Lord’s Poor
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work, thus helping them to help themselves. It would be much better to
employ these persons in your temporal matters than to send them to the
great heart of the work, and let the cause of God be burdened by this
inefficient class of workers. Only men and women of culture and of
physical and mental strength, caretakers, who have been accustomed
to using their own brains rather than the brains of others, are needed
at Battle Creek. Would you think it advisable, my brethren, to crowd
into responsible positions persons who are incompetent to obtain a
livelihood in the common business of life?
There are youth, and men and women, who need to be taught how
to employ their ability just where they are. This is no pleasant duty; but
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every church is responsible for its individual members, and it should
not allow a class who cannot obtain a living where they are in the
country, to move to Battle Creek. Brethren in the country have farms
and can raise their own supplies. It is therefore much less expensive
for the poor to be supported in the country, where provisions are cheap,
than to have them come to Battle Creek, where, instead of helping the
church and our institutions, means must be continually drawn from
the treasury to help them. Those living in the city have to buy nearly
all their provisions, and it costs something to take care of the poor.
Brethren in smaller churches, if God has left a work for you to do
in caring for His poor, in comforting the desponding, in visiting the
sick, in dispensing to the needy, do not be so liberal as to want the
Battle Creek church to have all the blessings of this work. You will be
justified in coveting the blessings God has promised to those who will
care for the poor and sympathize with the suffering.
There must be a charity fund raised to meet the necessities of
the poor who are permitted to come to Battle Creek. Each year the
sanitarium gives thousands of dollars to charity patients, but who
appreciates this great tax upon the institution? None whose names
are on the church book should be left to suffer year after year from
sickness, when a few months at the sanitarium would give them relief
and a valuable experience how to take care of themselves and others
when sick. Every church should feel it a Bible duty devolving upon
them to care for their own worthy poor and sick.
When a worthy child of God needs the benefit of the sanitarium
and can pay but a small amount toward his expenses, let the church
act a noble part and make up the sum. Some may not be able to pay