Balancing Cautions
Our Threefold Ministry—God works by means of instruments,
or second causes. He uses the gospel ministry, medical missionary
work, and the publications containing present truth to impress hearts.
All are made effectual by means of faith. As the truth is heard or
read, the Holy Spirit sends it home to those who hear and read with
an earnest desire to know what is right. The gospel ministry, medical
missionary work, and our publications are God’s agencies. One is not
to supersede the other.—
Letter 54, 1903
.
Attach the Word “Medical”—The work of the gospel ministry is
not to decrease in efficiency, but is to increase until it becomes the great
enlightening agency in our world. Everything possible should be done
to send more laborers into the field. No influence should be exerted
to turn young men aside from qualifying themselves for ministerial
missionary work. To this we may attach the word “medical”; for it is
essential that the gospel minister shall have a knowledge of disease
and its causes. He should know how to give help to the sick. He should
be able to teach the people how to treat the house we live in. This is a
part of the gospel.—
Letter 123, 1900
.
Our Work as Distinctive as Muller’s—God does not now lay
upon His people the same work which was laid upon Muller. [
George
Muller, Bristol, England.
] Muller did a noble work. But God has given
His people a work to do after a different plan. To them He has given a
message for the whole world. They are to enter territory after territory,
and make aggressive warfare against soul-destroying sins.—
Letter 33,
1900
.
[548]
A Balanced Work—for Rich and Poor—Of late [1899], a great
interest has been aroused for the poor and outcast classes; a great work
has been entered upon for the uplifting of the fallen and degraded. This
in itself is a good work. We should ever have the spirit of Christ, and
we are to do the same class of work that He did for suffering humanity.
The Lord has a work to be done for the outcasts. There is no question
but that it is the duty of some to labor among them, and try to save the
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