
“John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; and preached, saying, There cometh One mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water; but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 3
“And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and there came a voice from heaven, saying: Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 4
“And immediately the Spirit driveth Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto Him.” [Verses 1-13.] 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 5
May the Lord God of heaven increase our faith. May we receive from the Lord Jesus Christ grace to do the very work that needs to be done. I have full confidence that the Lord God has signified that the time has come for us to do the work that has been pointed out. We must watch and pray and work and wait. We can do this with the abiding assurance that the right will prevail. Truth will bear away the victory. Truth, simple in language and made eloquent by the power of the Holy Spirit, will triumph. Light, precious light from the Word of the living God, will prevail. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 6
“The entrance of Thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” [Psalm 119:130.] Some even among the lofty and the heedless will come to a knowledge of the truth. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 7
Our work is aggressive. It is a religion of progress. God has wonderfully opened up a way for us that is remarkable for its advantages. If we now walk out by faith, within the scope of the promises of God, which go with us to the ends of the earth, we shall see the diffusive and aggressive character of the work. If we take hold of the promises of God, we shall not fail or be discouraged. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 8
We must cherish constantly the abiding assurance that the presence of God will be with those who present the Word in its purity, unmixed with sophistry. I am instructed that we are to preach the Word; that we are to be instant in season and out of season. “For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” [Isaiah 61:11.] 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 9
I know you understand that whoever attempts the work of reform will have decided opposition to meet. This work requires self-renunciation. Those who engage in it must bear the cross after Christ, sowing wherever they go the seeds of Bible truth, and trusting in the One who assures us, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” [Matthew 28:20.] 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 10
Those who are working for Christ must not try to undertake too much; for thus they lose ground. They must rely upon the power of the mighty One. They must, at the very beginning of their work, renounce self, lifting the cross, following where Christ leads the way, walking in His steps, assured that He is with them as they strive to save souls unto eternal life. One soul saved is worth more than a whole world unsaved. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 11
We must not ask whether we are appreciated or unappreciated. With this we have naught to do. Look at the way in which Christ worked. Whoever attempts any work of reform, whoever tries to lead the sinner to a life of self-denial and holiness, will need every hour the assurance given by Christ after His resurrection, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” [Verse 20.] 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 12
Take the Word. Live the Word. Preach the Word, as you have done in the past. The Lord Jesus has given you the promise of His presence. Take it; appreciate it. It is not for you or me to measure the appreciation shown for the self-denial and self-sacrifice made. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 13
The work of reform will call for all the faith and tears and prayers that human intelligence can bear. Our commission is, Lift the cross, and bear it after Jesus, striving ever for the same spirit that led Jesus to yearn for His anticipated baptism of suffering upon the cross. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 14
When in the garden of Gethsemane, the cup of suffering was placed in the Saviour’s hand, the thought came to Him, “Should He drink it, or should He leave the world to perish in sin.” His suffering was too great for human comprehension. As the agony of soul came upon Him, “His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” [Luke 22:44.] The mysterious cup trembled in his Hand. In this awful crisis, when everything was at stake, the mighty angel who stands in God’s presence came to the side of Christ, not to take the cup from His hand, but to strengthen Him to drink it, with the assurance of the Father’s love. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 15
Christ drank of the cup, and this is the reason that sinners can come to God and find pardon and grace. But those who share in Christ’s glory must share also in His suffering. Shall we accept the many experiences that hurt our human nature? Shall we take up the cross, and intelligently understand what it means to follow Christ, practicing self-denial at every step? As we lift the cross and bear it after Christ, the cross lifts us at every step that we advance. We are brought into companionship with Christ in His suffering. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 16
We have great conflicts before us in the work of reform; nevertheless we need not fear; for God will be with us. I know and understand what we must pass through. In many instances, supposed friends will be displeased because of the faithfulness of others in reproving wrongs, which unless separated from the life, would prove the loss of the soul. The enemy watches his chance to sow his seed of false interpretation. Those who assured you that they were your friends will be enraged if you bear a message that reproves their wrongdoing. Motives will be misapprehended, and by Satan’s wiles there will be aroused a sympathy for those in the wrong. Christ has sent His warning that they may repent and obtain a fitness to be received as members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. All this will be revealed when, at the last great day, sentence is pronounced. Let us be true, doing faithfully every work that God has given, whatever may be the consequence, because some souls will be saved. 21LtMs, Lt 66, 1906, par. 17