Earlier text: FINITE WISDOMSOME RESULTS OF BIBLE STUDY
The Bible contains all that is needful for the saving of the soul, and at the same time it is adapted to strengthen and discipline the mind. Used as a text-book in our schools, it will be found far more effective than any other book in guiding wisely in the affairs of this life, as well as in aiding the soul to climb the ladder that reaches to heaven. The Bible gives the true seeker an advanced mental drill; he comes from the contemplation of divine things with his faculties enriched. Self is humbled, while God and His truth are exalted. It is because men are unacquainted with the truths of the Bible that there is so much lifting up of man, and so little honor given to God. In searching the pages of God’s word, we move through scenes majestic and eternal. We behold Jesus, the Son of God, coming to our world, and engaging in the mysterious conflict that discomfited the powers of darkness. How wonderful, how almost incredible, it is that the infinite God would consent to the humiliation of His only begotten Son! Let students contemplate this great thought. They will not come from such contemplation without being elevated, purified, ennobled. God’s word is the spiritual food by which the Christian must grow strong in spirit and in intellect, that he may do battle for truth and righteousness. The Bible teaches that every besetting sin must be put away, that the warfare against evil must be449 waged until every wrong is overcome. The human agent must place himself as a willing student in the school of Christ. As he accepts the grace freely offered him, the presence of the Saviour in the thoughts and in the heart will give him decision of purpose to lay aside every weight, that the heart may be filled with all the fulness of God. The simplicity of true godliness must be brought into the education of our young people, if they are to know how to escape the corruption that is in the world. They must be taught that the true followers of Christ will serve God not only when it is in accordance with their inclinations, but also when it involves self-denial and cross-bearing. Besetting sins must be battled with and overcome. Objectionable traits of character, whether hereditary or cultivated, must be compared with the great rule of righteousness, and then conquered in the strength of Christ. Day by day, hour by hour, a vigorous work of self-denial and of sanctification must go on within; then the works will bear witness that Jesus is abiding in the heart by faith. Sanctification does not close the avenues of the soul to knowledge, but expands the mind, and inspires it to search for truth as for hidden treasure. The young man who makes the Bible his guide, need not mistake the path of duty and of safety. That book will teach him to preserve his integrity of character, to be truthful, to practise no deception. It will teach him that he must never transgress God’s law in order to accomplish a desired object, even450 though to obey involves a sacrifice. It will teach him that the blessing of heaven will not rest upon him if he departs from the path of right-doing; that although men may appear to prosper in disobedience, they will surely reap the fruit of their sowing. Those only who read the Scriptures as the voice of God speaking to them, are true learners. They tremble at the voice of God, for to them it is a living reality. They open their understanding to divine instruction, and pray for grace, that they may obtain a preparation for service. As the heavenly torch is placed in his hand, the seeker for truth sees his own frailty, his infirmity, the hopelessness of looking to himself for righteousness. He sees that there is in him nothing that can recommend him to God. He prays for the Holy Spirit, the representative of Christ, to be his constant guide, to lead him into all truth. He repeats the promise, “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things.” John 14:26. The study of the Bible in our schools will give the students special advantages. Those who receive into their hearts the holy principles of truth will work with increasing energy. No circumstances can alter their determination to attain to the highest possible standard. And that which they have received they will impart to others. As they themselves drink from the fountain of living water, from them will flow living streams to bless and refresh others. The diligent Bible student will constantly increase in knowledge and discernment. His intellect will451 grasp elevated subjects, and lay hold of the truth of eternal realities. His motives of action will be right. He will use his talent of influence to help others to understand more perfectly their God-given responsibilities. His heart will be a wellspring of joy as he sees success attend his efforts to impart to others the blessings he has received. The talent of knowledge, sanctified and put to use in the Master’s service, is never lost. A self-sacrificing effort to do good will be crowned with success. “We are laborers together with God.” 1 Cor. 3:9. The Lord will co-operate with the human worker. To Him is to be given the praise and the glory for what we are able to accomplish. The Lord is dishonored by the deterioration or the perversion of the talents He has entrusted to men. It is the duty and the privilege of the Christian to improve his talents. Christ gave His life to purchase for men the privilege of being co-workers with God. Yet thousands who have received much light and many opportunities, do not grasp the blessings that are within their reach. That education only is wholesome and essential which leads to a knowledge of the value that God has placed upon mankind. The students in our schools are to be taught that they are of value in the sight of God, that they have been bought with an infinite price. They should be made to realize the importance of putting to a right use every faculty of the being. They are to put on Christ; then all their powers will be used in persevering, taxing labor in His service. The students are to be taught to help those who need encouragement. As they seek to help others, they themselves will “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), and their efficiency will be increased. “Ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” 1 Cor. 3:9. Christians will fulfil the purpose of God for them only as they increase in knowledge, and return to Him in earnest service the gifts they have received. The truths of God’s word are not mere sentiments, but the utterances of the Most High. He who makes these truths a part of his life becomes in every sense a new creature. He is not given new mental powers, but the darkness that through ignorance and sin have clouded the understanding, is removed. The words, “A new heart also will I give you” (Eze. 36:26), mean, A new mind will I give you. This change of heart is always attended by a clear conception of Christian duty, an understanding of truth. The clearness of our view of truth will be proportionate to our understanding of the word of God. He who gives the Scriptures close, prayerful attention will gain clear comprehension and sound judgment, as if in turning to God he had reached a higher plane of intelligence. If the mind is set to the task of studying the Bible, the understanding will strengthen and the reasoning faculties will improve. Under the study of the Scriptures the mind expands and becomes more evenly balanced than if occupied in obtaining information from books that have no connection with the Bible. THE WORD AND WORKS OF GOD
God calls upon teachers to behold the heavens, and to study His works in nature. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” Ps. 19:1-3. Shall we not strive to understand the wonderful works of God? We should do well to read often the nineteenth psalm, that we may understand how the Lord binds up His law with His created works. Can we find for our schools any text-book filled with such deep, earnest declarations as is the word of the living God? Then why should this book be laid aside for the writings of infidel authors? What more valuable book could be placed in the hands of students than that which teaches them how they may inherit eternal life? The lessons of Bible history should be kept before the youth in our schools, that those who have no love for God and no interest in spiritual things, may become interested, and learn to love the word. Christ is the center of all true doctrine. All true religion is found in His word and in nature. He is the one in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered; and the teacher who learns from Him finds a safe anchorage. All that the mind can grasp is opened before us in the Bible. This is our spiritual food. We are to contemplate the wonderful works of God, and repeat454 to our children the lessons learned, that we may lead them to see His skill, His power, and His grandeur in His created works. What a God is our God! He rules over His kingdom with diligence and care; and He has built a hedge—the ten commandments—about His subjects, to preserve them from the results of transgression. In requiring obedience to the laws of His kingdom, God gives His people health and happiness, peace and joy. He teaches them that the perfection of character He requires can be attained only by becoming familiar with His word. It is written in the prophets: “O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.” Isa. 54: 11-14. “This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer. 31: 33, 34. “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Micah 4:2. The Old Testament Scriptures were the lesson-book of Israel. . . . There are practical lessons in the word of God, lessons that Christ would have teachers and parents present to the children in the school and in the home. That word teaches living, holy principles, which prompt men to do unto others as they would have others do unto them,— principles which they are to bring into the daily life here below, and carry with them into the school above. This is the higher education. No learning of human origin can gain these heights; for they reach into eternity, and are immortalized. We know altogether too little of the greatness of the love and compassion of God. Let students put to the stretch their mental faculties, that they may comprehend the forty-fifth chapter of Isaiah. Such chapters as this should be brought into our schools as a valuable study. They are better than romance and fables. Why have our schools been so dependent upon books which tell so little of the city we claim to be seeking, whose builder and maker is God? Our lesson-books should contain the loftiest themes of thought. Heaven is our home. Our citizenship is above, and our lives must not be devoted to a world that is soon to be destroyed. . . . Take the Bible as a study book, and see if you are not filled with the love of God. Your heart may be barren, your intellect feeble; but if you will456 prayerfully study the word of God, light will flash into your mind. God works with every diligent student. Teachers who will learn from the great Teacher will realize the help of God as did Daniel and his fellows, of whom the record states, “As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” Dan. 1:17. . . . I could refer to chapter after chapter of the Old Testament Scriptures that contain great encouragement. These Scriptures are a treasure-house of precious pearls, and all need them. How much time is spent by intelligent human beings in horse-racing, cricket matches, and ball-playing! But will indulgence in these sports give men a desire to know truth and righteousness? Will it keep God in their thoughts? Will it lead them to inquire, How is it with my soul? All the powers of Satan are set in operation to hold the attention to frivolous amusements, and he is gaining his object. He is interposing his devisings between God and the soul. He will manufacture diversions to keep men from thinking about God. The world, filled with sport and pleasure-loving, is always thirsting for some new interest; but how little time and thought are given to the Creator of the heavens and the earth! God calls upon men to see Him in the wonders of the heavens. “Lift up your eyes on high,” He says, “and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might.” Isa. 40:26. God would have us study the works of infinity,457 and from this study learn to love and reverence and obey Him. The heavens and the earth with their treasures are to teach the lessons of God’s love and care and power. God calls upon His creatures to turn their attention from the confusion and perplexity around them, and admire His handiwork. As we study His works, angels from heaven will be by our side, to enlighten our minds, and guard them from Satan’s deceptions. As you look at the wonderful things that God’s hand has made, let your proud, foolish heart feel its dependence and inferiority. How terrible it is when the acknowledgment of God is not made when it should be made! How sad to humble oneself when it is too late! The psalmist declares, “When Thou saidst, Seek ye My face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” Ps. 27:8. The whole of this psalm should find a place in the reading and spelling lessons of the school. The twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth, and seventy-eighth psalms tell of the rich blessings bestowed by God upon His people, and of their poor returns for all His benefits. The eighty-first psalm explains why Israel was scattered,—they forgot God, as the churches in our land are forgetting Him today. Consider also the eighty-ninth, ninetieth, ninety-first, ninety-second, and ninety-third psalms. These things were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come; and should they not be studied in our schools? The word of God contains instructive lessons, given in reproof, in warning, in encouragement, and in rich promises.458 Would not such food as this be meat in due season to the youth? AN IMPRESSIVE REPRESENTATION
In a night vision given me some years ago I was in an assembly where our school problems were being discussed, and the question was asked, “Why has not appropriate matter for reading-books and other lesson-books been selected and compiled? Why has not the word of God been extolled above every human production? Have you thought that a better knowledge of what the Lord hath said would have a deleterious effect on teachers and students?” There was a hush in the assembly, and conviction came to students and teachers. Men who had looked upon themselves as wise and strong, saw that they were weak, and lacking in the knowledge of that book which concerns the eternal destiny of the human soul. The Speaker then took from the hands of the teachers books which they had been making their study, some of which had been written by infidel authors and contained infidel sentiments, and laid them on the floor. Then He placed the Bible in their hands, saying, “You have little knowledge of this book. You know not the Scriptures nor the power of God. When you have taken your students through the course of study you have followed in the past, they will have to unlearn much that they have learned, and this they will find very difficult to do. Objectionable ideas have taken root in their minds, like weeds in a garden, and some will never be able to distinguish between right and wrong. The good459 and the evil have been intermingled in your work. Doctrines containing a little truth, but with which are woven the opinions and sayings and doings of men, are repeated. The youth will never know the way of life so long as they depend on such instruction.” By every teacher in our schools the only true God is to be uplifted. The prayer of Christ for His disciples was: “I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me; and they have kept Thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are of Thee. For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me.” John 17:4-8. Who among our teachers are awake, and as faithful stewards of the grace of God, are giving the trumpet a certain sound? Who are voicing the message of the third angel, calling upon the world to make ready for the great day of God? The message we bear has the seal of the living God. STUDY THE BIBLE FOR YOURSELVES
There is nothing more calculated to energize the mind and strengthen the intellect than the study of the word of God. No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, to give vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If God’s word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose that are rarely seen in these times. The search for truth will reward the seeker at every turn, and each discovery will open up richer fields for his investigation. Thousands of men who minister in the pulpit are lacking in essential qualities of mind and character because they do not apply themselves to the study of the Scriptures. They are content with a superficial knowledge of the truths that are full of rich depths of meaning; and they prefer to go on, losing much in every way, rather than to search diligently for the hidden treasure. Men are changed in accordance with what they contemplate. If commonplace thoughts and affairs take up the attention, the man will be commonplace. If he is too negligent to obtain anything but a superficial understanding of truth, he will not receive the rich blessings that God would be pleased to bestow upon him. It is a law of the mind that it will narrow or expand to the dimensions of the things with which it becomes familiar. The mental powers will surely become contracted, and will lose their ability461 to grasp the deep meanings of the word of God, unless they are put vigorously and persistently to the task of searching for truth. The mind will enlarge if it is employed in tracing out the relation of the subjects of the Bible to one another, comparing scripture with scripture, and spiritual things with spiritual. The richest treasures of thought are waiting for the diligent student. The knowledge of God is not gained without mental effort and prayer for wisdom. Many are convinced that the precious treasures of the kingdom of God and of Christ are contained in the Word. They know also that no earthly treasure is gained without painstaking effort. Why should they expect to understand the meaning of the Scriptures without diligent study? The word of God is light and truth,—a lamp to the feet and a light to the path. It is able to guide every step of the way to the city of God. For this reason, Satan has made desperate efforts to obscure the light, that men may not find and keep the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in. As the miner digs for the golden treasure in the earth, so earnestly, persistently, must we seek for the treasure of God’s word. In daily study the verse-by-verse method is often most helpful. Let the student take one verse, and concentrate his mind on ascertaining the thought that God has put into that verse for him, and then dwell upon the thought until it becomes his own. One passage thus studied until its significance becomes clear, is of more value than the perusal of many chapters with no definite purpose in view and no positive instruction gained. THE BIBLE ITS OWN EXPOSITOR
The Bible is its own expositor. Scripture is to be compared with scripture. The student should learn to view the word as a whole, and to see the relation of its parts. He should gain a knowledge of its grand central theme,—of God’s original purpose for the world, of the rise of the great controversy, and of the work of redemption. He should understand the nature of the two principles that are contending for the supremacy, and should learn to trace their working through the records of history and prophecy, to the great consummation. He should see how this controversy enters into every phase of human experience; how in every act of life he himself reveals the one or the other of the two antagonistic motives; and how, whether he will or not, he is even now deciding upon which side of the controversy he will be found. Every part of the Bible is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable. The Old Testament, no less than the New, should receive attention. As we study the Old Testament, we shall find living springs bubbling up where the careless reader discerns only a desert. The Old Testament sheds light upon the New, and the New upon the Old. Each is a revelation of the glory of God in Christ. Christ as manifested to the patriarchs, as symbolized in the sacrificial service, as portrayed in the law, and as revealed by the prophets, is the riches of the Old Testament. Christ in His life, His death, and His resurrection; Christ as He is manifested by the Holy Spirit, is the treasure of463 the New. Both Old and New present truths that will continually reveal new depths of meaning to the earnest seeker. When a real love for the Bible is awakened, and the student begins to realize how vast is the field and how precious its treasure, he will desire to seize upon every opportunity for acquainting himself with God’s word. Its study will be restricted to no special time or place. And this continuous study is one of the best means of cultivating a love for the Scriptures. Let the student keep his Bible always with him, and as he has opportunity, read a text and meditate upon it. While walking in the streets, waiting at a railway station, waiting to meet an engagement, let him improve the opportunity to gain some precious thought from the treasure-house of truth. The student of the Word should not make his opinions a center around which truth is to revolve. He should not search for the purpose of finding texts of Scripture that he can construe to prove his theories; for this is wresting the Scriptures to his own destruction. The Bible student must empty himself of every prejudice, lay his own ideas at the door of investigation, and with humble, subdued heart, with self hid in Christ, with earnest prayer, he should seek wisdom from God. He should seek to know the revealed will of God because it concerns his present and eternal welfare. This word is the directory by which he must learn the way to eternal life. GOD’S WORD A TREASURE-HOUSE
Ed., pp. 128-134.
P. and P., pp. 596-598.
M. of H., pp. 461, 462.
C. O. L., pp. 107-114, 125, 126.
Test. Vol. 4, pp. 545, 546, 584-586.
Test. Vol. 8, pp. 257-259. THE BOOK OF BOOKS
Ed., pp. 123-127, 135-184.
Test. Vol. 4, pp. 9-15.
Test. Vol. 6, pp. 131-133. THE BIBLE TEACHER Ed., pp. 185–192. RESULTS OF STUDYING GOD’S WORD
M. of H., pp. 458-466.
Test. Vol. 8, pp. 319-325. STUDY THE BIBLE FOR YOURSELVES
Ed., pp. 185-192.
Test. Vol. 4, pp. 416, 498, 499. “Not to be ministered unto, but to minister.”
A CALL FOR GOSPEL MEDICAL MISSIONARIES
When Jesus sent forth the twelve on their first mission of mercy, He commissioned them “to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:2. “As ye go,” He said, “preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” Matt. 10:7, 8. And as they “went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere” (Luke 9:6), the blessing of heaven accompanied their labors. The fulfilment of the Saviour’s commission by the disciples made their message the power of God unto salvation, and through their efforts many were brought to a knowledge of the Messiah. The seventy who were sent out a little later, were also commissioned to “heal the sick” (Luke 10:9) as well as to announce the advent of the promised Redeemer. In their work of teaching and healing, the disciples followed the example of the Master-teacher, who ministered to both soul and body. The gospel which He taught was a message of spiritual life and physical restoration. Deliverance from sin and the healing of disease were linked together. And at the close of His earthly ministry, when He charged His disciples with a solemn commission to go “into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” He declared that their ministry would receive confirmation through the restoration of the sick to health. Ye “shall lay hands on the sick,” He said, “and they shall recover.” Mark 16:15, 18. By healing in His name the diseases of the body, they would testify to His power for the healing of the soul. The Saviour’s commission to the disciples includes all believers to the end of time. All to whom the heavenly inspiration has come, are put in trust with the gospel. All who receive the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow-men. For this work the church was established, and all who take upon themselves its sacred vows are thereby pledged to be co-workers with Christ. “They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” This world is a vast lazar-house, but Christ came to heal the sick, to proclaim deliverance to the captives of Satan. He was in Himself health and strength. He imparted His life to the sick, the afflicted, those possessed of demons. He knew that many of those who petitioned Him for help had brought disease upon themselves; yet He did not refuse to heal them. And when virtue from Christ entered into these poor souls, they were convicted of sin, and many were healed of their spiritual disease as well as of their physical maladies. To many of the afflicted ones who received healing, Christ said, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” John 5:14. Thus He taught that disease467 is the result of violating God’s laws, both natural and spiritual. The great misery in the world would not exist had men from the beginning lived in harmony with the Creator’s plan. There are conditions to be observed by all who would preserve health. All should learn what these conditions are. The Lord is not pleased with ignorance in regard to His laws, either natural or spiritual. We are to be workers together with God for the restoration of health to the body as well as to the soul. And we should teach others how to preserve and to recover health. For the sick we should use the remedies which God has provided in nature, and we should point them to Him who alone can restore. It is our work to present the sick and suffering to Christ in the arms of our faith. We should teach them to believe in the great Healer. We should lay hold on His promise, and pray for the manifestation of His power. The very essence of the gospel is restoration, and the Saviour would have us bid the sick, the hopeless, and the afflicted, take hold upon His strength. Never has the world’s need for teaching and healing been greater than it is to-day. The world is full of those who need to be ministered unto,—the weak, the helpless, the ignorant, the degraded. The continual transgression of man for nearly six thousand years has brought sickness, pain, and death as its fruit. Multitudes are perishing for lack of knowledge. As God’s ministers behold the awful results of long-continued sin, their hearts are touched with the world’s woe, and they are endeavoring to labor as the Master-workman and His disciples labored. Connected468 with the divine Healer, they are going forth in the power of His might to teach and to heal. They realize that the gospel is the only antidote for sin, and that as Christ’s witnesses they are to bear testimony to its power. As they point the afflicted ones to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world, His transforming grace and miracle-working power are causing many to accept the message of truth that is borne. His healing power, united with the gospel message, is bringing success in emergencies. The Holy Spirit is working upon hearts, and the salvation of God is being revealed. But the world’s need to-day cannot be met fully by the ministry of God’s servants who have been called to preach the everlasting gospel to every creature. While it is well, so far as possible, for evangelical workers to learn how to minister to the necessities of the body as well as of the soul, thus following the example of Christ, yet they cannot spend all their time and strength in relieving those in need of help. The Lord has ordained that with those who preach the word shall be associated His medical missionary workers,—Christian physicians and nurses, who have received special training in the healing of disease and in soul-winning. Medical missionaries and workers in the gospel ministry are to be bound together by indissoluble ties. Their work is to be done with freshness and power. By their combined efforts the world is to be prepared for the second advent of Christ. Through their united labors the Sun of Righteousness is to rise, with healing in His wings, to lighten the benighted regions of the earth, where the people have long lived469 in gross darkness. Many who are now dwelling in the shadow of sin and death, as they see in God’s faithful servants a reflection of the Light of the world, will realize that they have a hope of salvation, and they will open their hearts to receive the healing beams, and will in turn become light-bearers to others yet in darkness. So great are the world’s needs, that not all who are called to be medical missionary evangelists can afford to spend years in preparation before beginning to do actual field work. Soon doors now open to the gospel messenger will be forever closed. God calls upon many who are prepared to do acceptable service, to carry the message now, not waiting for further preparation; for while some delay, the enemy may take possession of fields now open. I have been instructed that little companies who have received a suitable training in evangelical and medical missionary lines, should go forth to do the work to which Christ appointed His disciples. Let them labor as evangelists, scattering our publications, talking of the truth to those they meet, praying for the sick, and, if need be, treating them, not with drugs, but with nature’s remedies, ever realizing their dependence on God. As they unite in the work of teaching and healing, they will reap a rich harvest of souls. And while God is calling upon young men and women who have already gained a practical knowledge of how to treat the sick, to labor as gospel medical missionaries in connection with experienced evangelical workers, He is also calling for many recruits to enter our medical missionary training-schools470 to gain a speedy and thorough preparation for service. Some need not spend so long a time in these schools as do others. It is not in harmony with God’s purpose that all should plan to spend exactly the same length of time, whether three, four, or five years, in preparation, before beginning to engage in active field work. Some, after studying for a time, can develop more rapidly by working along practical lines in different places, under the supervision of experienced leaders, than they could by remaining in an institution. As they advance in knowledge and ability, some of these will find it much to their advantage to return to one of our sanitarium training-schools for more instruction. Thus they will become efficient medical missionaries, prepared for trying emergencies. Much may be learned by visiting the hospitals. In these hospitals not a few of our consecrated young people should be learning to be successful medical missionaries. Observation, and the practice of that which has been learned, will enable our youth to become efficient nurses, with superior skill, fitted to stand upon the highest eminence. Every physician, every nurse, every helper, who has anything to do in God’s service, must aim at perfection. Nothing short of this standard is pleasing to Him who has called us to be co-laborers with Him. And especially should those who are in training to act as His medical missionaries, turn resolutely from every temptation to be satisfied with a superficial knowledge of their profession. Let them rather reach upward to perfection. Theirs is a most exacting calling, and their preparation must be painstaking and thorough. The cause of God to-day would have been far in advance of what it is, had we in former years been more active in the training of nurses who, in addition to their acquirement of more than ordinary skill in the care of the sick, had also learned to labor as evangelists in soul-winning service. It is for the training of such workers, as well as for the training of physicians, that the school at Loma Linda has been founded. In this school many workers are to be qualified with the ability of physicians, to labor, not in professional lines as physicians, but as medical missionary evangelists. This training is to be in harmony with the principles underlying true higher education. The cause is in need of hundreds of workers who have received a practical and thorough education in medical lines, and who are also prepared to labor from house to house as teachers, Bible workers, and colporteurs. Such students should come out of the school without having sacrificed the principles of health reform or their love for God and righteousness. Those who take advanced training in nursing, and go forth into all parts of the world as medical missionary evangelists, cannot expect to receive from the world the honor and the rewards that often come to fully accredited physicians. Yet as they go about their work of teaching and of healing, and link up closely with God’s servants who have been called to the ministry of His word, His blessing will rest upon their labors, and marvelous transformations will be wrought. In a special sense they will be His helping hand. The duties of the physician are arduous. Few realize the mental and physical strain to which he is subjected. Every energy and capability must be enlisted with the most intense anxiety in the battle with disease and death. Often he knows that one unskilled movement of the hand, even but a hair’s breadth in the wrong direction, may send a soul unprepared into eternity. How much the faithful physician needs the sympathy and prayers of the people of God! His claims in this direction are not inferior to those of the most devoted minister or missionary worker. Deprived, as he often is, of sufficient rest and sleep, he needs a double portion of grace, a fresh supply daily, or he will lose his hold on God, and will be in danger of sinking deeper in spiritual darkness than men of other callings. And yet often he is made to bear unmerited reproaches, and is left to stand alone, the subject of Satan’s fiercest temptations, feeling himself misunderstood, betrayed by his friends. Many, knowing how trying are the duties of the physician, and how few opportunities physicians have for release from care, even upon the Sabbath, will not choose this for their life-work. But the great enemy is constantly seeking to destroy the workmanship of God’s hands, and men of culture and intelligence are called for to combat his cruel power. More of the right kind of men are needed to devote themselves to this profession. Painstaking effort should be made to induce suitable men to qualify themselves for this work. They should be men whose characters are based upon the broad principles of the word of God,—men who possess a natural energy, force,473 and perseverance that will enable them to reach a high standard of excellence. It is not every one who can make a successful physician. Many have entered upon the duties of this profession in every way unprepared. They have not the requisite knowledge; neither have they the skill and tact, the carefulness and intelligence, necessary to insure success. A physician can do much better if he has physical strength. If he is feeble, he cannot endure the wearing labor incident to his calling. A man who has a weak constitution, who is a dyspeptic, or who is lacking in self-control, cannot become qualified to deal with all classes of disease. Great care should be taken not to encourage persons who might be useful in some less responsible position, to study medicine at a great outlay of time and means, when there is no reasonable hope that they will succeed. I have been instructed that in view of the trying nature of medical missionary work, those who desire to take up this line should first be thoroughly examined by competent physicians, to ascertain whether or not they have the strength necessary to endure the course of study through which they must pass in the training-school. We have a work to do in securing the best talent, and in placing these workers in positions where they can educate other workers. Then when our sanitariums and mission fields call for physicians, we shall have young men who, through their experience gained by practical work, have become fitted to bear responsibilities.