Sin will rest upon us as a people if we do not make most earnest efforts to ascertain those who have donated to the different enterprises who are too poor to give anything. All that they, in the liberality of their souls, have given should be returned to them with an additional gift to relieve their necessities. The raising of money has been carried to extremes. It has left a bad impression on many minds. Making urgent calls is not the best plan of raising means. There has been manifested an indifference to investigate the cases of the poor and make returns to them, that they should not suffer for the necessaries of life. A neglect of our duty in this respect, of becoming acquainted with the necessities of the needy and of relieving their pressing wants by returning means which has been given to advance the cause of God, would be on our part a neglect of our Saviour in the persons of His saints. {3T 510.3} I saw that it is in the providence of God that widows and orphans, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and persons afflicted in a variety of ways, have been placed in close Christian relationship to His church; it is to prove His people and develop their true character. Angels of God are watching to see how we treat these persons who need our sympathy, love, and disinterested benevolence. This is God’s test of our character. If we have the true religion of the Bible we shall feel that a debt of love, kindness, and interest is due to Christ in behalf of His brethren; and we can do no less than to show our gratitude for His immeasurable love to us while we were sinners unworthy of His grace, by having a deep interest and unselfish love for those who are our brethren and who are less fortunate than ourselves. {3T 511.2}

Synd vil hvile på os som et folk, hvis vi ikke gør de (511) alvorligste anstrengelser for at få dem som har givet til forskellige virksomheder, til at give de fattige noget. Alt det de, i deres sjæls gavmildhed, har givet bør gives tilbage med en ekstra gave der lindrer deres nødvendigheder. Pengenes oprejselse er blevet ført til yderligheder. Det har givet et dårligt indtryk hos mange. At gøre indtrængende kald er ikke den bedste måde at rejse midler på. Der har været vist en ligegyldighed for at undersøge den fattiges sag og vil ikke give det tilbage til ham, så de ikke skal mangle livets nødvendigheder. En forsømmelse af vor pligt i dette, at blive kendt med den trængendes fornødenheder og at lindre deres pressene mangler ved at give midler tilbage som har været givet til Guds sags fremme, ville fra vor side være en forsømmelse af vor Frelser manifesteret blandt hans hellige.