The Auditing Committee has not always tried with most humble prayer for guidance, to act in every case toward the servants of Jesus Christ as they would to the person of Christ, or as they themselves would wish to be treated. But, said Christ, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” It is a very serious matter that men, by the word of their own 14mouth, and some in a hardened sang-froid manner, have decided what means shall go to the workers in the field. I will give you a chapter in my experience. We have found it necessary to build a home, and have hired carpenters, painters and others to do the several portions of the work. The master workman has two dollars per day, working eight hours only. As soon as the eight hours are over, the tools are laid aside, and work ceases. These men do not receive according to the amount of work done, but according to the hours worked. If a man is not an apt, quick, workman, but loiters over his work, that is the loss of the one who pays him. Another may be a much quicker workman, showing that he has intellect and can use it; his aptitude and correct judgment may be a treasure to him and a satisfaction to his employer, but he may receive only the same wages. After the week’s work is done, and payment is made, the amount of work done has nothing to do with the sum received. A slow un-profitable man never thinks it his duty to make up for his want of sharp thought, but receives his pay as his right. These men have not the burden of dealing with human minds. Senseless timber and building materials are all they are dealing with. They can hammer just as hard and loud and energetically as they please, and it hurts not the soulless material.
(PH166 13.4)
But God’s shepherds who are to watch as well as labor for souls, as they that must give an account, cannot work in this way. The chosen missionary must go forth under all circumstances, moving his family from place to place, 15and from country to country. This moving is expensive. In order to exert a good influence, the wife of a missionary must set a proper example in neat and tidy dress. Her children must be educated and trained with much painstaking effort, for everything must be made to tell in missionary lines. The laborer who represents Christ must dress plainly and yet properly, as becoming a minister of Christ. The ministers of our Conferences can not say they have a home; for they are sometimes in this country and sometimes in that. The people for whom they labor are poor, but Christ came to preach the gospel to the poor. This is the work the Lord’s shepherds are to do. Money is consumed in traveling from place to place, in settling and unsettling every few months, in buying household goods and selling them again or venturing transportation. The entire family have no release from their efforts; for they must always appear cheerful and fresh, that they may bring sunshine into the minds of those who need help.
(PH166 14.1)
The question has been asked me: “Are you employed by the General Conference?” I am. “How many hours do you give?” Hours? God’s servants keep no record of hours. We think not of counting our labor by hours. We must be ready in season and out of season to speak to this young man and that young woman, to write letters to those in peril, and to hold interviews requiring the most earnest, anxious labor, praying for, and with the erring and the tempted.
(PH166 15.1)
Those who write, as well as talk the truth, have double labor. The eight hour system 16finds no place in the program of the minister of God. He must watch his chance to minister; he must be ready to entertain visitors. He must keep up life and energy of character; for he cannot exert a pleasing, saving influence if he is languid. If he occupies responsible positions, he must be prepared to attend board and council meetings, spending hours of wearisome brain and nerve taxing labor, while others are asleep, in devising and planning with his co-laborers. Who among God’s workers counts his hours of labor as do mechanics? Yet this kind of labor taxes the mind, and draws upon every fiber of the being in such a way as the common laborer cannot appreciate. “When do you find opportunity to throw off care and responsibility?” I am asked; and I answer, “At no period of time can I lay down the burden.”
(PH166 15.2)
I wish my brethren to take this as a representation of the truth, and no fiction. Those who have a due appreciation of service, are God’s minute men. He cannot say I am my own; I will do what I please with my time. No one who has given his life to God to work as his minister, lives unto himself.
(PH166 16.1)
Will my brethren consider these things which the Lord has brought before my mind, in a most impressive manner? Will those who have never carried the burden of such work, and who suppose the chosen and faithful ministers of God have an easy time, bear in mind that the sentinels of God are on duty constantly? Their labor is not measured by hours.
(PH166 16.2)
Rights to be Respected
When their accounts are audited, if selfish men shall, with voice or stroke of pen, limit 17the worker in his wages, they discourage and depress him. Every minister must have a salvage to work upon, that he may have something with which to lead out in good enterprises, pushing the work with zeal. He tells us, “thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn.” This is a figure of those who work under the eye of God to advance his cause in lifting the minds of men from the contemplation of earthly things to heaven. These God loves, and he would have men respect their rights.
(PH166 16.3)
Duty Clear
If the presidents and other laborers in our Conferences impress upon the minds of the people the character of the crime of robbing God, and if they have a true spirit of devotion and a burden of the work, God will make their labors a blessing to the people, and fruit will be seen as the result of their efforts.
(PH166 17.1)
Terrible Failure
Ministers have failed greatly in their duty to so labor with the churches. There is an important work to be done aside from preaching. Had this work been done as God designed it should be, there would have been many more laborers in the field than now are. And had the ministers done their duty in educating every member whether rich or poor, to give as God has prospered him, there would be a full treasury from which to pay the honest debts to the workers; and this would greatly advance missionary work in all their borders. God has shown us that many souls are in danger of eternal ruin, through selfishness and worldliness;
(PH166 17.2)
and the watchmen are guilty, for they have neglected their duty. This is a state of things Satan exults to see.
(PH166 17.2)
The light which the Lord has given me on this subject, is that the means in the treasury for the support of the ministers in the different fields is not to be used for any other purpose. If an honest tithe were paid, and the money coming into the treasury was carefully guarded, the ministers would receive a just wage.
(PH166 18.1)
Situation Not Appreciated
The auditing committee has often been composed of men who were farmers. These could dress in coarse clothing appropriate for the work they were doing. They raised all they needed as a family to subsist upon, and they knew not what the outlay of a minister must necessarily be when he goes out into a new field to labor for perishing souls. The minister must labor and pray. He must visit the different families. Frequently he finds the people so poor that they have little to eat, and no room in which to sleep. Often means have to be given to the very needy to supply their hunger and cover their nakedness. Then what injustice to have a company of men as auditing committee who by a dash of the pen will disappoint a distressed minister who is in need of every cent that he has been led to expect. The minister who labors should be sustained. But notwithstanding this, those who are officiating in this work see that there is not money in the treasury to pay the minister. The tithe money must be kept sacred. There are ministers who receive nothing for their labors; for there was no money to pay them. This I saw would be; for the management is wrong.
(PH166 18.2)
A Neglect
Many presidents of State conferences do not attend to that which is their work,—to see that the elders and deacons of the churches do their work in the churches by seeing that a faithful tithe is brought into the treasury. This principle 19needs to be often brought before the men who are lax in their duty to God, and who are negligent and careless in bringing in their tithes, gifts, and offerings to God. “Will a man rob me?”“Wherein have we robbed thee?”, is the question asked by the unfaithful stewards. The answer comes plain and positive, “In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.” Please read this whole chapter and see if words could be spoken that would be more plain and positive than these.
(PH166 18.3)
No Excuse
They are so positive that no one who desires to understand his whole duty to God needs to make any mistake in the matter. If men offer any excuse as to why they do not perform this duty, it is because they are selfish, and have not the love and fear of God in their hearts. Those who plead that they cannot understand this plain and decisive statement—which if they are obedient, means so much to them, in blessings which will be received, when even the windows of heaven will be opened, and blessings poured out to overflowing—are not honest before God. Their excuse that they do not know the will of God, will be of no avail for them in the great day of judgment.
(PH166 19.1)
A Call to Duty
Presidents of our conferences, do your duty; Speak not your words, but a plain thus saith the Lord. Elders of churches do your duty. Labor from home to home that the flock of God shall not be remiss in this great matter, which involves such a blessing or such a curse.
(PH166 19.2)
Every man who bears the message of truth to our churches must do his duty by warning, educating, rebuking. Any neglect of duty which is a robbery toward God, means a curse upon the delinquent.
(PH166 20.1)
An Appeal
Let the neglected tithes be now brought in. Let the new year (shall we not say quarter?) open upon you as men honest in their deal with God. Let those who have withheld their tithes send them in before the year 1896 shall close, that they may be right with God, and never, never again run any risk of being cursed by God.
(PH166 20.2)
A Word to Ministers and Elders
The Lord will not hold guiltless those who are deficient in doing the work that he requires at their hands,—in seeing that the church is kept wholesome and healthy spiritually, and doing all their duty; in allowing no neglect which will bring the threatened curse upon his people. A curse is pronounced upon all who withhold the tithe from God.
(PH166 20.3)
This is not a request of man; it is one of God’s ordinances, whereby his work may be sustained and carried on in the world. God help us to repent.
(PH166 20.4)
Faithful Record Possible
No one can excuse himself from paying his tithes and offerings to the Lord. Another year has nearly passed into eternity, with its burden of record. Let us look over the past year, and if we have not done our full duty willingly, heartily unto the Lord, let us come up to the new year in making a faithful record to our God.
(PH166 20.5)