The position of a parent is one of the most responsible on earth, yet it is far too lightly regarded by the majority of the world. The things which are perishable receive their time, labor, and money, while the work which will be enduring as eternity is made a secondary matter. The future of the rising generation is in the hands of parents; for, in a great measure, they hold within their control the destiny of their children both for time and for eternity. The salvation of the young depends almost wholly upon the training they receive in childhood. Christian parents, who believe the sacred truth of God, are required to regulate their own conduct by the sanctifying influence of that truth, and, by precept and example, impress lessons of morality and religion upon their children. Line upon line, precept upon precept they should be taught concerning the precious love of Jesus for man, and the virtue of his atonement. That love should be blended with all their studies and duties.
(ST December 19, 1878, Art. A, 1)
The love of Jesus won the hearts of children, and when the disciples would have sent away the mothers with their children, through mistaken zeal to preserve the dignity of their Master, Jesus rebuked them, saying: “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Parents, it is your sacred privilege to bring your children to Jesus, and receive his blessing upon them. Bring your children to the loving Jesus, and then teach them the love and fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. Impress upon them the sense of sacred things, and their own responsibility to God, and that no evil passion, selfishness, or pride will be excused by God, or will find entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
(ST December 19, 1878, Art. A, 2)
Children should be taught that simplicity of dress is to be preferred to gaudy display. They should learn that dress is a small matter in comparison with the acts of their daily life, and the character they are forming for eternity; that beauty of soul, the virtues and graces of a true Christian, are pearls of inestimable price, before which costly apparel and jewels sink into insignificance. They should be guarded against pride in their beauty of form or features. No idle words of praise of these attractions should ever fall upon their ears. Such seeds, dropped into ready soil of the heart, are speedily nourished by Satan, and soon spring forth into vigorous growth, bearing the bitter fruit of vanity, selfishness and folly.
(ST December 19, 1878, Art. A, 3)
Tell your children how little the Saviour values the vain things of earth; that he has said: “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Thus Christ exalts natural simplicity above artificial adornment, and counts the flowers growing in beauty in the valley as more attractive than all the glory of Solomon upon his throne. The devoted mother will not rob her children of the time that should be spent in their instruction, to waste it in preparing fine clothes for them, and in arraying them with garments that would tend to excite their vanity. She will rather impress upon their minds the fact that purity of heart and beauty of character are the only ornaments necessary for them to wear in order to enter the heavenly courts.
(ST December 19, 1878, Art. A, 4)
Love of the world is one of the leading temptations of youth, and one that our Saviour repeatedly warned his disciples against. Parents, however, frequently encourage in their children the desire to seek happiness in gratifying the outward senses, and in frequenting scenes of gayety and frivolous amusements. By teaching them to avoid these things, you prepare them to cherish elevated thoughts, fit them to occupy positions of trust and importance in this life, and to receive the reward of the faithful in the future immortal life.
(ST December 19, 1878, Art. A, 5)
In accepting the truth of God the minds of the young become strengthened to attain to greater intelligence. The dormant energies of the mind are, as it were, electrified, new powers seem to spring into life. The understanding, in striving to comprehend the heights and depths of the plan of salvation, becomes strong and grasping, and the whole being is illuminated by the brightness and glory of the infinite God. What a contrast is such a one with the youth who devotes his time and energies to the vain pleasures of the day, drifting into dissipation and folly, as surely dwarfing and enfeebling his mind as he is destroying his physical powers.
(ST December 19, 1878, Art. A, 6)
Children, as a rule, are allowed to gratify their appetite to a decidedly injurious extent. Their tastes are perverted by the use of coffee, tea, rich pastry, condiments, and sweetmeats. These indulgences lay the foundation for various diseases of the body, irritability, nervousness, and mental imbecility. Health, happiness, and life itself is too often sacrificed on the altar of appetite. The mother therefore cannot be too careful of her children in the matter of their eating and drinking. Their food should be simple, healthful, and well prepared; Nothing should pass their lips between meals, and then they should not be allowed to contract the habit of eating to excess. Your hired helpers should understand that they are not at liberty to infringe upon any of your rules in regard to the management of your children. If they fail to comply with this requirement, and secretly indulge your children in that which you have forbidden, discharge them at once. Let nothing interfere with your family government. Remember that hurtful indulgence of appetite renders the physical, mental, and moral faculties weak, and opens the way to temptations of various kinds, into which the victim of perverted appetite drifts almost unconsciously.
(ST December 19, 1878, Art. A, 7)
If parents seek to obey the word of God, in bringing their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, they find a work before them requiring thought, resolution, and trust in God. Difficulties will arise on every hand which seem almost impossible to be overcome; but the parents must have continual communion with God in their trials and efforts, and have their souls stayed on him. He will not turn a deaf ear to their prayers, but will impart to them wisdom and strength.
(ST December 19, 1878, Art. A, 8)
Mothers, you have no time for vain display or idle gossip. Your precious moments should be employed in teaching your children the fear of the Lord and self-control, instilling into their minds godly principles, that will become a part of their very nature, and rule their lives; which will make them firm as a rock when temptations assail them, and true to God through weal and woe. Mothers, God will work with your efforts. If you plead the name of Jesus before the Father, that name will not be presented in vain. The Saviour has linked man with God, and earth with heaven. Be patient; work is faith. Believe yourself to be in the presence of Jesus. Anticipate the crown, the robe, the harp, for your dear children, the “Well done, good and faithful servant,” the rest, the peace, and joy of heaven, with those loved ones for whom you have prayed and striven on earth.
(ST December 19, 1878, Art. A, 9)
Mrs. E. G. White
Hold The Fort
EGW [James White in an appeal for the Oakland house of worship quotes an E. G. White letter. A portion of his article embodying this letter follows.] White Trustees Battle Creek, Michigan, and Oakland, California.
Battle Creek, Mich., and Oakland, Cal., are the two great fortresses of our cause on the western continent. The first is the headquarters and center of our world-wide operations. At Battle Creek is located our oldest and largest publishing house, our college, and our sanitarium. This fort has been held twenty-three years the present month. Here at Battle Creek, many a hard battle for truth and the right has been fought, and as many triumphant victories have been won. The last grand effort of our people at this important point is the erection of a house of worship which will not only convene the present congregation, but which will comfortably take in the future audience of Battle Creek. Thank God, that in His good providence we are connected with a cause whose growth makes it necessary to form and execute plans for the near future two or three times as large as the present demands.
(ST December 19, 1878, 1)
Oakland, Cal., is the headquarters of all our work on the Pacific Coast. There is located the most perfect and complete publishing house on the coast. We have added to a first-class printing establishment, a complete bindery, stereotyping, electrotyping, and type foundry, where the most improved styles and qualities of the types are manufactured. This fort must be held at all hazards. When we take into the account the youth of the cause on the Pacific Coast, its growth is a marvel. But there is a heavy debt on the Oakland church, which that good people can never lift. They are the poorest and most liberal church on the continent, yet this position is the most important, excepting the Battle Creek church only. Of the financial condition of things at Oakland, our son, J. E. White, writing November 29, says:
(ST December 19, 1878, 2)
“I write you about a matter that is troubling me considerably. That is our church. There is a debt of $8,000 on it at present, and there is not the remotest prospect of the Oakland church, if left to itself, ever paying the debt. The church is poor and, struggle as it may, can hardly pay interest and running expenses, which amount to $1,200 a year. There are only two or three in the church who are worth anything at all, and they pay the least.
(ST December 19, 1878, 3)
“The Christians (Campbellites) want a church and ours suits them. They spoke of buying it once before, and I spoke against it. I told the brethren I thought it would be a terrible disgrace to sell, but as I could not see any way out more than they could, I withdrew my objection.
(ST December 19, 1878, 4)
“I can see the situation just as plainly now as if we had reached the time. Unless outside help comes in, the Oakland church must go either by sale or by the holders of the mortgage taking it. It would be a distressing thing to have anything like that take place. I write to you, hoping you can propose some solution to the difficulty.
(ST December 19, 1878, 5)
“The office, by the closest and most rigid economy can pull through. But it is absolutely unprepared for any draft to be made on it. Finances are the closest here that I have known them to be.
(ST December 19, 1878, 6)
In regard to hard times, in addition to ordinary hard times they have just had the greatest crash in the stock market that California ever knew. This of course unsettles all California.
(ST December 19, 1878, 7)
“Many in our church are out of employment, and the most are scarcely making expenses. In four months there is $2,000 due from the church to the bank. They might as well try to fly as to think of paying it.”
(ST December 19, 1878, 8)
To the foregoing, Mrs. W. responds in the following stirring words:
(ST December 19, 1878, 9)
Dear Son,
We received your letter in reference to the Oakland church. I am glad you wrote us in regard to the situation of things there. I am sure the building of the meeting-house in Oakland was none too soon. These were willing hearts among the believers who were poor. They made great sacrifices in order to raise means to invest in the Oakland church. Their zeal and self-sacrifice shall not be in vain.
(ST December 19, 1878, 10)
“That meeting-house shall not be sold. The building of the house was of God. I hope our brethren and sisters will not murmur as did the children of Israel when brought up facing the Red sea, the Egyptians behind them and impassable mountains shutting them in. It was at this crisis the Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward.’ As they obeyed, the Red sea parted before them and they went through it in the path God had prepared for them.
(ST December 19, 1878, 11)
“We say to you in Oakland, believe and do all you can, and you will see the salvation of God. Let all murmurings and questioning doubts cease. Let your complaints be turned to prayer and faith and works. I say that house shall not be sold. I will first sell my house on the corner of Castro and Eleventh streets, and put every dollar of the avails into the church to clear it of debt. Sell our houses? yes, yes indeed, rather than the house that has been dedicated to God.
(ST December 19, 1878, 12)
“Wait, work, and pray. We will exert our influence and do what we can. Every foot of room in that house will be needed yet. Oakland is a missionary field, and always will be. The truth will prevail in Oakland. It may take time, but it will take hold of hearts there. Believe, work, hope, and pray. Cling to God with all your might.
(ST December 19, 1878, 13)
“Let all in the office and in the church at Oakland show a still greater spirit of self-sacrifice than they have manifested, and God will work with your efforts. Lift the burdens willingly, and we will not let the matter rest till we see you free from embarrassment. Help shall come. If we cannot sell our property, we will use our influence to interest others to do all they can. Sell that church? Never, never. I tell you many prayers were offered while it was being erected. You will come out all right.
(ST December 19, 1878, 14)
“Be not faithless, but believing. There are those who have money upon the Pacific coast; let them come up to the help of the Lord and make their offerings to God. Some in California have shown that they had greater confidence in unbelievers than in those whom God has honored by connecting them with his cause.
(ST December 19, 1878, 15)
“These have trusted their money to men of no principle, while the cause of God was wading heavily for the want of means. If any appeal is made to them, they respond by presenting their narrow ideas and selfish views. Too much money, they say, has been expended in buildings and in facilities for the spread of the truth. They are afraid that they shall lose their money if entrusted to the treasury of God, but the Lord has shown his displeasure at their course in suffering losses to occur. They have not saving faith; money is their god. The Lord has entrusted to them means, to use in the advancement of his cause, but their covetous spirit grasps it and will not let it go back to him to whom it belongs.
(ST December 19, 1878, 16)
“Sister Rowland has made most earnest efforts to help when and where she could. May the Lord open ways before her that she may be able to dispose of her property and invest a portion of it in the cause of God. At the greatest inconvenience to herself, she mortgaged her property and raised two thousand dollars to help in the SIGNS office when it was most needed. This noble act on her part is an expression of her confidence in the work and cause of God. She will not lose her reward. If others would show similar commendable zeal and faith, the cause of truth would not be embarrassed as it now is.
(ST December 19, 1878, 17)
“We hope those who have means trusted out to strangers will see that God's cause may be benefited by its use. It was placed in their hands by the Lord, to test them and prove them, to see if they will render back to the Master his own when he shall call for it. Means were given them, not to hoard or to use for themselves. Those who are murmuring and complaining at the outlay of means in the Publishing House and in the meeting-house, had better be at work to act their part, lest they shall be found wanting by acting the part of Meroz. God gave commandment, ‘Curse ye Meroz, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord, against the mighty.’
(ST December 19, 1878, 18)
“Let not your offerings to advance the cause of God be stinted. If there is any stint and meagre arrangements and inferior works to be seen and felt anywhere, let it be in your own houses and your own dress, and not in the house of God or in the facilities which are needed to push forward the work of God.”
(ST December 19, 1878, 19)
Our house of worship at Oakland, dedicated to the worship of God by a people who fear him and keep his commandments, be sold to a people who trample that law beneath their feet? Never! No! Never!
(ST December 19, 1878, 20)
We need just such a house at that important post at present. In the near future a larger one will be demanded. Its location is excellent.
(ST December 19, 1878, 21)
The future growth of the cause in such a city as Oakland depends very much upon a central, commodious and neat house of worship, such as now exists in that city.
(ST December 19, 1878, 22)