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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
anything themselves, but do not let them continue to suffer because of
your selfishness. Send them to the sanitarium, and send your pledges
and your money with them to pay their expenses. In doing this you will
gain a precious blessing. It costs something to run such an institution,
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and it should not be required to treat the sick for nothing. Could
the sum which that institution has expended for charity patients be
refunded, it would go a long way toward relieving it of its present
embarrassments.
Brethren, do not leave the burden of your poor upon the people
and institutions at Battle Creek, but come up nobly to the work and
do your duty. Deny yourselves of some things in your houses or in
your dress, and lay by in some safe place a sum for the needy poor.
Let not your tithes and thank offerings to God be less, but let this be in
addition. God does not propose to rain means from heaven with which
to sustain the poor, but He has placed His goods in the hands of agents.
They are to recognize Christ in the person of His saints. And what
they do for His suffering children they do for Him, for He identifies
His interest with that of suffering humanity.
God calls upon the young to deny themselves of needless orna-
ments and articles of dress, even if they cost but a few dimes, and place
the amount in the charity box. He also calls upon those of mature
age to stop when they are examining a gold watch or chain, or some
expensive article of furniture, and ask themselves the question: Would
it be right to expend so large an amount for that which we could do
without or when a cheaper article would serve our purpose just as well?
By denying yourselves and lifting the cross for Jesus, who for your
sakes became poor, you can do much toward relieving the suffering of
the poor among us; and by thus imitating the example of your Lord
and Master, you will receive His approval and blessing.
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