Chapter 23—Counsel to One Who for Financial
Reasons Was Planning to Leave the Work of God
[
On November 3, 1892, a publishing house manager wrote to
Mrs. E. G. White to inform her that he had decided to leave the
institution for employment outside the denominational work because
of personal financial embarrassment. He had not managed to live
within his income, had become indebted to the institution to the total
amount of $1,244 during a period of eight years. In the meantime
he had accumulated in like manner a debt at the sanitarium. Both
institutions were kindly requesting him to settle these accounts. He
felt that under the circumstances he would be justified in leaving
denominational work for outside employment paying higher wages,
with the hope of paying his debts and with the prospect of never
returning to labor in the cause of God. The following letter is Mrs.
White’s reply.—Compilers
.]
My brother, in your letter you speak of leaving the Review office.
I am sorry that you can be willing to separate from the work for
the reasons you mention. They reveal that you have a much deeper
experience to gain than you now have. Your faith is very weak. Other
families, much larger than yours, sustain themselves without one word
of complaint, on half the wages you have. We have been over the
ground, and I know what I am talking about. It is evident that whether
you remain in the Review office or separate from it you have lessons to
learn that will be of the highest interest to you. I do not feel at liberty
to urge you to remain; for unless you drink deeper of the Fountain of
living waters, your service will not be acceptable to God.
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I do not know who would occupy the position that would be left
vacant if you should leave, but if the work that the Lord designs and
longs to do is done for the church in Battle Creek, I am sure He will
help them in any crisis. He wants no forced service. Unless His words
find entrance to the soul, and bring the entire man into subjection to
Christ, the human agent will, when tempted and tried, choose to follow
his own inclination rather than the ways of the Lord, I had hoped that
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