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Vol. 38, No. 27
Registered at the General Post
Once, Sydney, for transmission
by Post as a Newspaper
Sydney, Monday, July 2, 1934
Other Forms of Entertainment
Social Gatherings
was created with social instincts. He was not
MANdesigned
by his Creator to live the life of a recluse,
teachers can do much to supply diversions wholesome and lifegiving."—" Education," p. 211.
but to associate with others in carrying out God's purpose in His creation. It is right that this social instinct
should be recognised and cultivated, but like every other
quality of the human mind, it should be held within its
proper field and directed in right channels. It should
be governed and controlled by reason and sound judgment.
Social gatherings and parties of pleasure enter very
largely into the lives of the world around us. Night
after night is spent in fun and frolic, in revelry and dissipation. Unfortunately, even professed Christians are
found as leaders in this world of amusement and sport.
Sometimes Seventh-day Adventists feel that these things
are evil only because of their environment, and that the
same class of amusements may be brought into the home
with impunity.
I know of one Christian woman who some years ago
felt that she could hold her children from the worldly
amusements around her if she permitted them, with
select companions, to hold dancing parties in the home.
The experiment, needless to say, was an unfortunate one,
and only hastened the drift of her children worldward.
And this must be the influence of every worldly party of
pleasure, even though it may be held in a Seventh-day
Adventist home. Regarding this, the messenger of the
Lord says :
" The young generally conduct themselves as though the
It was when Israel of old spent their time in " eating
and drinking, and making merry " (1 Kings 4 : 20) that
they forgot God, and this paved the way for the great
apostasy that came into the nation in the reign of King
Solomon. We cannot ignore our responsibility and
squander precious time with no definite aim or objective
without reaping the unfortunate fruit of our decision in
later life.
precious hours of probation, while mercy lingers, were one
grand holiday, and they were placed in this world merely for
their own amusement, to be gratified with a continued round of
excitement. Satan has been making special efforts to lead them
to find happiness in worldly amusements, and to justify themselves by endeavouring to show that these amusements are
harmless, innocent, and even important for health."—" Testi-
monies," Vol. 1, p. 5o1.
"As ordinarily conducted, parties of pleasure . . . are a
hindrance to real growth, either of mind or of character.
Frivolous associations, habits of extravagance, of pleasure seeking, and too often of dissipation, are formed, that shape the
whole life for evil. In place of such amusements, parents and
"This lifetime is too short to be squandered in vain and
trifling diversion, in unprofitable visiting, in needless dressing
for display, or in exciting amusements. We cannot afford to
squander the time given us of God in which to bless others, and
in which to lay up for ourselves a treasure in heaven. We have
none too much time for the discharge of necessary duties."—
" Testimonies," Vol. 3, p. 146.
Parties of Pleasure
While in the special instruction that has come to the
remnant church we have been encouraged to provide
innocent amusement for our children and under proper
conditions to meet together in social enjoyment, at the
same time very definite counsel has been borne against
bringing into our homes or churches such social gatherings as are common in the world. From " Counsels to
Teachers," page 344, I quote the following :
" I do not recommend pleasure parties where young people
assemble together for mere amusement, to engage in cheap, nonsensical talk, and where loud boisterous laughter is to be heard.
I do not recommend the kind of gathering where there is a letting down of dignity, and the scene is one of weakness and folly."
In the visions of the night the messenger of the
Lord was given a view of a worldly gathering held in the
home of one of our own people. It will be profitable for
us to read the description she gives of this indulgence.
I quote again from " Counsels to Teachers," pages
339, 340:
" There has been a class of social gatherings, . . . parties of
pleasure that have been a disgrace to our institutions and to the
church. They encourage pride of dress, pride of appearance,
self-gratification, hilarity, and trifling. Satan is entertained as
AUSTRALASIAN RECORD' -- itP&ktj 2/7/34
an honoured guest, and he takes possession
of those who patronise these gatherings.
" A view of one such company_was presented to me, where were assembled those
who profess to believe the truth. One
was seated at the instrument of music, and
such songs were poured forth as made the
watching angels weep. There was mirth,
there was coarse laughter, there was abundance of enthusiasm, and a kind of inspiration; but the joy was such as Satan
only is able to create. This is an enthusiasm and infatuation of which all who love
God will be ashamed. It prepares the
participants for unholy thought and
action. I have reason to think that some
who were engaged in that scene, heartily
repented of the shameful performance.
"Many'such gatherings have been presented to me. I have seen the gaiety, the
display in dress, the personal adornment.
,want to be thought brilliant, and give
themselves up to hilarity, foolish jesting,
cheap, coarse flattery, and uproarious
laughter. The eyes sparkle, the cheek is
flushed, conscience sleeps. With eating
and drinking and merrymaking, they do
their best to forget God. The scene of
pleasure is their paradise. And Heaven
is looking on, seeing and hearing all. . . .
"The tenor of the conversation reveals
the treasure of the heart. The cheap,
common talk, the words of flattery, the
foolish witticism, spoken to create a laugh,
are the merchandise of-Satan, and all who
indulge in this talk are trading in his
goods. Impressions are made upon those
who hear these things, similar to that
made upon Herod when the daughter of
Herodias danced before him. All these
transactions are recorded in the books of
heaven; and at the last great day they
will appear in their true light before the
guilty ones. Then all will discern in
them the- alluring, deceptive workings of
the devil, to lead them into the broad road
and the wide gate that opens to their
ruin."
What of Your Home?
I wonder in how many homes at the
present time are such social gatherings as
this being held ? May I be more personal
and inquire, Are such gatherings as this
being held in your home ? When you invite the children of your neighbourhood
or of other members of the church to your
home, is the evening spent in the singing
of worldly songs, in telling jokes, in
boisterous laughter ? Social gatherings
in every Christian home should be of a
character upon which you can ask the
blessing of God, of such character that
you can feel, when the young people have
departed, that you have brought into their
lives ,noble impulses and high ideals and
earnest purposes.
There is another unfortunate feature
of some social gatherings held even
among Seventh-day Adventists, and that
is the serving of refreshments in the late
hours of the night. I have wondered
many times bow some who profess to believe the principles of healthful living and
even stand as the teachers of these principles, can encourage by their own example the violation of these principles at
such gatherings. There is little consistency in our crying out publicly against
these evils, and then giving loose rein to
our appetites in partaking of rich pastries
and combinations of milk and sugar in the
late hours of the night. As true health
reformers we should cast our influence,
both publicly and privately, in favour of
right principles
I recognise, of course, arrangements for
social gatherings are often made with
little thought as to their influence or
effects. Sometimes otherwise sincere and
sober Christian people are drawn into
worldly gatherings of this character
simply because they belong to a class in
the church who patronise this kind of
entertainment. They become contused as
to what is right.
" Young men and women who have
tried to be Bible Christians are persuaded
to join the party, and they are drawn into
the ring. They do not prayerfully consult the divine standard, to learn what
Christ has said in regard to the fruit to he
borne on the Christian tree. They do not
discern that these entertainments are
really Satan's banquet, prepared to keep
souls from accepting the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and preventing
them from receiving the white robe of
character, which is the righteousness of
Christ. They become confused as to
what it is right for them as Christians to
do."—" Counsels to Teachers," pp. 340, 341.
There are, however, social gatherings
of a proper character, and they should be
encouraged, There are certain underlying principles which should be borne in
mind in the conduct of social gatherings.
These underlying principles I purpose to
discuss next week.
F. M. WILCOX,
Editor:Review and Herald.
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OUR MISSION FIELD
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Week of Prayer at Monamona
Mission
WHEN we speak of a Week of Prayer
we think of a time of special services,
special prayer seasons, and special blessings. We of Monamona have always
looked forward to these seasons with joy,
but we all agree that our Week of Prayer
this year has been of exceptional help and
encouragement to us all.
A short while before our meetings commenced we had the pleasure of a visit from
Pastor Stratford from our Union headquarters and Brother E. A. Turner from
Brisbane. Their bright cheery talks were
much appreciated by all. Pastor Guilliard
was able to be with us from the first
Sabbath of our Week of Prayer until
Tuesday noon. We were happy to have
his help, and his timely talks were of
special blessing to our natives.
In the service on the last Sabbath, when
a special call was made for those to come
forward who desired to forsake all and
follow the Master, we witnessed a wonderful scene. Young men and women and
several older men rose and trod firmly up
the aisle, showing they were determined to
follow Jesus. But our young people with
their missionaries almost held their breath
as they witnessed the next scene: Up
came old men, men steeped in sin and
tobacco; up came women with hair
whitened with many summers, women
whose lives have long been sinful and
degraded. Up they came, with the tears
raining down their cheeks. I am sure
nothing else but the Spirit of God was
speaking to their hearts.
We know that many do not understand
fully how much they must overcome, and
some may grow weary by the way, but
they all showed that they desired to be
better and to do better.
In our praise service in the afternoon,
one man in expressing his determination to
do right said, "I would have been a
Christian years ago only for my tobacco."
There were thirty or more young people
on their feet at the same time. Our young
people just could not sit down after feasting their eyes on the morning scene, and
their hearts were full of melody. The son
of the above mentioned man said his heart
was so full of joy he did not know how to
tell us all how happy he felt about his
father.
Dear reader, as you kneel upon your
knees in prayer, will you not remember
these poor people whose desires are for
better things, but whose strength is but
weakness ?
PEARL A. BROAD.
Letter from Pitcairn Island
THE Remuera is expected tomorrow. It
will take a shipment of 300 cases of
oranges from here. It was interesting to
see the men at various points on the
island last week, busy with their pitsaws,
cutting logs into boards for making cases.
It will cost about six shillings per case to
land them at the purchasing company in
Auckland, N.Z. This seems high for
about seven or eight dozen oranges; but
Pitcairn oranges are beautiful fruit. We
do enjoy them, and our only difficulty is to
be able to use all the people give us. We
have been wonderfully treated right along.
There are various ones on the island who
delight in seeing what they can bring us to
eat. One of the leading men on the island
took upon himself the burden of bringing
us firewood, and every time he meets us
if he thinks we are needing anything he
makes inquiry.
Our prayer bands still meet, and during
the hour spent on both Sunday and Thursday evening we are planning to go right
through "The Great Controversy." It is
certainly inspiring and one could not
choose to read a more timely book. We
are glad to see the way the people come
to these meetings, each one of which is
conducted by its own leader.
We have over a dozen young people in
a baptismal class, and we are taking up
special studies for these. In addition, the
assistant elder, Brother Fred Christian,
holds special little meetings to read
"Steps to Christ" to the boys of this
class, and one of the sisters will take the
girls of the class. The plan is to help
these dear young folk see the importance
and seriousness of becoming members of
the church.
2,7,34 F---
.AIETsTrAITAITAR REcokb:"-Aluti
We are glad to hear the bright testimonies of many of the people. I am sure
the Lord has been leading many along to
a victorious experience in Him. The
Lord has compassion upon them in their
isolation. One feels very much drawn to
them, as one hears their expressions of
conscious need. They do feel grateful,
too, for every human encouragement.
Many express regret that we have to leave
them in June, but they add, "I suppose
your boys in New Zealand will be glad to
see you." We are of good courage in the
Lord and rejoice in His great love.
The oldest Pitcairn man on the island
commenced to suffer with a bad foot
some months ago. The doctors on two
passing ships said that the only successful
method with such cases is to amputate at
the knee. Right along we have been depending entirely upon the Lord for His
healing power to be shown, and at every
treatment prayer to God has been made.
The old man is making a very remarkable
recovery, and after many months in bed
we expect him to be again walking in a
few weeks now. He himself is quite
confident that no power could have saved
him but the power of the Great Physician,
and to his visitors the patient ascribes the
glory to his Saviour.
We feel glad about this, and thankful to
the Lord for His special manifestation of
power, even in face of impossibility from
the viewpoint of earthly physicians.
W. D. SMITH
Our Visit to Fiji
WHEN we left the Heads on the Niagara
on May 24 we ran into a choppy sea, and
all the way to New Zealand we had very
rough weather. The trip was reckoned to
be the worst that the Niagara had experienced for many years.
The short stay at Auckland was a most
pleasant occasion for me personally, as I
met many of the good people there whom
I had not seen for eleven years. The experience of meeting these Auckland
brethren and sisters was surely a most
happy one. A general meeting of the
Auckland members had been called for
the evening that the vessel was in port,
and Pastor Stewart gave an interesting
illustrated talk on mission work in the
South Seas. The people appreciated the
talk very much.
The trip from Auckland to Suva was
somewhat unpleasant, as the ship faced a
strong head gale most of the way. However, we arrived safely in Suva, but considerably behind schedule time.
We again experienced the joy of having
" relatives" meet us, and we were royally
welcomed by the workers and members in
Suva. We went out to Suva Vou for the
Sabbath and Sunday, and spent a very
happy week-end.
I had settled my mind to endeavour to
appreciate the effect of the message on
these dark-skinned people, and in the short
stay here I cannot help but love these
people, both Fijian and Indian. One
realises as soon as a landing is made in
Suva that he is in a tropical land and in
the midst of surroundings entirely different from those existing in the homeland.
Our Indian School
On the Sabbath I was asked to conduct
the service at the Indian School at Sama-
hula. The school at the present time has
an enrolment of about one hundred students, and Brother G. M. Masters, with
several Indian assistants, is doing very
acceptable work in the conduct of the
school. About thirty boys are living on
the school property, being boys selected
from outlying districts, boys who show
promise of real development.
When I entered the school on the Sabbath morning it was an inspiration to see
the Indian students so reverent and attentive during the exercises of the morning.
These boys are bright eyed and keen in
the pursuit of an education, many of
whom are desirous of the higher education
leading to the full acceptance of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Brother Masters, in all his'
school work, makes the way of salvation
clear to these boys, and I believe he will
see his efforts rewarded in the salvation
of many of those placed in his care.
One of the Indian boys conducted a
good Sabbath school, and during the class
recitation it was most interesting to see
Sister Baird from Western Australia
teaching a fairly large class of these Indian
boys. I am sure many of Sister Baird's
friends in the homeland would have enj3yed the sight. Sister Baird looked very
happy in her work, so did the boys.
Brother Masters interpreted for me
during the church service. There are
boys in the school who do not know very
much of our language, and Brother Masters was able to make the study clear
through the knowledge of the Hindi. It
was a novel experience to speak to a congregation through an interpreter.
As we passed through the Indian settlements, I noticed beside some of the cottages a long bamboo pole, about twentyfive feet high, with a red flag at the top.
At the foot of the pole were little dishes
of food, and I was told that these poles
were erected and the food placed there as
an act of worship to one of the Indian
gods. It seemed so strange that such worship should exist so near Suva.
Meetings in Suva Vou
After lunch we attended the European
Sabbath school and service in the Suva
Von church. There were 'about forty
Europeans present.
In the evening I met with the Fijian
members in the Suva Vou church and it
brought great pleasure to me. I had often
heard that the Fijians can sing, and they
surely can. It was an inspiration to me
when they sang the hymns that we know
so well. As I knelt beside the church
elder as he offered up his prayer during
this service, I felt that the prayer was one
of heartfelt praise. I could not understand the words at all, but the prayer was
so impressive and earnest that I knew the
Lord would hear this petition of His
humble servant.
With Brother Branster as interpreter I
told the good folk of some of the difficulties that our people have met with in other
countries, and of God's power being manifest. These people have a keen interest
in the members in other lands and appeared very much interested in the news
which we were able to give them.
Buresala Training School
Pastor and Mrs. Stewart and I have
spent the last day or so at the Buresala
Training School on the island of Ovalau.
The location of the school is most beauti-
ful, being set in a plantation of coconut
palms, with a background of beautiful
native bush.
When we arrived all the school family
were out to meet us. They were singing
as we pulled in, and we shook hands all
around.- Brother F. W. Reekie, who
recently came to live in Fiji, accompanied
us to Buresala for the trip.
Pastor Steed is in charge of the school
at Buresala, and they have a very fine class
of students in training at the present time.
There is an urgent need for. qualified
teachers here in Fiji, and an earnest effort
is being made to give the students that
standard of training that will fit them to
take this great message to their own people, and at the same time fulfil the Government requirement that all teachers must
be qualified to maintain their work.
We were pleased to meet Brother and
Sister Collett at Buresala. Brother Collett
was called to teaching work here some
two years ago, and he also has the general care of the students. The work at
Buresala is certainly encouraging, and we
hope that the students taking their teacher's
examination at the close of this year will
be successful.
We are planning to visit the island of
Mualevu in the course of a few days.
Brother and Sister Walter Ferris are there
and from all reports are having good success. We look forward very much to our
visit with the methbers in Lau.
I am very grateful for the privilege of
visiting among these people. One sees on
one hand idolatry and strong temptation,
and on the other an earnest searching after
God. It behoves us all to see the viewpoint of the natives in their more simple
manner of life, and realise that strong
temptation assails them, and at times in a
more direct way than many of us realise.
There is a great scope for work in
this land, and the members here are endeavouring to press on in the work of
winning many more of these people for
the kingdom of God.
R. TrI ADAIR.
Buresala,
Gathering Stones for a Church
THE message entered the Choong Choo
Province, Korea, a year ago last September, and nine companies were organised.
In one place where a hundred or more
gathered for Sabbath school under great
difficulties, having no church building in
which to meet, the believers were short of
funds. Twenty of the older girls, being
anxious to help, and having no money,
decided to carry stones that were needed
for the building. For over a month, every
evening from twilight till midnight they
went out to the near-by hills and streams
and gathered stones and carried them in
baskets on their heads to where the men
were working. They kept right on until the
church was finished.
The day the building was dedicated,
these young helpers were given a small
token of appreciation for their work, and
now all the believers in that place greatly
rejoice that they have a meeting place in
which all can gather for divine service.
THEODORA WANGERIN.
LAST year was the best year in soul winning that Cuba has ever seen. Fourteen
new churches were organised, and 346
converts baptised.
4
1
ALISTRALASIAN RECORD
L
ED CA IONA
Russia and Communism
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS are essentially interested in the present trend of
world events. Consequently it was not
surprising that Mr. Maroney,M.A , lecturer
for the Sydney University Tutorial Classes,
faced a keenly interested audience in the
A. M. College chapel on the night of June
9, when he spoke on conditions existing in
Russia under the Communistic regime.
Such a subject is of vital interest ; for
it is considered that conditions existing
today in Europe in general and Russia in
particular, will greatly influence future
events all over the world.
Russians claim, stated Mr. Maroney,
that their ideas will eventually dominate
the world. Those in charge of affairs in
that country hold as part of their faith
the idea of a world revolution in which
every country will take part, and the result of which will be complete victory for
the proletarian or common class. This is
the desire of every Communist, and it is
to this end that each works.
Mr. Maroney warned his audience not
to be misled into thinking that Russian
ideas will never be accepted by the world
in general. What is being done in Russia
is not so much Russian as it is Communistic, and what Communism has done for
Russia it can and will do for any other
country, should it gain power. The only
thing, perhaps, that gave Communism a
greater advantage in Russia than it would
have had in any other country was the
illiteracy of the people under the Czars.
What has actually happened in Russia
during late years was briefly outlined by
Mr. Maroney. The large population,
consisting mostly of peasant classes, kept
illiterate and oppressed by the Czars,
seemed to have a natural desire to revolt,
and as a result of the poverty and confusion into which the country was thrown
through the influences of the Great War,
this desire could no longer be checked,
and the result was the uprising which expelled the Czar. For some months following this event, two parties corresponding
to our National and Labour parties each
in their turn endeavoured to restore order.
This they failed to do, and the reins of
government were seized by a despised
party—the Bolsheviki—under the leadership of Lenin. Then followed what are
known in history as the " Russian Revolution Wars Communism" which were in
reality against the Bolsheviki party. From
these wars that party finally emerged
victorious. By the year 1928 the Bolsheviki had gained complete power and were
able to launch their first "five year plan"
which expired in 1932, whereupon a second
five year plan was commenced.
The chief results of the government by
the Bolsheviki or Communists have been
three. First,_ the abolition of private
ownership under the five year plan, which
placed the full control of agriculture and
industry in the hands of the government.
Today the greatest crime that can be committed in Russia is that of being a private speculator. Secondly, the campaign
against religion. Communism and religion
cannot but come into conflict over the
nature of man, because the former teaches
that man dies like an animal and the latter
believes in the after destiny of man. The
campaign against religion in Russia has
been apparently successful. Religionists
are forbidden to vote, to instruct their
children, and to spread propaganda,
whereas the anti-religionist is granted all
these rights. Thirdly, the abolition of
marriage, the object being to destroy the
family as a unit. No church or State
sanction is necessary to form the marriage union. All that is required is for
the contracting parties, when forming a
union, to have their names recorded in
a book at a government office. This
union can be just as simply broken.
Man and woman are placed on an equality,
and State controlled nurseries are provided
where some fourteen to fifteen million
children are cared for and educated while
both parents are at work.
At the close of his discourse, Mr.
Maroney, answering a question from the
audience, stated that under the present
system of education in Russia, most of the
people are now literate, but as they are
being educated according to Communistic
ideas, it is not necessarily concluded that
their education is beneficial.
Another interesting fact revealed in one
of the lecturer's answers was that although
Communism claims to be a government by
the common people, yet Stallin, the present leader, is practically a dictator.
E. A. BOEHM.
A High Standard
MINISTERS and people, if saved at all,
must be saved day by day, hour by hour.
They must hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ, the illumination of the
Holy Spirit. Church members,—those
placed in positions of trust,—must be baptised with the Spirit of God, or they will
not be qualified for the positions they
accept. A man may have a knowledge of
the Scriptures which will not make him wise
unto salvation, although he may be able
to master his opponents in public controversy. If he does not have a yearning of
soul after God; if he does not search his
own heart as with a lighted candle, fearing
that any wrong should lurk there; if he is
not possessed with a desire to answer the
prayer of Christ, that His disciples may be
one as He is one with the Father, that the
world may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
—he flatters himself in vain that he is a
Christian.—"Fundamentals of Christian
Education," p. 240.
"If we paused to think that angels
Walk beside us in the way,
Would we not be far more careful
What we do and what we say ? "
"There is sunshine waiting for us,
All we live for is not lost;
Hopes we cherished still are living,
And are neither shrived nor crossed.
Though for many a kindly impulse
We've been wounded, we'll not cry;
But still strive to do our duty.
So we will, heart, you and I."
2,7/34
MISSION
;voluwTEE
With Our M. V's and Our J.M.V's
in the Far North—Part 2
IT was a pleasant surprise to see Brother
Broad's smiling face on the Cairns station
waiting to welcome me there. We left
a few minutes later on the mixed train for
Oak Forest, the nearest railway station
to Monamona. I was fortunate in that
it was a clear moonlight night, and
Brother Broad kindly pointed out all the
places of interest on the journey through
the wonderful mountain scenery, including the Rocky Creek Falls, the Barron
Gorge, and the Barron Falls, which afforded
a magnificent sight in the moonlight.
We arrived at Oak Forest about 10.30
p.m. and as the Barron River was still in
flood we had to wade across, carefully
placing our feet between the large stones
in the bed of the river, finally getting on to
the bridge over the main stream. Climbing
a steep hill on the other side of the bridge,
we found the mission car still waiting
where Brother Broad had left it many
hours previously, and started what to me
was the most interesting trip over the
rough track to our aboriginal station, arriving at midnight.
Early next morning I was invited to the
dining room of the mission, where all were
waiting to welcome the visitor. I wish
you all could have looked upon that scene.
Breakfast had just finished, and it was
very interesting to look over this company,
the little folks in the front rows, with arms
folded and big curious eyes, as solemn as
judges; and the young people sitting farther
back, looking on with interest, and listening to the welcome given on their behalf
by the mission superintendent. After just
a word of response, they began to file out
while I shook hands with them as Brother
Broad gave me their names.
During the morning I was shown over
the mission property and the various
activities, visiting the natives in their
homes, the young people in the school, and
the white workers of the mission. That
night a special meeting was held in the
church, a very fine building, easily seating
the 180 who were present. We put up the
M.V. chart, telling them of the young
people's work throughout Australasia, including the islands of the sea, and giving
them the first principles of all that M.V.
stands for. Very keen interest was manifested; all eyes were focused on the chart
as the various phases were explained, and
all ears bent to listen concerning the call of
God to the youth of this great movement.
The next day, Thursday, I visited the
dispensary, and later other homes in the
settlement to become still further acquainted with the natives. Some time was
also spent profitably in talking with the
white workers, all of whom were very
eager to have the young people's work
strongly organised in that northernmost
company in the homeland. As a small
2/7/34
-W*4' AtiStik—KLASIAN RECORD
electric light plant had recently been installed, I was urged to bring my lantern
slides with me. That night lantern slides
were shown in the dining room, which was
crowded to its utmost capacity, all being
intensely interested in seeing for the first
time in their lives the views of our mission
work in the Mandated Territory, Papua,
and the Solomon Islands,—the fields which
it had been my privilege to visit some
months before.
On Friday further conferences were
held with the workers, and definite plans
laid for the J.M.V. work. In the afternoon the dormitories were inspected,
and it was good to see the way in which
the young people are responding to the
earnest efforts of those who have charge.
Everything was neat and tidy and orderly,
and many are making an endeavour to fit
themselves for a place of real usefulness
wherever the Lord has in mind for them
to work. I found that the appointment of
Dick and Jessie and of Will and Minnie to
the island fields has been a real blessing
to the work at Monamona. The natives
were real pleased that I was able to tell
them of my visit to Papua, and to describe
the work there, and bring news regarding
the aboriginal teachers in that mission
field.
Never will I forget Friday night. A
special meeting was held in the church,
practically everybody on the mission was
present, and the Spirit of God came very
near to us. After telling them as simply as
I could the steps in the Christian life, and
making a call fora deeper consecration and
a reality in the experience of victory in the
daily life, we quietly waited for them to
respond. Without any urging or laboured
effort, one here and yon would stand and
get a real victory. I could hear the brethren with me on the rostrum signify by
their fervent amen their joy at seeing some
yield their hearts to God as they had never
done before. No one seemed anxious to
leave, and the meeting continued until all
had eventually spoken. Wending our way
down the hill to the mission campus, we
thanked God for His wonderful blessing.
The Sabbath was a happy day. It was
fine to see such a large and enthusiastic
Sabbath school. The Sabbath morning
service was taken by Brother E. A. Turner,
Field Missionary Secretary for Queensland,
who had come up from Cairns for the
week-end. We had a church filled again
in the afternoon for the young people's
meeting, which lasted two hours. Once
more the young people wanted to hear
concerning the M.V. work. After giving
them a word picture of travelling with our
missionaries in the islands, we turned
again to the chart, and endeavoured to
bind off our work and bring home to their
hearts many essential lessons vital to the
experience of our youth today. Great
interest was manifested, and we believe
that they will not readily forget what they
have heard.
A company of the young men rendered
a special musical item by means of a leaf
which each places between his lips. These
are played expertly, and are an innovation
for a southerner. That Saturday night it
was my privilege to give another lantern
lecture on the M V. and the J.M.V. work,
both in home and island fields. Ibis was
interspersed with special musical items in
the way of quartettes and selections by
the girls' mouth organ band, all of which
were well rendered and very enjoyable.
Before closing the meeting we put on two
reels depicting our island work on the
motion picture outfit, and I can almost
imagine I still hear the exclamations of
our coloured brethren and sisters and
young people as they looked upon the
island scenes that moved before them.
S. V. STRATFORD.
1.111111111111111,1111111I11111111111111111111111111111111I1111111111111111011111111I1111111111111111111
SOUTH
NEW SOUTH WALES
R. E. HARE
W. H. HOPKIN
PRESIDENT:
SECRETARY:
Esmosinessoniontsininnunientsmininontessonniumnimommonii
Three Campaigns Completed
Hospital Work
ON Friday, May 4, one hundred and
fourteen suburban church workers attacked
the heart of Sydney with collecting boxes
and buttons to secure financial assistance
for our metropolitan hospitals. The
twenty-seven city blocks in which we
worked last year were assigned to us again,
and under the leadership of Pastors J. S.
Stewart, J. Thompson, E. R. Whitehead,
H. C. Harker, F. H. Letts, and T. J. Bradley,
also Brother E. L. Minchin, Sister Baines,
and Miss L. V. Booth, the workers' efforts
with the blessing of God yielded £144 8s.
Ted. This was a little less than last year's
attainment, but as the day was wet and
not nearly so many people as usual were
in the city the results were entirely
satisfactory, The Sanitarium nurses and
the Ashfield church concentrated upon
their own localities, and doubled last year's
figures. Consequently, what was lost in
the city was gained in the suburbs, as the
total sum received this year was £205 18s.
6d., compared with £201 I2S. 7d. collected
on Hospital Day last year.
The suburban work was directed by
Brother G. S. Fisher in the vicinity of the
Sanitarium, by Sister Foley of Ashfield
at Strathfield, Sister Evans at Ryde, and
Sister Dustin at Gladesville.
We have reason to believe that the
achievement was very gratifying and
everybody enjoyed helping the splendid
service that our hospitals are bestowing
upon suffering humanity.
Benevolent Society
The Mothers' Day Appeal of the
Benevolent Society occupied the attention
5
of a number of our sisters on Friday, May
II.
Activities were limited to railway
stations, and various workers assisted
Sisters Simpson, Boulting, Evans, Foster,
Cernik, Hart, May, and Barnes, whilst
Brother G. S. Fisher, Manager of the
Sanitarium, arranged for the work in
Warrawee, with the result that last year's
attainment was exceeded by 140 per cent.
This appeal is not a general one among
our metropolitan churches, because it is
conducted so close to our annual Appeal
for Missions and the Hospital Saturday
Fund appeal. Nevertheless, the service
rendered at that particular time each year
and also on the occasion of the Christmas
Cheer effort, is much appreciated by the
officers of the N.S.W. Benevolent Society.
The following is a copy of a letter written
by the General Organiser and dated May
30:
"Dear Mr. Head,
"It was with much pleasure today I
reported to my Directors that your church
folk had collected for us the particularly
fine total of £48 12s. 5d., in association
with our Mothers' Day effort.
"This, of course, is easily the highest
contribution for the day, and my Directors
desire me specially to write and express
their sincere thanks for this most opportune help.
"It is not easy for us to convey to you
and to your helpers just what this help
means to our Directors who are faced
with the problem of caring for so many
thousands of less fortunate mothers and
little ones, but they are indeed greatly encouraged by having you and your folk to
assist in our community work.
" Please endeavour to convey to your
people how much we feel indebted to
them, and it will be a pleasure for us to
continue to do our best to merit their continued confidence and co-operation.
" With kinds regards,
" Yours very truly,
" THOMAS E. SHONK."
Summary
The three financial campaigns completed this year, secured the sum of
£2,404, and have provided a variety of experiences.
Our own Appeal for Missions required
more thoughtful planning, perseverance,
and patience than usual., Wet weather
followed us from the beginning to the
end of the nine weeks' work, and not
PHOTO N. TODD
View of Portion of the North Queensland Camp Meeting Held in the Townsville
Show Ground, May 10-20 (taken from the grandstand)
6
r&Ieltie-AIISTRALASIAN RECORD
one week was forgotten by it. Nevertheless, the Lord enabled His people to
perform satisfactorily the task which had
been assigned and, of course, everybody
was pleased to receive the news which
announced the realisation of our aim.
Throughout the various efforts we have
endeavoured to keep the soul-winning
objective uppermost in our minds because
we understand fully that the chief purpose
of all our work should be the salvation of
souls.
We are just launching the real soulwinning effort of the year, and plan to
encourage our church workers to attempt
more active and definite soul-winning service than they have ever attempted in the
past.
Our Union Conference Home Missions
Secretary, Pastor W. J. Westerman, and
Pastor S. V. Stratford, the Union M.V.
Secretary, as well as Pastor R. E. Hare,
our- Conference President, and Brother
E. L. Minchin, the Missionary Volunteer
Secretary of our Conference, are assisting
in a series of Home Mission rallies that
we are conducting in Sydney just now,
and we are hoping that they will be instrumental in encouraging and inspiring
our good people to perform just the kind
of service which the Lord expects of us in
these closing days of time, and which he
can use in speeding His work to its end.
CHARLES HEAD,
South N.S.W. Conf. Home Missions Sec.
The Doctor Thinks Aloud—No 7
ONE of the common complaints met
in our medical work is that of indigestion. It is not a simple symptom to relieve,
as its causes are myriad, but a fair proportion can be benefited by treatment. A
larger share could have been prevented by
attention to a few simple hygienic laws.
In the routine examination of a number
of our students, workers, and members, I
have been impressed by the condition of
their teeth. It has not been uncommon
to see children under twenty with all their
permanent teeth extracted. Few of the
mouths examined have not contained decayed or dead teeth that needed attention.
Is it any wonder that we have indigestion
when we leave the doorway to our stomachs in this condition?
Several things may be done to help.
First, protect the teeth of our children by
routine dental care, including cleanings
and fillings. Second, give the children
sufficient green foods and milk to supply
them with an abundance of vitamins and
calcium to aid in the development of strong
teeth. If drinking tank water, calcium
tablets or lime water should be taken regularly. Third, have any cavity that appears
in the permanent teeth filled at once.
Fourth, wash the teeth at least once a day.
Fifth, remember that no artificial denture
can ever take the place of a good set of
your own teeth.
"SELF-CONQUEST is the greatest of
victories."
Of Vital Importance
WILL you kindly permit me to express
in the RECORD our heartfelt thanks to the
great Head of our church for the excellent,
timely, and solemnly important articles
given to us week by week in its pages.
There we obtain meat in due season and
hear the trumpet giving no uncertain
sound. To refer to a few recent
articles: In March 26 and April 2 were
two testimony studies giving us the direct
council of God in regard to uprightness in
deal, and integrity in business, showing
with unmistakable clearness and emphasis
that God means the Golden Rule to be
brought into every business transaction.
It is the true standard of Christianity and
anything short of it is a deception. (Matt.
7 : 12 ; "Mount of Blessing" p. 195.)
Thus, until this rule is practised, in vain
do we look and pray for Penticostal
power.
Again, how intensely interesting was Pastor Turner's article in the April 16 issue,
containing an editoral from the American
Mercury, in which were given some of the
statements and queries of its secular editor
which none of the church leaders throughout the world could refute or answer. Following it are quotations from " Testimonies
to Ministers," pp. 439, 45r, declaring, "It is
not increased light that we need so much
as it is to live out the light we already
have." "The light has not been diminished, but we walk not in its rays."
In the first article of April 3o we are
permitted to hear some ccunsel given by
his Satanic majesty to his wide-awake
agents, pertaining to Seventh-day Adventists in particular.
"Take Nothing for Granted" in May 14
was filled with food for thought, worth
pondering over and over by all who desire
above all else to make their calling and
election to life eternal sure.
In May 21 Pastor Kranz proved conclusively the correctness of our teaching
in regard to the sanctuary and judgment—
and the weakness of our opponent's
position relative to it.
Pastor A. W. Anderson, in May 28, deals
with the "testimony of Jesus" or Spirit of
Prophecy in the remnant church, and many
will heartily endorse it all, and specially
wherein he states, "The more a man
studies the Bible with the help of the
writings of Sister White, the more powerfully he preaches the message, and the
greater are the results of his work ;" and
vice versa.
In June 4, " Sympathy in Church Life "
reminds us of our beloved Master's ideal
for His church ; that is, that it shall excel
anything to be found on earth in love,
helpfulness, sympathy, and Christian
courtesy, quoting John 15: 12, Eph. 4:31,
32. If the fruits of the Spirit, the riches of
His grace, the beauty of our God, be conspicuous by their absence, wherein do we
differ from others having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof ?
" By their fruits [or conduct] ye shall know
them." In these days of multiplied sects,
what credential shall prove who are indeed
Christ's disciples? Have we it? How
constantly we need to bear in mind that
"we may be active, we may do much work,
but without love, such love as dwelt in the
heart of Christ, we can never be numbered
with the family of heaven."
2/7/34
Pastor C. B. Haynes' sermon in June II
found an answering chord in -the heart of
every true lover of this message. What
intense sorrow, distress, and perplexity it
has caused such to see the gr ave departure
from the old high standards once faithfully followed by the rank and file of
Seventh-day Adventists. How can the
loud cry of the second angel sound through
the earth calling the honest-hearted to
come out of Babylon and unite with us,
until we cease to follow Babylonish ways
and methods; until we ourselves are a
people distinct and separate, touching not
the unclean or the questionable? How
can we glory in a gain in membership if
such is obtained through compromising with the world, as in Constantine's
day? Which did God prefer and choose
in Gideon's day to fight His battles, 30,000
men of mixed motives or 30o whole-hearted
warriors? Has the path to heaven widened, or is it still true that "strait is the
gate and, narrow isthe way, which leadeth
unto life, and few there be that find it " ?
" The light has not been diminished, but
we walk not in its rays." If we heed not
His prophets, can we really prosper ?
How many true-hearted, whole-hearted
warriors has God today who will have no
fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather reprove them, who will
exalt the old standards and stand stiffly for
the truth? Who will show as distinctly
as Pastor Haynes has his attitude toward
the drift and apostasy which have driven
the love of prayer and praise and' spiritual
exercises from our midst, also the mighty
convicting and converting and empowering
Spirit of tha Living God ? Hos. IO: 12 ;
Isa. 62 : 1-7 ; Joel 2: 15-18; Josh 24 :14-16.
A LOVER OF TRUTH.
Is Satan a Sin-bearer ?
CONDEMNING voices often claim that our
faith makes Satan a sin-bearer I No ! The
Book of God and the faith of Jesus know
of only one Sin-bearer and that is God's
Lamb. Thousands c f sacrifices were offered pointing to that Lamb, and through
the confession of sin, faith found forgiveness. Faith must still look back, still confessing its sin over God's Lamb to find
forgiveness.
The sinner who will not confess his sin
must finally die the second death to meet
the sentence pronounced, "The wages of
sin is death." Man dies the first death
because of Adam's sin. But the second is
the result of his own unforgiven sin.
When the repentant heart makes confession over God's Lamb (in the name of
Christ) that sin is forgiven and so far as
the sinner is concerned it never comes
back to him. Christ's sacrifice affords him
forgiveness, and from God's side that offering is accepted and the atonement is made.
But the record of that still remains on the
book of heaven. There it must remain
until the time comes for "blotting out
sin." Acts 3 :19 21. That will be the
time of God's final dealing with sin. Rev.
20 : 12-15. Then, the sin confessed, with
every other sin that has been forgiven,
will be thrust out upon the head of the antitypical scapegoat. Thus Satan dies with
sin, not as a sin-bearer, but as the originator
of sin!
The wicked man, not having accepted
God's provision for forgiveness, dies with
his sin, not as a sin-bearer, but as the sin-
2i7,34
7 ...
Jo
AUSTRALASIAN RECORD'OM I
condemned, without a sin-bearer I In that
final cleansing, sin and the sinner both go
out of God's universe for ever. Satan
must share in that destruction
Christ died for sin, but He had no sin,
so God raised Him from the dead. Rom.
8: II. The divine offer of forgiveness is
wide enough for a world—all who are
willing to confess and forsake the wrong.
But without confession forgiveness cannot
be claimed. I John I :9. God's plan of
forgiveness does not rest on proxy, indulgence, or some wholesale scheme of dealing
with sin. No! It is always personal—
" Thy sins be forgiven thee."
On the typical day of atonement the
forgiven sins were placed on the head of
the scapegoat. A red cloth was then tied
round its horns in evidence of criminality,
- and with that condemning evidence it was
pushed backwards over the cliff to destruction —" The Jewish Nation," p. 241. It died
with sin
So in the antitype. Christ died for sin.
Satan dies with sin. Not as a sin-bearer,
but as the sin-condemned I
Child of the message! Fear not the
accusing voices. God's foundations stand
sure, and we may safely close our ears to
the discordant, criticising voices that speak
the words of earthly tongues.
R. HARE.
Importance of Careful Study of
the " Testimonies "
THE Spirit of Prophecy was provided
for God's people in this time. In that respect these writings differ from the Bible.
They are in perfect harmony with the
Bible, and are not intended to introduce
new doctrines and advance new theories.
All that is taught in the Spirit of Prophecy
is found in principle in the Bible, but it is
dealt with in detail and enlarged upon in
the writings of Mrs. E. G. White.
Those who neglect the study of these
books sustain a great loss. In fact, just
this light and counsel which God has seen
fit in His mercy to give to us is needed by
every member of the remnant church.
The Lord is preparing a people for translation. In these days of darkness and of
serious departure from true standards the
Lord is to have a people who will be true
to Him and to His law, and who will maintain the highest standards of living and
occupy a high plane above the ways of the
world.
There is a tendency now for our people
to become slack in many ways. It is perfectly natural to drift to the ways and
standards of the world. This is true in all
phases of life, and we find when we carefully read these recent words which God
has given us through inspiration, that all
matters that pertain to life are dealt with
thoroughly and intimately. It is not enough
for one to say he believes the Spirit of
Prophecy. We must go farther than to be
able to say we have the books and have
read them. This counsel is to be studied
very carefully, and put into practice in our
daily lives. It is a good idea to look up
chapters that deal with important questions
and vital standards, and make a very earnest study of these chapters with candour
and full confidence.
When the Spirit of Prophecy is read or
studied in a critical way, no benefit can be
received. These writings must be studied
and received in the attitude of confidence
and love. They must be taken as God's
merciful appeal -in helping us and preparing us to be what He wants us to be.
They are to be read and studied in a consistent way. Extreme positions should be
avoided. Taking statements out of their
natural setting to establish an extreme position is unfortunate. As with the Bible, we
need to compare paragraph with paragraph
and statement with statement, and ever
keep in mind the fact that a God of love is
thus providing for us His counsel, encouragement, and guidance in- a time of great
need in the darkest hours of the earth's
history. In such a time He is seeking to
make His people intelligent with reference
to all that pertains to life and salvation.
We hear of companies here and there
meeting to study the "Testimonies" together. That is a good practice, but
perhaps best of all is the individual study
in a prayerful and sincere attitude to know
the mind of God and to receive the help
that He has provided for us in this precious
gift.
E. K. SLADE.
" Seventh-day Advantages "
I WAS visiting a business section in
Kuala Lumpur, and in the course of conversation the man in charge asked if I was
a "Seventh-day Advantage." Thinking
that I had not heard aright, I asked him
to repeat it, which he did. I then asked
him what he meant by that. He said,
"Aren't you people called 'Seventh-day
Advantages'?" After correcting him, I
pointed out that Seventh-day Adventists
did enjoy many "advantages" from the
Lord by keeping the Sabbath; and that
He certainly bestows upon them abundant
blessings that come through the observance of His commandments. "Blessed are
they that do His commandments, that they
may have right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the city."
W. W. R. LAKE.
In "Malayan Notes of Progress."
OBITUARY
Quinlen.—Our dear Sister Jessie Quinlen passed away in the Kempsey hospital
in February last, after ailing for some
time. The end came rather unexpectedly
to the family, causing much grief to them
all. Sister Quinlen was among the first
fruits of the Kempsey mission, her name
appearing as Number 5 on the baptism
roll of the Macleay River Aboriginal
Church. Our dear sister stood firmly on
the Lord's side till the end, not discouraged
by the many difficulties and trials through
which she was called to pass. On our
return to the Kempsey mission in 1926,
after three years' absence from these dear
people, Sister Quinlen's home in the bush
produced the first fruits once more, ten
responding to the Spirit's call. Our sister
rests in the Lord and awaits His appearing. The Salvation Army conducted the
P. B. RUDGE.
funeral service.
Lupton.— Sweetly and peacefully,
Sister Grace Lupton passed into her last
sleep on the morning of June I. Two
years ago she was bereft of the companionship of her husband, who was also one of
God's jewels. This devoted and godly
couple heard the message some few years
ago as the result of a mission conducted in
Timaru, South N Z., by Pastor J. W.
Kent. Today the relatives and church
members mourn, but not without hope.
We laid our dear sister to rest on the
following Sunday afternoon. Words of
hope and comfort were spoken both at her
residence and graveside to the mourners
and many friends. The writer was
assisted by the church elder, Brother Cox,
and also by Brother R. P. Brown.
M. H. WHITTAKER.
RaetheL —On June 4, in the Glen Huon
cemetery, Warren Henry Raethel, aged
seven years, son of Albert Raethel, of Glen
Huon, was laid to rest. He was one of
the brightest of the church school and
Sabbath school boys, and loved by all with
whom he came in contact. He was sitting
on a log with his father and brother, on a
steep embankment above the road, chatting to a friend. The father and elder
brother had risen and stepped back over
the log, when without warning, and after
lying there for years, it began to roll and
caught the little child as he jumped on to
the drain, and crushed the little life.
Brother Adrian accompanied the writer,
as a service was held in the church and
later at the graveside. Our sympathy
goes out to the bereaved parents and other
sorrowing relatives. He sleeps as one of
the precious ones till Jesus comes.
F. G. RAMPTON.
Walter.-0 n June 5 Sister Walter
passed to rest after an intermittent illness
extending over several weeks. Our sleeping sister accepted present truth less than
twelve months ago, but in her short experience she manifested much of God's
Spirit under the heavy cross that was hers
to bear. Pastor Foster and the writer
conducted the service in the home and at
the graveside.
W. T. HOOPER.
Wanted.—A brother who has been unemployed nearly four years, owing to the
depression, and is now with people who
are antagonistic to Adventists, would accept any position with those of like faith.
Prefers cooking, having spent almost all
his life in biscuit factories. Is recommended as a steady, honest, and industrious worker. Now in Victoria. Apply
EDITOR, " Mizpah," Wahroonga, N.S.W.
THE W. A. Conference Treasurer gratefully acknowledges the receipt of ten
shillings as tithe sent in anonymously.
THE treasurer of the North N.S.W.Conference expresses thanks for an amount of
ten shillings received from Grafton for
mission work.
A LADY in Rockhampton, Q., was interested in both the Adventist and the Pentecostal meetings. One Sunday evening she
was undecided which service to attend,
and sought the Lord in prayer. When
she rose from her knees a knock came at
the door, and one of our folk handed her
the Signs of the Times. She took that as
an answer from the Lord, and went to the
Adventist meeting. Later when she heard
the Sabbath question presented she was
again perplexed. Again some one handed
her the Signs, with the result that she became an Adventist through reading the
articles -in that particular number.
riONSEe-ALISTRALASIAN RECORD
8
Australasian larrurb
THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE
A USTRALASIAN UNION CONFERENCE
OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
Acting Editor: Viola M. Rogers
single Subscription, per year, post Paid - 5/
Order through your conference office, or send
direct to the Avondale Industries,
Cooranbong, N.S.W.
Printed weekly for the Conference by the
AdONGAi-E PASIS (A.C.A. LTD.{, GOURANBOhG. k S.W.
AFTER a year and eight months away
from home travelling among the churches
of several conferences in Signs promotion
work, Brother W. S. Renn passed through
Wahroonga on his way back to Victoria
from North Queensland.
PASTOR A. H. PIPER, Dr. C. W. Harrison, and Brother J. S. Sandeman are expected home from the Solomon Islands on
June 24. They are travelling by the
Malaita, accompanied by Brother Norman
Ferris, who is returning on furlough from
that mission field.
SISTER NORA KING sailed for her home
in Hawera, New Zealand by the Aorangi,
which left Sydney on June 21. Sister
King has spent two and a half years on
Norfolk Island at the home of her sister,
Mrs. B. A. Pratt, and is missed by the
little church over there.
an absence from Australia of
Mrs. Maud S. Boyd returned to
Sydney by the Monterey on June 18, to
make her home with her daughter, Mrs.
L. G. Paap, of Parramatta. Sister Boyd
is an aunt of Dr. Eulalia Richards of the
Sydney Sanitarium, and sister of the late
Mrs. G. B. Starr. She was the preceptress
and matron at the A. M. College for a
number of years, prior to her leaving for
California. Although now nearly eightythree years of age, Sister Boyd is in comparatively good health, and we welcome
her to Australia again.
AFTER
22 years,
THE two months' course of lectures in
Tropical Medicine and Hygiene given at
the Sydney University is being greatly
enjoyed at the present time by eight of
our nurses and returned missionaries, and
found to be of very practical value. The
course is concluded by an examination
and a certificate to the successful candidates.
AFTER six and a half years in the North
New Zealand Conference, Pastor and Mrs.
E. S. Butz arrived in Sydney by the Monterey on June 18, on their way to South
Australia to engage in pastoral work.
Besides visiting Wahroonga, they spent
a week-end at Avondale and a day at
Warburton while passing through. It was
in 1894—forty years ago—that Pastor and
Mrs. Butz spent a year on Pitcairn Island.
Twenty-seven years ago when they came
in from mission work in the Tongan
Group, Pastor Butz was appointed President of the South Australian Conference,
holding that position for three or four
years. They now return to one of the
fields of their early labours.
DOCTORS D. H. AND LAURETTA KRESS,
the first doctors at the Wahroonga Sanitarium, are celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding on July 9. Both
are now engaged in practice in Takoma
Park, Washington, D.C., Dr. D. H. Kress
being on the staff of the Washington Sanitarium. By a recent photo it is good to
see these veteran workers looking so well.
During their seven and a half years' stay
in Australia, Dr. D. H. Kress travelled,
lectured. and wrote extensively, and is remembered by many RECORD readers.
We rejoice that God has spared the lives
of these faithful servants of His past the
allotted span, especially when we remember that Dr. D. H. Kress was at the
point of death over thirty years ago
and was healed in answer to prayer.
Their adopted son Paul, who was with
them in Wahroonga, passed away about
two months ago, on April 16.. Dr. Kress
writes : " He gave his heart to God and
seemed to be definitely converted before
he died. He wrote us such a sweet letter,
which was read at the funeral." The
funeral sermon was preached by Pastor
Francis Nichol, Associate Editor of the
Review and Herald, who was with Paul
as a little boy in Wahroonga years ago.
PASTOR A. H. WHITE, President of the
North N.S.W. Conference, writes : "Excellent reports are coming in concerning
the blessings received throughout the
conference during the Week of Prayer.
In Pastor Pascoe's recent report in the
RECORD he stated that the Annual Offering from the Avondale church was Ern.
This has since been increased to £I26,—
the highest from that church since 1925.
We have still to hear from two churches,
but I am glad to see that thus far our total
offering is £76 in excess of last year's, and
is the largest from this conference since
1930."
Soul-Winning
An Inspiring Testimony
BEFORE I was a Christian one of my
main ambitions was to get a thrill out of
life wherever I could. I would go to the
dance, theatre, cinema, and circus. I have
read thrilling stories of all descriptions,
and I believe I can say with Solomon,
" All is vanity and vexation of spirit."
The thrill doesn't last. It vanishes away,
and in most cases one's soul is disturbed
and one's peace of mind is gone. The
nerves are injured, and the pocketbook is
usually left empty. But I have now found
thrills which are lasting, and I want to tell
you about some of them. These thrills
came to me at different periods in my life,
but they still thrill me. Every time I
think of them they set my soul on fire, and
many times bring tears to my eyes because
of the joy they bring to me. These thrills
were soul-winning experiences. They
have happened while I was nursing, getting
an education, doing Bible work, or Harvest Ingathering.
To begin my story I will tell you of
some of the experiences I had while nursing in one of our Sanitariums. One day
there came to the Sanitarium a fine-looking and polished lady who had with her
a beautiful curly-headed little boy. This
lady came from New. York, and had
reached our Sanitarium through charitable
means. Her husband was a drunkard,
and her little boy had contracted rickets
as the result of malnutrition. The doctor
examined him, and took me aside privately
to say that there was no chance for the
little fellow, as the disease had reached a
,t,„„
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stage where it was too late to help him.
He told me to make the little boy as comfortable as possible by giving him some
treatments. Somehow my heart went out
to the little fellow, and I was impressed to
cry unto the Lord for him. This I did,
and I also gave special attention by providing extra things in the way of nourishment to build up his vitality. Every day
before giving him his treatment I would
kneel in prayer. His mother, who was
very timid, would kneel with me beside
his bed, but never pray. Day by day the
little fellow's muscles became softer and
softer, and soon he was up and running
with the others. My heart rejoiced, but
one day while I was praying the mother
broke down and cried. She said, " I have
never cried in the presence of a man before. I am a Catholic and do not know
how to pray the way you do, but I believe
you folks have something here that I do
not have. What can I do to get it ? " I
gave her " The Desire of Ages," and we
soon began giving her Bible studies. Soon
she was baptised, and is now rejoicing in
the truth. Her little boy got well, and
what a happy crowd we all were. Oh, the
joy in soul-winning!
Helping a Murderer
At another time I encountered a man
who was a murderer. He had married a
young girl and she left him. He followed
her and killed her. He tried to commit
suicide and shot himself in the head. The
bullet had paralysed him on one side.
They brought him to our Sanitarium and I
was chosen as his nurse. He was very
hard-hearted. I tried every way to impress him with the need of a Saviour, but
he simply sneered at me. Finally I asked
him one day if he would like to have me
read to him. He said, "Yes." I took
down "Christ's Object Lessons," and read
him the beautiful story of the prodigal
son. He listened attentively, and soon the
tears were running down his cheeks. I
then asked him if he would like me to
pray for him. He said, "Yes." Soon I
was down on my knees praying for that
hardened sinner. God works with the
hardest of hearts if there is .only a
shadow of a chance. Oh, the thrill of.soulwinning !
I was called to take care of a man who
had rheumatic fever. He had to walk on
crutches. When I started to treat him I
found that he had a Seventh-day Adventist daughter, but that he was so opposed
to the Adventist faith that he would have
nothing to do with Adventists. One could
not talk to him or even give him a Bible.
One day while nursing him I said, "You
look lonesome. Would you not like to
read a good book on history ? I have
an old book here that is a masterpiece,
and I believe you would enjoy it." He
said, "I would be glad to read it." He
took it up to his room and read it from
cover to cover. His daughter came to
me and said, " Why, what did you do to
my father ? He is an Adventist." What a
thrill ! " I did nothing, only handed him
a good book to read," I replied. He went
home and brought the whole family into
the truth. At camp meeting whom
should I meet but the whole family coming up to shake my hand, and smilingly to
tell me that I had shown them the way.
And I cried ! Never in all the world have
I had such joy as in soul-winning.
B. A. SCHERR.