Workers in Our Institutions
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standard. There should be, as far as possible, excellent judgment ex-
ercised to keep up, not an aristocracy, but an equality, which is the
law of heaven. “All ye are brethren” (
Matthew 23:8
). A few should
not demand large wages, and such wages should not be presented as
an inducement to secure ability and talents. This is placing things
on a worldly principle. The increase of wages brings with it a corre-
sponding increase of selfishness, pride, display, self-gratification, and
needless extravagance that the people who do their utmost to pay their
tithes and present their offerings to God do not have. Poverty is seen
in all their borders. The Lord loves the one just as much as the other,
with the exception that the self-sacrificing, humble, contrite souls who
love God and strive to serve Him, are ever kept nearer to the great
heart of infinite Love than the man who feels at liberty to have all the
good things of this life.
Not to Copy the World’s Standard
I have had many testimonies in regard to the point that we are not
to copy the world’s standard. We are not to indulge our inclination
to grasp all we can possibly obtain, to spend our means in dress and
luxuries of life as do the worldlings. It makes us not one jot happier to
live to please ourselves. The unnecessary outlay of means is robbing
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the treasury of God; and someone has to supply the deficiency. The
facilities for building up the kingdom of Christ in this world are greatly
limited because men rob God in tithes and offerings.
Let not the idea prevail for a moment that a man’s power to com-
mand high wages is a measure of his value in the sight of God as a
worker. In the eyes of the world a man’s value is estimated by, “How
much is he worth in property?” But heaven’s books register his worth
in proportion to the good he has accomplished with the means he has
had entrusted to him. In the fear and love of God, with his talents
wholly sanctified to advance the glory of God, man can and will show
his true value. Only when the reward is given to every man as his work
shall be estimated in the judgment, can it be known how much he has
sent before him to heaven.
For years my testimony has been borne against the meager sum
paid to some of our ministers. Inquire, search into the books, and
you will find that there has been very close dealing with some of our