AS THE years passed, and still the field of work opened wider, the burdens of age began to press upon Mrs. White. She sometimes wrote of the day when her pilgrimage would end.

In the General Conference files is a letter from Mrs. White, dated January 30, 1905, to a former president of the General Conference, 0. A. Olsen.

She said:

"The question is sometimes raised, 'What if Mrs. White should die?' I answer: 'The books that she has written will not die. They are a living witness to what saith the Scripture'. . . . Of myself, I could not have brought out the truths in these books, but the Lord has given me the help of His Holy Spirit."'

Again, two years later, and more at length, she spoke of this. In a tract, The Writing and Sending Out of the Testimonies for the Church, she wrote:

"Whether or not my life is spared, my writings will constantly speak, and their work will go forward as long as time shall last. My writings are kept on file in the office, and even though I should not live, these words that have been given to me by the Lord will still have life and will speak to the people."

We see it continually. In ancient times it was so. A word written down by a prophet in one age had a special application for those who should read it centuries later. "Not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you" ( 1 Peter 1:12 ). Inspiration is a wonderful thing. It speaks a living word.

So, again and again, as conditions have changed and new situations have arisen in the progress of the Advent Movement, workers have found instruction in the printed volumes that came like a new message, as though spoken for that very hour. They had never seen the application before. The counsels of the gift of prophecy continue to speak and guide the church. More people study these writings now, it would seem, than ever in the lifetime of the writer of them.

This future work of her books was much upon her heart in later years; and in the closing days, after a fall that confined her to her room and made her feel that her end was near, she spoke particularly of one burden-the translation of these messages into foreign languages. Speaking from her sickroom, not only of her own books, but of all, she sent word to a convention of bookmen in session:

"If our bookmen do their part faithfully, I know, from the light God has given me, that the knowledge of present truth will be doubled and trebled. This is why I have been in so much of a hurry to get my books out, so that they could be placed in the hands of the people and read. And in the foreign languages the Lord designs that the circulation of our books shall be greatly increased."-Life Sketches, pp. 446, 447.

This foreign-language work was close to her heart-the multitudes of other speech who were to hear. From the sale of some of the books in English, and perhaps in two or three other languages, there would be income to devote toward issuing portions of the writings in the many languages wherein the expenditure would be more than any income to be expected from their sale. It was the provision of her last will and testament that the trustees were to continue this publishing of her writings in other languages as rapidly as funds permitted. It has meant setting many a tongue to speaking portions of these messages that have so enriched the movement.

One thing has always been emphasized-the necessity of not neglecting the smaller languages or the remoter people of the earth.

Mrs. White did not use her position to build up gain for herself. The gift was used to build up the cause of the movement. Even observers in the world noted this fact with satisfaction. If she had left a fortune behind her, they would have been disappointed. When Mrs. White died, in 1915, the editor of the New York Independent (the leading religious magazine of America) commented on her life and work, and her contribution to the Seventh-Day Adventist cause. First, the editorial spoke of the teachings, and growth of the denomination:

"Of course, these teachings [of the founders of the denomination] were based on the strictest doctrine of inspiration of the Scriptures. Seventh-day Adventism could be got in no other way. And the gift of prophecy was to be expected, as promised to the, 'remnant church,' who had held fast to the truth. This faith gave great purity of life and incessant zeal. No body of Christians excels them in moral character and religious earnestness. [The editor told of the growth of the work in many lands, and of the many publishing houses, colleges and academies, and sanitariums over the earth-- the figures being now altogether out of date.]

"And in all this," the Independent continued, "Ellen G. White has been the inspiration and guide. Here is a noble record, and she deserves great honor.

"Did she really receive divine visions, and was she really chosen by the Holy Spirit to be endued with the charism of prophecy? or was she the victim of an excited imagination? Why should we answer? One's doctrine of the Bible may affect the conclusion. At any rate, she was absolutely honest in her belief in her revelations. Her life was worthy of them. She showed no spiritual pride and she sought no 'filthy lucre.' She lived the life and did the work of a worthy prophetess."-August 23, 1915.

It was a fitting tribute by an observer from without, surveying a lifework. The conclusion stated is true.

It was a Christian life that Mrs. White lived before the people, from the days of 1844, when she was called as a youth of seventeen, to the day of her death in ripe old age.

Even the bitterest critic--one who had left the movement and turned to write many attacks upon the work of his former associates, and especially upon the gift of prophecy in the church-paid tribute to a noble Christian life. He came to Mrs. White's funeral. His brother, an Adventist, told us of D. M. Canright's emotion as they walked together past the casket, with others of the congregation, at the close of the funeral service. They came back to their pew, and stood while the great congregation was still filing past. "Then," said our member, "my brother suggested that we go down again, to take one more look. We joined the passing throng and again stood by the bier. My brother rested his hand upon the side of the casket, and with tears rolling down his cheeks, he said brokenly, 'There is a noble Christian woman gone."'

Nothing could be further from the spirit of that lifework than for us to exalt the human agent. She was but a human agent. But it is right to say-what many thousands knew-that she was faithful to the call. Never a thing in her life brought shame to any believer. And the work done--and that is her monumen--speaks confusion to all attacks.

When she was called in girlhood, she was shown that the call would make her the target of attack. And so it did from the first. She later realized how true were the foretellings of the prophecy of Revelation 12:17-the dragon making war upon the remnant church because of "the commandments of God," which they kept, and "the testimony of Jesus," which they held. But never did this agent swerve from the charge to "deliver the messages faithfully." On her dying bed she said:

"I am very weak. I am sure that this is my last sickness. I am not worried at the thought of dying. I feel comforted all the time, that the Lord is near me.... I do not worry about the work I have done. I have done the best I could."-Life Sketches, pp. 444, 445.

And that is all that anyone can do. There was no thought of any merit to be awarded on the grounds of special work done. All her trust was in the unmerited grace of Christ, the one hope of every believer. "I am guarding every moment," she said in last hours with the family, "so that nothing may come between me and the Lord. . . . There will be a glorious meeting soon." Then came the last words,