SIMPLICITY AND ECONOMY

In the establishment and carrying forward of the work, the strictest economy is ever to be shown. Workers are to be employed who will be producers as well as consumers. In no case is money to be invested for display. The gospel medical missionary work is to be carried forward in simplicity, as was the work of the Majesty of heaven, who, seeing the necessities of a lost, sinful world, laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown, and clothed His divinity with humanity, that He might stand at the head of humanity. He so conducted His missionary work as to leave a perfect example for human beings to follow. "If any man will come after Me," He declared, "let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Matt. 16:24. Every true medical missionary will obey these words. He will not strain every nerve to follow worldly customs and make a display, thus thinking to win souls to the Saviour. No, no. If the Majesty of heaven could leave His glorious home to come to a world all seared and marred by the curse, to establish correct methods of doing medical missionary work, we His followers ought to practice the same self-denial and self-sacrifice.

Christ gives to all the invitation: "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. If all will wear Christ's yoke, if all will learn in His school the lessons that He teaches, there will be sufficient means to establish gospel medical missionary work in many places.

"Special Testimonies," Series B, No. 19, pp. 27-29.

Let none say, "I will engage in this work for a stipulated sum. If I do not receive this sum, I will not do the work." Those who say this show that they are not wearing Christ's yoke; they are not learning His meekness and lowliness. Christ might have come to this world with a retinue of angels; but instead He came as a babe, and lived a life of lowliness and poverty. His glory was in His simplicity. He suffered for us the privations of poverty. Shall we refuse to deny ourselves for His sake? Shall we refuse to become medical missionary workers unless we can follow the customs of the world, making a display such as worldlings make? . . .

My brother, my sister, take up your work right where you are. Do your best, ever looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. In no other way can we do the work of God and magnify His truth, than by following in the footsteps of Him who gave up His high command to come to our world, that through His humiliation and suffering, human beings might become partakers of the divine nature. For our sake He became poor, that through His poverty we might come into possession of the eternal riches.

Intelligent, self-denying, self-sacrificing men now needed, men who realize the solemnity and importance of God's work, and who as Christian philanthropists will fulfill the commission of Christ. The medical missionary work given us to do means something to every one of us. It is a work of soul-saving; it is the proclamation of the gospel message.

THE CHRISTIAN PHYSICIAN

A RESPONSIBLE CALLING

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Ps. 111:10. Professional men, whatever their calling, need divine wisdom. But the physician is in special need of this wisdom in dealing with all classes of minds and diseases. He occupies a position even more responsible than that of the minister of the gospel. He is called to be a colaborer with Christ, and he needs stanch religious principles, and a firm connection with the God of wisdom. If he takes counsel of God, he will have the Great Healer to work with his efforts, and he will move with the greatest caution, lest by his mismanagement he injure one of God's creatures. He will be firm as a rock to principle, yet kind and courteous to all. He will feel the responsibility of his position, and his practice will show that he is actuated by pure, unselfish motives, and a desire to adorn the doctrine of Christ in all things. Such a physician will possess a heaven-born dignity, and will be a powerful agent for good in the world. Although he may not be appreciated by those who have no connection with God, yet he will be honored of Heaven. In God's sight he will be more precious than gold, even the gold of Ophir.

AN EXAMPLE IN TEMPERANCE

The physician should be a strictly temperate man. The physical ailments of humanity are numberless, and he has to deal with disease in all its varied

"Testimonies for the Church," Vol. 5, pp. 439-449.

forms. He knows that much of the suffering he seeks to relieve is the result of intemperance and other forms of selfish indulgence. He is called to attend young men, and men in the prime of life and in mature age, who have brought disease upon themselves by the use of the narcotic tobacco. If he is an intelligent physician, he will be able to trace disease to its cause; but unless he is free from the use of tobacco himself, he will hesitate to put his finger upon the plague-spot, and faithfully unfold to his patients the cause of their sickness. He will fail to urge upon the young the necessity of overcoming the habit before it becomes fixed. If he uses the weed himself, how can he present to the inexperienced youth its injurious effects, not only upon themselves, but upon those around them?

Of all men in the world, the physician and the minister should have strictly temperate habits. The welfare of society demands total abstinence of them; for their influence is constantly telling for or against moral reform and the improvement of society. It is willful sin in them to be ignorant of the laws of health or indifferent to them; for they are looked up to as wise above other men. This is especially true of the physician, who is intrusted with human life. He is expected to indulge in no habit that will weaken the life forces.

The question is not, What is the world doing? but, What are professional men doing in regard to the widespread and prevailing curse of tobacco-using? Will men to whom God has given intelligence, and who are in positions of sacred trust, be true to follow intelligent reason? Will these responsible men, having under their care persons whom their influence will lead in a right or a wrong direction, be pattern men? Will they, by precept and example, teach obedience

to the laws which govern the physical system? If they do not put to a practical use the knowledge they have of the laws that govern their own being, if they prefer present gratification to soundness of mind and body, they are not fit to be intrusted with the lives of others. They are in duty bound to stand in the dignity of their God-given manhood, free from the bondage of any appetite or passion.

The man who chews and smokes is doing injury, not only to himself, but to all who come within the sphere of his influence. If a physician must be called, the tobacco-devotee should be passed by. He will not be a safe counselor. If the disease has its origin in the use of tobacco, he will be tempted to prevaricate, and assign some other than the true cause; for how can he condemn himself in his own daily practice?

There are many ways of practicing the healing art; but there is only one way that Heaven approves. God's remedies are the simple agencies of nature, that will not tax or debilitate the system through their powerful properties. Pure air and water, cleanliness, a proper diet, purity of life, and a firm trust in God, are remedies for the want of which thousands are dying; yet these remedies are going out of date because their skillful use requires work that the people do not appreciate. Fresh air, exercise, pure water, and clean, sweet premises, are within the reach of all with but little expense; but drugs are expensive, both in the outlay of means, and the effect produced upon the system.

A HEALER OF SPIRITUAL MALADIES

The work of the Christian physician does not end. with healing the maladies of the body; his efforts should extend to the diseases of the mind, to the saving