The Lord bless his people, and enable them to come to a right understanding of his will.

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Mrs. E. G. White: That comes out of the sum that you have stated?

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Mrs. E. G. White: I wish to read this morning from Testimony No. 34:-

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The Relief of Our Schools. «When the Lord invited Israel to contribute for the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness, there was a hearty response. The people ‘came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.’ They came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted. Men came with their gifts of gold and silver, choice fabrics, and valuable wood. The rulers brought precious stones, costly spices, and oil for the lights. ‘And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun.’ They brought ‘free offerings every morning,’ till the report was given to Moses, ‘The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make.’ Ex. 35: 21-25; 36: 3,5. This generous-hearted, willing service was pleasing to God; and when the tabernacle was completed, he signified his acceptance of the offering. ‘A cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.'» Ex. 40:34.

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Akin to this example of willing service has been the work done in behalf of our schools in the publication and sale of «Christ’s Object Lessons.» We rejoice that so large a number of our people have given themselves to this work, and that their efforts are proving so successful. We rejoice that our Conference and tract society officers have given their influence and energy to this grand enterprise; and that ministers, Bible workers, colporteurs, and church members have engaged so heartily in the special effort for the speedy relief of our schools. The generous, whole-hearted way in which our publishing houses and our brethren and sisters in general have taken hold of this enterprise is well pleasing to the Lord. It is in accordance with his plan.

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The Lord’s Plan. «There are, in the divine providence, particular periods when we must arise in response to the call of God and make use of our means, our time, our intellect, our whole being, body, soul, and spirit, in fulfilling his requirements. The present is such a time as this. The interests of God’s cause are at stake. The Lord’s institutions are in peril. Because of the terrible burden of debt under which our schools are struggling, the work is hindered on every side. In our great necessity God has made a way through the difficulty, and has invited us to co-operate with him in accomplishing his purpose. It was his plan that the book, ‘Christ’s Object Lessons,’ should be given for the relief of our schools, and he calls upon his people to do their part in placing this book before the world. In this he is testing his people and his institutions, to see if they will work together, and be of one mind in self-denial and self-sacrifice.

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«All to Co-Operate. «A good beginning has been made in the sale of ‘Christ’s Object Lessons.’ What is needed now is an earnest, united effort to complete the work that has been so well begun. In the Scriptures we read, ‘Not slothful in business: fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.’ Rom. 12:11. Every branch of God’s cause is worthy of diligence: but nothing could be more deserving than this enterprise at this time. A decided work is to be done in accomplishing God’s plan. Let every stroke tell for the Master in the selling of ‘Christ’s Object Lessons.’ Let all who possibly can, join the workers.

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«From the success of the efforts already made, we see that it is far better to obey God’s requirements to-day than to wait for what we might think a more favorable season. We must become men and women of God’s opportunity, for great responsibilities and possibilities are within the reach of all who have enlisted for life service under Christ’s banner.

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«God calls us to action, that our educational institutions may be freed from debt. Let God’s plan be worked out after his own order.»

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Debt should never have been allowed to accumulate on our schools. The rate of tuition in our schools has in the past been too low. Christ declared that he who builds a tower must first sit down and count the cost, to see if he be able to finish. This those in charge of our schools should have done.

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Because of the example set by the school in Battle Creek, the same mistake has been made by our school in Cooranbong. Students have been admitted to the school at so low a figure that the school has not paid expenses. This is not right. When managers of a school see that the school is running behind, let them call a halt. Let them go to the people, and tell them the situation. It costs too much to incur debt. Not only the debt, but the interest on the debt must be paid. This places a tremendous load upon the teachers and managers. How much better it would be to raise the tuition. How much better it would be to let a family here and a family there pay a little more than to place the tuition so low that the school is placed under the burden of debt.

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At every step we take we should move intelligently, understanding what is best to do. I was decidedly opposed to the idea advanced by some that the prices charged to students in Australia should be the same as those charged in Battle Creek. I know that a reform must be made, that the school must be placed on a platform where its reputation would not suffer.

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In the future, men should be employed to visit our schools in the different places for the purpose of examining the accounts and ascertaining the financial standing of the schools. If they are in debt, some method should at once be devised to lessen the debt. These men should see that there is an efficient bookkeeper in each school, so that the accounts may be kept correctly.

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It is because of the importance of the accounts being correctly kept that I have been pleading for years with our people to see the necessity of making bookkeeping an important part of our school work. The work is to be carried forward solidly. No haphazard movements must be made in any of our institutions.

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«The present is an opportunity which we can not afford to lose. We call upon all our people to help to their utmost of their ability just now. We call upon them to do a work that will be pleasing to God in purchasing the book. We ask that every available means be used to assist in its circulation. We call upon the presidents of our Conferences to consider how they can forward this enterprise. We call upon our ministers, as they visit the churches, to encourage men and women to go out as canvassers, and to make a decided forward movement in the path of self-denial by giving a part of our earnings for the help of our schools.»

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When my husband and I were laboring together in camp-meetings and tent-meetings, we would take with us our books on present truth, and sell them to the people. This same work should be done to-day. Give notice that after the discourse, books dealing with the subjects presented will be offered for sale. Ask the people to purchase these books, telling them they need the truth, and you need the money. They might as well know what you are trying to do. Tell them of the effort that is being made to free our schools from debt. Everything that can be done must be done to advance the work of God.

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«A general movement is needed, and this must begin with individual movements. In every church let every member of every family make determined efforts to deny self and help forward the work.»

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If God has ever spoken by me, it will be for the best interest of every family among us to take up the work of self-denial and self-sacrifice.

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«Let the children act a part. Let all co-operate. Let us do our best at this time to render to God our offering, to carry out his specified will, and thus make an occasion for witnessing for him and his truth in a world of darkness. The lamp is in our hands. Let its light shine forth brightly.

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«Young men, you who think of entering the ministry, take up this work. The handling of the book placed in your hands by the Lord is to be your educator. In proving this opportunity you will certainly advance in a knowledge of God and of the best methods for reaching the people.

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«The Lord calls for young men and women to enter his service. The youth are receptive, fresh, ardent, hopeful. When once they have tasted the blessedness of self-sacrifice, they will not be satisfied unless they are constantly learning of the Great Teacher. The Lord will open ways before those who will respond to his call.

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«Bring into the work an earnest desire to learn how to bear responsibilities. With strong arms and brave hearts go forth into the conflict which all must enter, a conflict which will grow more and more severe as we approach the closing struggle.

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«Preparation for the Work. «Those who engage in this work should first give themselves unreservedly to God. They should place themselves where they can learn of Christ and follow his example. He has invited them: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ Matt. 11:28-30. Angels are commissioned to go forth with those who take up this work in true humility.»

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Recently I have been shown again and again that it is the angels of God who make the impression on human hearts. It is the angels of God who go before the workers. In the night season I was laboring with the problem of the relief of our schools, not knowing how to answer the letters written to me regarding the situation. I fell asleep, and the angel of God seemed to stand beside me, saying, «Donate to the cause of education the book ‘Christ’s Object Lessons.'» This so startled me that I at once awoke. And O, I was so grateful to the Lord for the light he had given me regarding what I could do to help to free our schools from debt! It was only twelve o’clock, but I could stay in bed no longer. I rose, and began writing something of what must be done. And I wish to say now that much more has been done with the book than I flattered myself could be done. I feel like shedding tears of joy when I think of what God has permitted me to do for the schools.

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«We are to pray without ceasing, and we are to live our prayers.»

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This is a lesson we need to learn. We are to live our prayers. Some say, «I do not know that the Lord hears me.» Do not know! What do you mean? Do you mean to say that you do not believe the word of the One who had such an interest in you that he gave his only begotten Son to secure your salvation? Do you mean to say that you do not believe your Redeemer, who left the heavenly courts, and came to this earth to suffer and die for you? He says to you, «Come unto me, . . .and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.» What makes the yoke easy and the burden light?-Our willingness to wear it, our gladness in being able to do something for the Saviour.

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Let us yoke up with Christ. Let us practice self-denial and self-sacrifice. May God help us to do all we can for his work. He will hear our prayers. Let us believe in him. «Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.» Remembering this, let our faith cleave the dark shadow which Satan has thrown across our pathway. Looking into the face of Jesus Christ, let us say, «He is the hope of my calling.» Let us believe in him, irrespective of feeling. Feeling has nothing to do with faith. It is as distinct from faith as the east is from the west. We have the word of the living God. In that let us trust.

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«Faith will greatly increase by exercise. Let those who are canvassing for ‘Object Lessons’ learn the lessons taught in the book for which they are working. Learn of Christ. Have faith in his power to help and save you. Faith is the very life-blood of the soul. Its presence gives warmth, health, consistency, and sound judgment. Its vitality and vigor exert a powerful though unconscious influence.»

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You do not know how much influence the Lord places behind this book. You do not know how he speaks through it to the hearts and minds of men and women. But you may know that you are doing the work he wishes you to do. I know that I did what he wanted me to do in giving this book to our schools, and I have been happy ever since. You will be happy if you do his will. You will find that his yoke is easy, and his burdens are light.

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«The life of Christ in the soul is as a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life. It leads to a constant cultivation of the heavenly graces, and to a kindly submission in all things to the Lord.

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«I speak to the workers, young and old, who are handling our books, and especially to those who are canvassing for the book that is now doing its appointed errand of mercy: Exemplify in the life the lessons given by Christ in his sermon on the mount. This will make a deeper impression and have a more lasting influence upon minds than will the sermons given from the pulpit. You may not be able to speak eloquently to those you desire to help, but if you speak modestly, hiding self in Christ, your words will be dictated by the Holy Spirit; and Christ, with whom you are co-operating will impress the heart.» You do not make the impression. It is Christ, with whom you are a co-worker, who impresses hearts. We are laborers together with God.

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«Exercise that faith which works by love and sanctifies the soul. Let none now make the Lord ashamed of them because of their unbelief.» Let us not get into the habits of manifesting this miserable thing-unbelief. «Sloth and despondency accomplish nothing. Entanglements in secular business are sometimes permitted by God, in order to stir the sluggish faculties to more earnest action, that he may honor faith by the bestowal of rich blessings. This is a means of advancing his work.» This is doing work for the Master. And when you see how unbelievers appreciate the work, it will make your heart leap for joy. It will make the yoke easy and the burden light. God will help you to work intelligently.

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«Looking unto Jesus, not only as our example, but as the author and finisher of our faith. Remember this. As at our baptism we pledged ourselves to him, and received the ordinance in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, these three great powers of heaven pledged themselves to work in our behalf, not only to begin, but to finish our faith. I am so glad that we have the promises of God.

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«Let us go forward, having confidence that he will supply strength for every duty. . . .

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«The work for the relief of our schools should be taken up by our people in all countries. Let it be entered upon by our churches in Australasia. Our school there is in need of help, and if our people will take hold of the work unitedly, they can do much toward lifting the burden of debt; they can encourage the hearts of those who are laboring to build up this, the Lord’s instrumentality; and they can aid in extending its influence of blessing to far heathen lands, and to the islands of the sea.»

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In Australia we realized the blessing of God in the establishment of a school on right principles.

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«Results of the Work. «Through the work for the relief of our schools a fourfold blessing will be realized,-a blessing to the schools, to the world, to the church, and to the workers themselves.

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«While funds are gathered for the relief of the schools, the best reading-matter is being placed in the hands of a large number of people, who, if this effort had not been made, would never have seen ‘Christ’s Object Lessons.’ There are souls in desolate places who will be reached by this effort. The lessons drawn from the parables of our Saviour will be to very many as the leaves of the tree of life.

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«It is the Lord’s design that ‘Christ’s Object Lessons,’ with its precious instruction, will unify the believers. The self-sacrificing efforts put forth by the members of our churches will prove a means of uniting them, that they may be sanctified, body, soul, and spirit, as vessels unto honor, prepared to receive the Holy Spirit. Those who seek to do God’s will, investing every talent to the best advantage, will become wise in working for his kingdom. They will learn lessons of the greatest value, and they will feel the highest satisfaction of a rational mind. Peace and grace and power of intellect will be given them.

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«As they carry this book to those who need the instruction it contains, the workers will gain a precious experience. This work is a means of education. Those who will do their best as the Lord’s helping hand to circulate ‘Christ’s Object Lessons’ will obtain an experience that will enable them to be successful laborers for God. Very many, through the training received in this work, will learn how to canvass for our larger work, which the people need so much.

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«All who engage in the work aright, cheerfully and hopefully, will find it a very great blessing. The Lord does not force any to engage in his work, but to those who place themselves decidedly on his side he will give a willing mind. He will bless all who will work out the spirit which he works in. To such workers he will give favor and success. As field after field is entered new methods and new plans will spring from new circumstances. New thoughts will come with the new workers who give themselves to the work. As they seek the Lord for help, he will communicate with them. They will receive plans devised by the Lord himself. Souls will be converted, and money will come in. The workers will find waste places of the Lord’s vineyard lying close beside fields that have been worked. Every field shows new places to win. All that is done brings to light how much more still remains to be done.

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«As we work in connection with the Great Teacher, the mental faculties are developed. The conscience is under divine guidance. Christ takes the entire being under his control.

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«No one can be truly united with Christ, practicing his lessons, submitting to his yoke of restraint, without realizing that which he can never express in words. New, rich, thoughts come to him. Light is given to the intellect, determination to the will, sensitiveness to the conscience, purity to the imagination. The heart becomes more tender, the thoughts more spiritual, the service more Christlike. In the life there is seen that which no words can express,-true, faithful, loving devotion of heart, mind, soul, and strength to the work of the Master.»

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Our institutions have made and will make sacrifices, and we wish to say, Do not be weary in well-doing. The most precious work is yet before us. Our camp-meetings will soon open; and if every one will put on the armor, and work intelligently, the blessing of God will come to us.

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The light that has been given me is that Battle Creek has not the best influence over the students in our school. There is altogether too congested a state of things. The school, although it will mean a fewer number of students, should be moved out of Battle Creek. Get an extensive tract of land, and there begin the work which I entreated should be commenced before our school was established here,-to get out of the cities, to a place where the students would not see things to remark upon and criticise, where they would not see the wayward course of this one and that one, but would settle down to diligent study.

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Every term of school which we have held at Avondale has resulted in the conversion of nearly every student in the school. In some terms this has been the case without exception, and in others there have not been more than two or three exceptions. Business men have brought their children from Newcastle to our school in Avondale, so that they would not be tempted as they would be in the public schools, which they declared were corrupted. Our schools should be located away from the cities, on a large tract of land, so that the students will have opportunity to do manual work. They should have opportunity to learn lessons from the objects which Christ used in the inculcation of truth. He pointed to the birds, to the flowers, to the sower and the reaper.

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In schools of this kind not only are the minds of the students benefited, but their physical powers are strengthened. All portions of the body are exercised. The education of mind and body is equalized. The body needs a great deal more care than it gets. There are men here who are suffering, O so much, because they are not faithful stewards of their bodies. God wants you to use every means in your power to care for the wonderful machinery which he has given you. Let no part of it rust from inaction.

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When students study the popular literature of the present day, evil will be sure to crop out. When young ladies read novels, they are led away from the living experience which they should gain in the truth. Instead of preparing themselves for missionary work, they pore over novels, by which they are made just as drunk as is a drunkard by the liquor which he drinks. Thus the mind is impaired, and they are made unable to study.

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Students should have manual work to do, and it will not hurt them if in doing this work they become weary. Do you not think Christ became weary?-Indeed he did. Weariness injures no one. It only makes rest sweeter. It will not hurt the students to deny appetite, and live on a simple diet of fruits and grains. This will help them. It will strengthen and bless them. It is a meat diet, and a great variety of food, which is ruining the digestive organs. None of our schools are to indulge in these harmful things.

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The young men, as well as the young women are to be taught how to cook; and the young women, as well as the young men, are to take a part in outside work. When this is done, there will be found in our schools in America as healthy a class of students as is found in our school in Cooranbong, where there are few of the students whose health has not been improved by correct habits of life.

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God wants the school to be taken out of Battle Creek. Let us take away the excuse which has been made for families to come into Battle Creek. They must get away from Battle Creek; for God does not want them here. Day after day the question is put to individuals, «What doest thou here, Elijah?» Who sent you here? God did not send Elijah into the wilderness; he went of himself. God did not send you to Battle Creek. He has a work for you to do in his vineyard. Put on the armor, and go forth into places where you can raise up churches, where you can establish humble institutions, where you can work in medical missionary lines.

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God wants the perceptive faculties of his people to be clear and capable of hard work. But if you are living on a flesh diet, you need not expect that your mind will be fruitful. The thoughts must be cleansed; then the blessing of God will rest upon his people. We want the pervading truth of God’s word to get hold of every one of our people before this Conference is over. We want them to understand that the flesh of animals is not the proper food for them to eat. Such a diet cultivates the animal passions in them and in their children. God wants us to educate our children in right habits of eating, dressing, and working. He wants us to do what we can to repair the broken-down machinery.

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Some may be stirred about the transfers of the school from Battle Creek. But they need not be. This move is in accordance with God’s design for the school before the institution was established. But men could not see how this could be done. There were so many who said that the school must be in Battle Creek. Now we say that it must be somewhere else. The best thing that can be done is to dispose of the school’s buildings here as soon as possible. Begin at once to look for a place where the school can be conducted on right lines. God wants us to place our children where they will not see and hear that which they should not see or hear. God wants his church to take up the stones, to remove the rubbish, to clear the highway for the coming of the Lord. He wants them to prepare to meet their God.

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I shall at another time have more to say on the subject of education of children in the school and in the family. Oh, with what sadness God looks upon the neglect of fathers and mothers. This neglect is registered in the books of heaven.

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Let the work of relieving our schools go steadily forward. Work to the point, and the blessing of God will rest upon you. And when the debt is lifted, still continue the work; for a fund should be raised to send to school students who can not pay their own way.

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Parents should be willing to pay a little higher tuition, that our schools may not again fall into debt. It is the duty of those who sent their children to school when the tuition was too low to help in lifting the debt on the schools. God will bless them in the performance of this duty.

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In our camp-meetings let a thorough work be done in selling, not only «Object Lessons,» but all our books. Let not one minister think that to sell our books is too humiliating a work. Too humiliating a work! Not at all. God wants every line of his work to be carried forward intelligently, in the name of the Lord God of Israel. A sermon is of tenfold more value than it would otherwise be if, after it is delivered, books treating upon the subject presented are sold to the hearers. Let us push with all our might the work of selling our books, and God will bless us in this effort. This is not a work of which any of us should be ashamed. By this work the light of truth is shed abroad in the world.