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The Review and Herald Articles
for the Year 1896
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, January 7, 1896
January 7, 1896(Vol. 73, #1)
"The Australian Campmeeting" Our third Australian campmeeting was held in Armadale, a populous suburb of Melbourne, about three miles southeast from the center of the city. During the early part of the year our brethren had planned for the meeting to be held in Ballarat, a city of thirty thousand people, about ninety miles north from Melbourne. There is a faithful little church there that needed strengthening, and as the Australian Conference is in debt, it seemed desirable to hold the meeting where it would be less expensive than in Melbourne.
But the Lord has been giving me light about the work to be done in our large cities. The people in the cities are to be warned, and the message should go to them now. The time will come when we cannot work so freely in the large cities; but now, the people will listen to the message, and this is our time to work most earnestly for the people in the centers of population. Many will hear and obey, and carry the message to others.
The interest which began to be awakened by the campmeeting held two years ago in Brighton, should be carried forward by a campmeeting in some part of Melbourne each year. When our brethren took these things into consideration, they decided that the meeting should be held in Melbourne, and in their search for a ground were led to locate in Armadale. The first plan was to locate the meeting at Northcote, where it would be convenient for our brethren and sisters. But the Lord hedged up the way at Northcote, and led them to a locality convenient to densely populated suburbs where the message had never been given.
During the meeting we have had abundant evidence that the Lord has been guiding both in the location and in the work of the meeting. A new field has been opened, and an encouraging field it appears to be. The people did not swarm upon the ground from curiosity, as at our first meeting in Brighton, and as at Ashfield last year. The majority came straight to the large meeting tent, where they listened intently to the word; and when meeting was over, they quietly returned to their homes, or gathered in groups to ask questions or discuss what they had heard.
The interest steadily increased from the beginning of the meeting. The evening discourses, given by Elders Prescott, Corliss, and Daniells, all presented the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. Hardly a discourse was given during the whole meeting that could be called a doctrinal sermon. In every sermon Christ was preached, and as the great and mysterious truths regarding his presence and work in the hearts of men were made clear and plain, the truths regarding his second coming, his relation to the Sabbath, his work as Creator, and his relation to man as the source of life, appeared in a glorious and convincing light that sent conviction to many hearts. With solemnity the people said, "We have listened to truth to night."
A Bible study was usually given at three o'clock each afternoon. These studies followed the same lines as the evening discourses, and they were regularly attended by scores besides those living on the campground. The forenoons were mostly occupied by meetings of the Australian and Union Conferences, the tract society, the Sabbath school association, and the publishing and school interests.
The early morning hour, before breakfast, was set apart and generally observed as a silent hour for individual study and prayer. Occasionally, a general meeting was held at this hour. We have found blessing in setting apart a season when every soul could feel that there was time to pray and to study the word of God without interruption. The half-past eight morning hour was devoted alternately to district prayer meetings and general social meetings. Although quite feeble during most of the meeting, the Lord has strengthened me to bear my testimony here. During the three weeks of the meeting I have usually spoken Sabbath, Sunday, and Wednesday afternoons, besides short talks in the morning meetings.
Sabbath morning, Oct. 19, Elder Corliss gave valuable instruction to our people. In the afternoon, I spoke from the fourth chapter of John, dwelling upon the conversation of Christ with the woman of Samaria, in which he said, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." A testimony meeting followed, in which praise and glory were given to God for his unspeakable goodness and matchless love to fallen man in giving Jesus, his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. All seemed to have a desire to lift up Jesus higher and still higher. Some outsiders took part, one minister testifying that the blessing of God was in the meeting, and that it was good to be there. We felt much pleased to see so large an attendance, and were impressed with the fact that more than half were persons we had never met in general meeting before.
Sunday morning, Elder Wilson, from New Zealand, gave a most profitable, although plain and simple, discourse. It was beautiful in its simplicity. The simpler the teaching, the more the under shepherd represents the Chief Shepherd. In the afternoon the tent was full to overflowing. Quite a number stood on the outside, and all listened with deep interest, and the Lord strengthened me as I bore a plain testimony to the people, dwelling especially upon our obligation to acknowledge God in all our ways, and to seek more and more to obtain a knowledge of God, as presented in Christ's prayer in the seventeenth chapter of John.
In the evening Professor Prescott gave a most valuable lesson, precious as gold. The tent was full, and many stood outside. All seemed to be fascinated with the word, as he presented the truth in lines so new to those not of our faith. Truth was separated from error, and made, by the divine Spirit, to shine like precious jewels. It was shown that perfect obedience to all the commandments of God is essential for the salvation of souls. Obedience to the laws of God's kingdom reveals the divine in the human, sanctifying the character.
In visiting the people with the Echoes, and inviting them to the meetings, one of the workers met a woman who had been keeping the Sabbath for about twelve months. She had never heard the living preacher, but in studying the Bible she was convicted that she was keeping the wrong day, that the seventh day was the true Bible Sabbath. She is now attending the meetings, and feasting upon the truth. There are many interesting cases developing, that are just on the point of taking their stand.
The Lord is working in power through his servants who are proclaiming the truth, and he has given brother Prescott a special message for the people. The truth comes from human lips in demonstration of the Spirit and power of God.
The meetings have been well attended by the people of Armadale and Malvern, both afternoons and evenings, and on Sundays and Wednesdays large numbers have come from the distant suburbs. The people say: "You cannot appreciate the change of feeling about your meeting and work. It has been commonly reported that you do not believe in Christ. But we have never heard Christ preached as at these meetings." "There is no life in our churches. Everything is cold and dry. We are starving for the Bread of Life. We come to this campmeeting because there is food here." As they see our stenographers reporting the discourses, they plead that they be printed soon, and placed within their reach. One who is a Sunday school teacher, took copious notes of Elder Prescott's discourse on "God and Caesar," and then made copies for two ministers who were interested in the subject.
On every side we hear discussion of the subjects presented at the campmeeting. One day as Elder Corliss stepped out of a train, the guard [conductor] stopped him with the request that he explain Col. 2:16. They stopped, and as the crowd rushed by, the explanation was given, and from Lev. 23:37, 38 it was shown that there were sabbaths besides the Sabbath of the Lord. Earnest requests have been sent in that some of the addresses be given in the Melbourne town hall.
As two gentlemen were coming to a Sabbath afternoon service, one remarked to the other, "These are a strange people. All we shall hear will be Moses and Sinai. After the meeting, he came to Elder Daniells, and expressed very great surprise at what he had heard. He told him what they had said, and added that he could hardly believe his ears. He had heard nothing but the plain gospel. Another man who had been considerably opposed to the work was prevailed upon to attend one of the meetings, and has since told a friend that it will be a distinct loss to the spiritual interests of the community when the Adventists go away; for Christ has been indeed exalted in these meetings.
A former Wesleyan local preacher's family are all interested, and thoroughly convinced of the truth. Even the children ask why they should "keep the pope's Sunday when they know it is not the true Sabbath." A lady who lives some distance away has been reading the Echo, and came here expressly to attend some of the meetings. In the very first one she attended, Professor Prescott made a call for those who would follow the Lord to stand. She arose, and has since been baptized. A widow who has been attending most of the meetings has now kept three Sabbaths. One lady who was much prejudiced finally came to the meeting to satisfy her children, but just as soon as the service was over, she rushed out of the tent, not wishing to speak to any one. However, she came again, and it happened that the subject was "Sunday in the New Testament;" the choir followed with, "I Will Follow Thee, My Saviour," and she says she could not get that song out of her mind; it rang in her ears continually. She is now earnestly seeking for truth.
Campmeetings are a success in arresting the attention of the people. Many who attended the Brighton meeting two years ago have been present at the Armadale meeting. They went through that meeting without deciding to obey the truth, but are manifesting a greater interest here, and some have taken their position now in obedience to the truth. Twenty were baptized, Sunday, Nov. 10. Melbourne, Nov. 21. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, January 14, 1896
January 14, 1896(Vol. 73, #2)
"Spirit and Life for the Colored People" The psalmist says, "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." Heavenly intelligences are close by the side of every one who is seeking to open the word of God to the understanding of the simple, or to those who are really desirous of becoming acquainted with the will of God. Those who open the Scripture to others should teach them the word of life, realizing the solemn, sacred work that they are doing; for they are bringing souls in contact with God, and with Jesus Christ whom he has sent. Any trifling, jesting, or joking over the word of God is dishonoring to him, and leaves an influence that is anything but good upon the mind. But if we desire to enlarge a man's mind, let us turn his attention to the Scriptures. In the Bible, we behold Him who is the way, the truth, and the life. Through understanding the word of God, efficiency is obtained for both the practical and the religious life.
Jesus said: "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you; for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. . . . I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. . . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." Jesus explained what he meant by eating his flesh and drinking his blood. He meant that his disciples were to partake of his word. He said, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
The word of Christ is the bread of life that is furnished for every soul that liveth. To refuse to eat this bread is death. He that neglects to partake of the word of God shall not see life. Receiving the word is believing the word, and this is eating Christ's flesh, drinking his blood. To dwell and abide in Christ, is to dwell and abide in his word; it is to bring heart and character into conformity to his commands. In the parable of the vine and the branches, Jesus shows the vital connection that must exist between himself and his followers. He says: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing."
The branches represent the believers in Jesus Christ. Those who truly believe, will do the same works that he did. They are united to Christ by the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. As the branch is nourished by the sap which flows from the parent stock, so the believer in Christ is sustained by the life of Christ. The branches represent the very youngest of the followers of Christ, as the branch includes all the tiny tendrils that belong to it. Jesus is our center. He is the parent stock that bears the branches. In him our eternal life is centered. The words that he has spoken unto us are spirit and life, and those who feed upon his word, and are doers of his word, represent him in character. His patience, meekness, humility, and love pervade their hearts. Jesus said, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." If we are indeed grafted into the True Vine, we shall bear fruit similar to that of the parent stock.
Those who love Christ will do the works of Christ. They will go forth to seek and to save that which was lost. They will not shun those who are despised, and turn aside from the colored race. They will teach them how to read and how to perform manual labor, educating them to till the soil and to follow trades of various kinds. They will put forth painstaking efforts to develop the capabilities of the people. The cotton field will not be the only resource for a livelihood to the colored people. There will be awakened in them the thought that they are of value with God, and that they are esteemed as his property. The work pointed out is a most needful missionary enterprise. It is the best restitution that can be made to those who have been robbed of their time and deprived of their education. The fact that this is the case leaves a heavy debt upon the American nation. As a nation, we have been made the depositary of sacred truth, and we are to impart the precious knowledge of the word of God to others. Every earthly blessing has come to us because of the infinite price that has been paid in our behalf. If it has cost so great a price to redeem man, so that he should not perish, but have everlasting life, how we should rejoice that we are privileged to become co-workers with Christ in saving those for whom he has given his precious life! The Lord Jesus loves those for whom he has made the greatest sacrifice. He gave his own most precious life to bring life and immortality to light to all those who should believe. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Those who receive Christ are in co-partnership with him, and will not mistake their life work. They will heed the words spoken by Christ. They will be guided by the Holy Spirit, and become more and more intelligent in regard to the requirements of God, and will reveal the love and grace that were revealed in the life of Christ toward those with whom he came in contact. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, January 21, 1896
January 21, 1896(Vol. 73, #3)
"Am I My Brother's Keeper?" The law of God contained in the ten commandments reveals to man his duty to love God supremely and his neighbor as himself. The American nation owes a debt of love to the colored race, and God has ordained that they should make restitution for the wrong they have done them in the past. Those who have taken no active part in enforcing slavery upon the colored people are not relieved from the responsibility of making special efforts to remove, as far as possible, the sure result of their enslavement.
When the duty of bringing the gospel to the colored race is presented, many make the plea that association with the colored people will contaminate society. But this very plea is evidence that means should be instituted to remove from this race the degradation that has been brought upon them. As a people, we should no longer say by our attitude, "Am I my brother's keeper?" We should arouse ourselves to do justly, to love mercy. We should make manifest by our actions that we have the faith for which the saints are to contend. We should go forth to seek the oppressed, to lift up the fallen, and to bring help to those who need our assistance. We should remember that many among the colored people who have been entrusted with God-given ability, who had intellectual capabilities far superior to those of the masters who claimed them as their property, were forced to endure every indignity, and their souls groaned under the most cruel and unjust oppression. They were ambitious to obtain their freedom, and sought in every possible way to obtain it. At times their deferred hope caused them to flash out with indignation, and they were forced to suffer such fearful punishments that their courage was broken, and to all outward appearances their spirits were subdued. But others planned for years, and finally were successful in gaining their freedom. Many of these have filled positions of trust, and have demonstrated the fact that the colored race is capable of cultivation and improvement. As a people claiming to be proclaiming the last message of mercy to the world, we cannot consistently neglect the Southern field; for it is a portion of God's moral vineyard. It is not our place to study consequences; but we are to go to the field and labor for the colored people as earnestly as for the white people, and leave results with God. It is our part to work with all our God-given capabilities to redeem the time that we have wasted in planning how to avoid unhappy results in working the Southern fields.
We are God's messengers, and he has sent us forth to work for both the white and the black race without partiality and without hypocrisy. We are to set forth the truth in warnings and entreaties. We are to point out the path of light in plain and simple language, easy to be understood by both white and black. We have no time to build up walls of distinction between the white and the black race. The white people who embrace the truth in the Southern field, if converted to God, will discern the fact that the plan of redemption embraces every soul that God has created. The walls of sectarianism and caste and race will fall down when the true missionary spirit enters the hearts of men. Prejudice is melted away by the love of God. All will realize that they are to become laborers together with God. Both the Ethiopian and the white race are God's purchased possession, and our work is to improve every talent that has been lent to us of God, to save the souls of both white and black. If men and women of either race refuse the truth of God, they must answer to God for their rejection of Jesus Christ, who died for their salvation. With all our might we must do our work now.
God's object in bringing us to himself is to conform us to the image of Christ Jesus. All who believe in Christ will understand the personal relation that exists between them and their brethren. They are to be as branches grafted into the same parent stock, to draw sustenance from the root. Believers, whether white or black, are branches of the True Vine. There is to be no special heaven for the white man, and another heaven for the black man. We are all to be saved through the same grace, all to enter the same heaven at last. Then why not act like rational beings, and overcome our unlikeness to Christ? The same God that blesses us as his sons and daughters, blesses the colored race. Those who have the faith that works by love and purifies the soul, will look with compassion and love upon the colored people. Many of those who have had every advantage, who have regarded themselves as superior to the colored people because their skin was white, will find that many of the colored race will go into heaven before them.
Let every one who values the precious sacrifice made by Jesus Christ, lift up his voice in prayer to God, and exclaim: "Behold, O Lord, this poor, oppressed people that have been despised and maltreated by the white nation. Breathe into their souls the breath of spiritual life. If no effort is made on their behalf, they will perish in their sins, and their blood will be found upon our garments. Father of mercies, pity thine offspring. Breathe upon these beaten, bruised, ignorant souls, that they may live. Give thy Holy Spirit to those who shall go forth as messengers to this people. Take not thy Holy Spirit from us in our councils, and enable us to make plans and devise means for the spread of the truth among them."
We need to awaken, and to understand the truth as it is in Jesus. We need to consult the word of God, in order that we shall not seek to evade disagreeable work. When we realize that we are workers together with God, the promises will not be spoken with half indifference, but will burn in our hearts, and kindle on our lips. We shall present them to the throne of God with earnestness, and the Lord will pour out his Spirit upon the devoted, consecrated worker. Those who plead with God, as did Moses, will receive the same assurances that Moses received. When Moses pleaded: "I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight; and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." Again the Lord said to Moses, "Certainly I will be with thee." The same assurances given to Moses will be given to those who go forth to be co-laborers with Jesus Christ in the Southern field. We are not to wait for great men to undertake the work. We are to encourage those who have a burden to go to this field, who are willing to undertake the work. Let those in responsible positions give their sympathy to such workers, and furnish them with facilities whereby they may do the work required. Let not men in our institutions feel that it is their prerogative to tie the hands of workers at every step. Let those who have a mind to work do with their might whatsoever their hands find to do. Let those who take no part in the trying experience of teaching the colored people, unite their petitions with those of the workers, and plead that the Holy Spirit may move upon the hearts of the workers, and aid them in doing successful work for the Master. The Lord God of Sabaoth will hear earnest prayer. He will lead those who feel their dependence upon him, and will so guide the workers that many souls shall come to a knowledge of the truth.
Truth as it is in Jesus exercises a transforming influence upon the minds of its receivers. Let no one forget that God is always a majority, and that with him success is bound to crown all missionary effort. Those who have a living connection with God know that divinity works through humanity. Every soul that cooperates with God will do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. The Lord is a God of mercy, and cares even for the dumb beasts he has created. When he healed on the Sabbath day, and was accused of breaking the law of God, he said to his accusers: "Doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed; and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him." The Lord looks upon the creatures he has made with compassion, no matter to what race they may belong. God "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us; for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." Speaking to his disciples the Saviour said, "All ye are brethren." God is our common Father, and each one of us is our brother's keeper. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, January 28, 1896
January 28, 1896(Vol. 73, #4)
"Lift Up Your Eyes and Look on the Field" Those who work in the Southern field will need to have a sanctified judgment, in order to discriminate in applying help where it will do the greatest amount of good. They should help those who will be a help to others, as well as those who may not be able to carry on very decided missionary operations. I know that it will be impossible for workers to remain in this field in a bare-handed condition, and do the work that is required to be done in the Southern States. It will be necessary that a fund shall be created, so that the workers may have means with which to help those who are in poverty and distress; and this practical ministry will open their hearts to respond to the truth.
It will be necessary for the worker in the Southern field not only to have an appreciation of the physical wants of the colored people, but his heart must also be aglow with the love of God. He must present the love of God with faith and assurance, and not follow any bleak, cold, methodical style. The Southern field is a field where the religious instruction will have to be repeated again and again. The language must be most simple in style, for many of the colored people are only children in understanding; but though this field has been long neglected, the words of Christ are applicable to it. Our Lord said to his disciples, "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together."
When the Lord spoke these words to the disciples, they did not see anything that denoted that they were in an encouraging field. The seed of truth had been sown, and the harvest was about to follow. While they had been away purchasing food, Christ had preached a sermon to the woman at the well, and had sown the seed, and the harvest was to come forth speedily. She had gone back into the city of Samaria, and had spread abroad the words of Christ. She gave the invitation to those she met, saying with assurance, "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did; is not this the Christ?" Jesus knew that at the report of the woman many, out of curiosity, would come to see and to hear him, and that many would believe on him, and drink of the water of life that he should give them. "And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them; and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." Thus the harvest came speedily after the sowing; for the Holy Spirit had impressed the truth upon the hearts of the Samaritans.
The words that Jesus spoke to his disciples, saying that the fields were white for the harvest, are addressed to every genuine Christian. We also are to look upon the fields, and see the necessities of men. The disciples were encouraged, as they saw the readiness of the Samaritans to receive the truth. They had regarded this field as a very hard field, and yet they saw men acknowledging the words of the Master, and believing on him for themselves. This lesson is for our encouragement as well, and while there are many who will not yield to the convicting power of God's Spirit, there are also many who are hungering for the words of light and salvation. Many will receive the truth, and testify, as did the Samaritans, that Christ is the Saviour of the world. In their turn, they will become sowers of the seed of truth. We are to lift up our eyes, and look upon the fields that are white already for the harvest. For years we have passed by the Southern field, and have looked upon the colored race, feebly deploring their condition; but our eyes have been fastened upon more promising fields. But now God's people should lift up their eyes, and look upon this destitute field that has not been worked. The missionary spirit must prevail, if we form characters after the pattern, Christ Jesus. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves, and the colored people, in the sight of God, are our neighbors. It is not enough for us merely to look on and deplore the discouraging appearance of the field, and then pass by on the other side, and do nothing. Unitedly and interestedly we must take hold of the work. We are not only to look upon the fields, but we are to reap, and gather fruit unto life eternal.
God calls us to consider and to help those who are in most need of help. As workers together with God, we are not simply to deplore the destitute condition of the Southern people, but we are to seek to alleviate their condition. Here is a field in America that is nigh at hand. One is to sow the seed, another to reap the harvest, another to bind it up. There is a variety of work, which must be done now while the angels continue to hold the four winds. Many who desire to do missionary work may labor in this field. There is no time to be lost. As men, women, and children among the colored people receive the truth, they should be instructed by those who are imbued with the Spirit of God, and educated and directed in such a way that they may help others.
The Southern field is right in the shadow of your own doors. It is as land that has had a touch of the plow here and there, and then has been left by the plowman, who has been attracted to some easier or more promising field; but those who work the Southern field must make up their minds to practise self-denial. Those who would aid in this work must also practise self-denial, in order that facilities may be provided whereby the field may be worked. God calls for missionaries, and asks us to take up our neglected duties. Let farmers, financiers, builders, and those who are skilled in various arts and crafts, go to this field to improve lands, and to build humble cottages for themselves and their neighbors. Christ says to you, Lift up your eyes, and look upon this Southern field; for it needs the sowers of seed and the reapers of grain. The grace of Christ is unlimited; it is God's free gift. Why should not this neglected people have the benefit of divine hope and courage and faith? All those who will accept Christ will have sunlight in the heart, and the wholehearted, unselfish worker will receive a reward. Those who are laborers together with God will enter into the joy of their Lord. What is this joy?--It is the joy that is felt in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance.
Those who labor in the Southern field will meet with deplorable ignorance. The colored people are suffering the results of the bondage in which they were held. When they were slaves, they were taught to do the will of those who called them their property. They were kept in ignorance, and today there are thousands among them that cannot read. Many who profess to be teachers among them are corrupt in character, and they interpret the Scriptures in such a way as to fulfil their own purposes, and degrade those who are in their power. The colored people are taught that they must not think or judge for themselves, but that their ministers must be permitted to judge for them. Because of this, the divine plan of salvation has been covered up with a mass of human rubbish and falsehood. The Scripture has been perverted, and the people have been so instructed as to be easily seduced by evil spirits. Mind, as well as body, has been long abused. The whole system of slavery was originated by Satan, who delights in tyrannizing over human beings. Though he has been successful in degrading and corrupting the black race, many are possessed of decided ability, and if they were blessed with opportunities, they would show more intelligence than do many of their more favored brethren among the white people. Thousands may now be uplifted, and may become agents by which to help those of their own race. There are many who feel the necessity of becoming elevated, and when faithful teachers open the Scriptures, presenting the truth in its native purity to the colored people, the darkness will be dispelled under the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness. Directed in their search for truth by those who have had advantages enabling them to know the truth, they will become intelligent in the Scriptures.
When laws are enacted that bind the consciences of those whom God has made free, and men are cast into prison for exercising their religious liberty, many poor, timid, ignorant souls will be hindered from doing the will of God; but many will learn aright from Jesus Christ, and will maintain their God given freedom at any cost. The colored people have been slow to learn what is their right in religious liberty, because of the attitude that men have assumed toward them. In many minds there is great confusion in regard to what is individual right. Men have exercised compelling power over the mind and judgment of the colored race. Satan is the originator of all oppression, and history shows a record of the terrible results of oppressive tortures that have been endured by men who are God's property, both by creation and by redemption. Through human agencies, Satan has manifested his own attributes and passions; but every act of injustice, every fraudulent purpose, every pang of anguish, is written down in the books of heaven as done against Christ Jesus, who has purchased man at an infinite price. The manner in which men treat their fellowmen is registered as done unto Christ; but those who have been faithful winners of souls will receive commendation, and will join in the song of those who rejoice, and shout the harvest home. How great will be the joy when the redeemed of the Lord will all meet together in the mansions prepared for them! What rejoicing will come to those who have been impartial, unselfish laborers together with God in winning souls to Christ! What satisfaction will fill the breast of every reaper when he hears the musical voice of Jesus saying, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!"
Those who win souls to Christ glorify their Redeemer. He has not died in vain for them; for they are in harmony with Christ. They look upon those who have turned to God through their efforts, with glad rejoicing; for they also see of the travail of their souls, and are satisfied. They see that the anxious hours they have spent, the perplexing circumstances they have had to meet, the sorrows they have had to endure, have worked for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. As they look upon the souls they have won to Christ, and know that they are eternally saved, are monuments of God's mercy and of a Redeemer's love, they touch the golden harp, and fill the arches of heaven with praise and thanksgiving. They sing, "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. . . . Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing."
"They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever." How great is the reward that will come to those who devote their God-given abilities to doing the words of Christ. Those who are partakers of his sufferings in this world, will be partakers of his glory in the world hereafter, and will sit down with Christ upon his throne. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, February 4, 1896
February 4, 1896(Vol. 73, #5)
"Volunteers Wanted for the Southern Field" Instruction is to be given to our colored neighbors concerning the physical, mental, and moral nature. We must give them line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little. The youth will catch the lessons that are given, and retain them much more readily than those who are aged. How important it is that this large class of human beings, who are now in ignorance, should be taught to read for themselves, that they may know what saith the Lord unto them! How anxious every Christian family should be to have a part in helping on the education of the colored race! Many of them are poor, neglected, homeless creatures. We should teach them how to build cheap houses, how to erect school buildings in cities and villages, and how to carry on their education.
God holds us accountable for our long neglect of doing our duty to our neighbors. He sees precious jewels that will shine out from among the colored race. Let the work be taken up determinedly, and let both the young, and those of mature age, be educated in essential branches. Take hold of this nation that has been in bondage, as the Lord Jesus Christ took hold of the Hebrew nation after they came forth from Egypt. God will put his Holy Spirit upon those who put heart and soul into the work, realizing the truth of the words of inspiration: "We are laborers together with God; ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." The Lord has long been waiting for human instrumentalities through whom he could work. How much longer shall heavenly agencies be obliged to wait for human agents who will respond to the words of Christ, "Go work today in my vineyard"? When the hearts of God's professed people are animated by the principle of the living faith that works by love and purifies the soul, there will be a response to these appeals. Christ linked himself in brotherhood to all nationalities. He made no distinction between the white race and the black race in his plan of salvation. He bought the meanest of humanity with an infinite price, and he notes when we leave the naked unclad, the poor unfed, the destitute unrelieved, the despised forsaken.
Those who labor in the Southern field will have many prejudices to overcome, many difficulties to encounter. At the present time there is great want among many of the colored people. Self-denial must be practised by us. We must strip ourselves of all extravagance; we must deny ourselves luxuries and the undue gratification of appetite. Let those who have not laid aside unnecessary articles of diet, do so. Let them refrain from adornment and costly furnishings. Let us set ourselves to do a work for the Southern people. Let us not be content with simply looking on, with simply making resolutions that are never acted upon; but let us do something heartily unto the Lord, to alleviate the distress of our colored brethren. The burden of poverty is sufficiently weighty to arouse our heartfelt sympathy. We are not simply to say, "Be ye warmed and filled," but we are actually to relieve the needs of the poor. Filthiness is prevalent among the colored people, and it is a breeder of disease. Discouragement is deep and widespread, and shall we refuse to stretch forth our hands to help in this time of peril?
But it is of no use to send missionaries to work in the Southern field unless they are furnished with means from your abundance to help the distressed and those who are in poverty that cannot be described. We may do the work that Christ would do if he were upon earth. We may relieve those whose lives have been one long scene of sorrow. Who will go on in indifference, and pay no attention to the woes of those who are in hunger, in nakedness, in ignorance and degradation? Who will rouse up and go without the camp, and bear reproach for Christ's sake? Who will put on Christ, and seek to rescue their colored brethren from ignominy, crime, and degradation? Who will seek to restore them to the ranks of common humanity? We must not consider them irreclaimable and utterly degenerate. With the spirit of Christ, who did not fail or become discouraged, we may do a work that will cause the heavenly hosts to fill the courts of God with songs of rejoicing. There are many who are looked upon as stoical; who are thought to be unfit to be taught the gospel of Jesus Christ; and yet through the ministration of the Holy Spirit, they may be changed by the miracle of divine grace. The stupidity that makes their cases look so hopeless will pass away; for it is the result of great ignorance. The influence of grace will prevail on the human subject, and the dull and clouded mind will awake and break its fetters. Through divine power the slave to sin may be set free. The sunshine of Christ's righteousness may beam into the chambers of mind and heart. Spiritual life will be seen, and the brutishness will disappear. Inclination to vice will disappear, and ignorance will be overcome. The heart will be purified by the faith that works by love.
There are thousands who are capable of instruction, cultivation, and elevation. With proper, persevering labor, many who have been considered hopeless cases will become educators of their race. The colored people deserve much more from the hands of the white people than they have received. The colored people may be compared to a mine that is to be worked, in which is valuable ore of most precious material. Christ has given these people souls capable of winning and enjoying immortal life in the kingdom of God. One tenth of the advantages that their more favored brethren have received and failed to improve, would cause them to become mediums of light through which the brightness of the righteousness of Christ might shine forth. Who will enlist in this work, and willingly teach the ignorant what saith the word of God? Who will engage in the work of quickening the mental faculties into sensibility, of uplifting those who are downtrodden? Can we not show that we are willing to try to repair, as far as possible, the injury that has been done to them in the past? Shall not missionaries be multiplied? Shall we hear of volunteers, who are willing to go into the field to bring souls out of darkness and ignorance into the marvelous light in which we rejoiced, that they also may see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ? "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, February 11, 1896
February 11, 1896(Vol. 73, #6)
"The Tasmanian Campmeeting" Our first campmeeting in Tasmania was held in Hobart, Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, 1895. It was located just opposite the Newtown post office, two miles from the center of Hobart. We were much pleased with the campground. It was elevated considerably above the surrounding streets, and was reached by a flight of steps. A hawthorn hedge formed the enclosure, so that the encampment was hidden until we reached the entrance. Then the white tents, in their orderly arrangement in that grassy retreat, were an attractive sight. Hobart is surrounded by hills, rising one above another, and stretching away in the distance. Often they brought to our minds those precious words. "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever."
Besides the large meeting tent, the children's tent, and the reception, book, and dining tents, there were on the ground thirty-two family tents, occupied by our people. At the beginning of the meeting there were about sixty in the encampment, and toward the close, one hundred and seven. This was a larger number than we had expected, being fully half of all the Sabbath-keepers in Tasmania. Some who had thought it impossible to attend the meeting, gratefully acknowledged the providence of God in opening the way for them to come.
As there was no conference business to divide the time of the meetings, the ten days were spent in the study of the word. The early morning hour was devoted to private study and prayer. At 8:30 a. m. there was a general social meeting, at ten o'clock a lesson on some line of Christian work, at two o'clock a Bible study, and at 7:45 p. m. a sermon. The evening meetings were mostly conducted by Elders Prescott and Corliss. Much interest was manifested by the public, and the large tent was well filled, except in rainy and threatening weather.
A very profitable series of Bible studies with the youth was held each morning. There were about twenty in attendance. Children's meetings were held twice a day. After the morning lesson, on pleasant days, teachers and children took a long walk; and during the walk, by the banks of the river or in the grassy fields, a halt was called, and a short lesson from nature given. It was noticeable that on those days when the children had a ramble in the fields, they were very quiet and orderly in the camp. The attendance at the morning meetings when only the children of the camp were present, was thirty. In the afternoon, when the school children from the neighborhood came in, there were from fifty to sixty.
On the afternoon of the first Sabbath, I spoke from Luke 21:36: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." My soul was hungering and thirsting for the bread and water of life for myself and for every other soul. I realized that very much depends upon the presence and blessing of God at the first of the meeting. This is the best time to humble the soul before God, and to seek him earnestly. I knew that many present were longing for the realization that Christ was their personal Saviour. Christ was knocking, knocking at the door of their hearts. Would they let him come in as an honored guest? or would they, by dwelling upon commonplace matters, allow their God given faculties to become dwarfed and narrowed? Would they allow themselves to become overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life?
There is a world lying in wickedness, in deception and delusion, in the very shadow of death,--asleep, asleep. Who are feeling travail of soul to awaken them? What voice can reach them? My mind was carried to the future, when the signal will be given. "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." But some will have delayed to obtain the oil for replenishing their lamps, and too late they will find that character, which is represented by the oil, is not transferable.
"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." This was the work we needed to have done. I felt that this was a precious opportunity to invite souls to seek the Lord with us. All who were afflicted and troubled in mind, all who were in sorrow and despondency, all who had lost their first love, were invited to come forward, that we might unite with them in sending up the prayer of faith for the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
A large share of the congregation came forward. I went down among the people, and going to the last seat in the tent, addressed several youth, inviting them to give their hearts fully to Jesus. All five of them went forward. Young girls whose hearts had been made tender, were weeping. I invited them also to come, and they responded. I knew that the angels of God were in that assembly, and my heart, that for the past five weeks had been sadly burdened and oppressed, seemed at rest, full of peace and trust in God. O, the riches of his goodness and love can never be expressed.
There were those who had been living in unbelief, doubting their acceptance with God. This distrust had made them miserable, but the Lord revealed himself to their souls, and they knew that he had blessed them. One sister had desired an interview with me, but I had been forced to ask her to wait until I was stronger. That day she took her trouble to Jesus, and found rest in his love. Many others testified that they had realized more of the presence of the Lord than ever before, and their hearts were filled with thankfulness.
On Sunday I spoke again, and several times through the week. The next Sabbath we had another revival effort, and most of the congregation came forward for prayers. I knew that the members of our churches needed a work done for them, in order that they might let their light shine to the world. A formal religion is powerless. Only the religion of the heart, intense and earnest, will move upon the hearts of the careless and world loving.
There is great need of heeding the words of Christ, "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Here is presented the free receiving and the free giving. We are to communicate the light that God has richly bestowed upon us. The blessing of the Lord, received, must be passed on to others. Some will say, "I am not fit to serve God. How can I do this work of communicating truth? The opposition to the commandments of God is so strong, what can I, a poor weak creature, do? It is well for you to realize your weakness, but you are to lean wholly upon God for strength. Is anything too hard for the Lord to do?
The arm of the Lord is not shortened that it cannot save. His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. God can and will work through human agencies. He can sanctify the heart, and make the human agent a vessel unto honor. Take the word; read it, consider, pray over it; let it enter into your understanding; let the light flood the soul temple, that you may testify of these things in the churches. The word of God is infallible; accept it as it reads; look with confidence to God; trust him to qualify you for his service. We are not authorized to trust in ourselves; Christ is our helper, our sufficiency. It is his to give us the victory. Christ has brought life and immortality to light, and we are to look unto him, and take this great salvation which he has won for us through his own death. Only believe; walk by faith, not by sight.
There are many souls yearning unutterably for light, for assurance and strength beyond what they have been able to grasp. They need to be sought out and labored for patiently, perseveringly. Present Jesus because you know him as your personal Saviour. Let his melting love, his rich grace, flow forth from human lips. You need not present doctrinal points unless questioned; but take the word, and with tender, yearning love for souls, show them the precious righteousness of Christ, to whom you and they must come to be saved.
Satan is working with his masterly power to hold you back, to keep you in his army. Ever bear in mind that the powers of good and evil are striving for the mastery over every soul that is seeking Jesus. Satan works to drag the enquiring souls away from the cross; but Christ is drawing them, and all who are cooperating with Christ will exert a compelling influence in bringing others to him.
As laborers for the salvation of souls, ask wisdom from God, believing that he will bestow the gift you ask. Receive the precious endowment by faith, nothing doubting. As we seek God in sincerity, believing his word, acknowledging his goodness, his mercy, and his love toward ourselves, there flows forth from us the living water to refresh and revive the spirit of the humble and the contrite. The souls that are seeking for truth need to have words spoken to them in season, for Satan is speaking to them by his temptations. If you meet with repulse when trying to help souls, heed it not. Speak to those who will listen. Impart the knowledge of the truth you have obtained; but let it be the truth as it is in Jesus. Work while it is day; for "the night cometh, when no man can work." Sow the seed in faith, and with an unsparing hand. Work as if you could behold the universe of heaven looking upon you. One soul saved is worth more than the whole world. All who are willing to examine and understand the truth, will find the precious, priceless hidden treasure.
Never forget that we cannot assimilate to the world, and be God's people. There is divinity in the word. In presenting the word to others, never make it a "suppose so," a "guess," or a "may be." Speak as one who has authority from God through his word. Declare with Peter, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. . . . We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts."
Throughout the meeting the Lord sustained me by his grace, so that I was able to speak to the people from time to time till the very close. Altogether, the meeting was a pleasant surprise to our own people and to the people of Hobart. Many said, "I thought this meeting would be a failure because of the hard times, and the difficulties that attend families leaving home for ten days; but it is a complete success. I rejoice to see so many here, and most of all that I am here, and that I hear the stirring truths from the word, and that God has let light into my heart and soul, and has given me courage for the conflict with temptation and sin." Some said," "My feet were slipping; I was losing faith in the message, and did not realize the shortness of time, nor see our present danger. Now I rejoice that I came to this meeting. The presence of the Lord has been here. His Spirit has touched many hearts. He has greatly blessed me. I shall go to my home with a determination to work for the Master." Some who for years have been praying that members of their families might give their hearts to God, were filled with joy at the fulfilment of their prayers.
The theme of the addresses and Bible studies was, Jesus Christ: his love, his sacrifice, his obedience to the will of God, his life as an example, his exaltation, his ministry, and his messages to the church. Much of the Spirit and power of God was felt as these things were dwelt upon, and all were impressed that our religion must be more a matter of the life, and less a matter of theory.
Sabbath afternoon, December 7, there were several who expressed a desire for baptism. On Sunday, fourteen were immersed in the water of the bay, as witness of their death to sin and resurrection to the new life.
At the close of the campmeeting it was decided to continue evening meetings in the large tent for a week or two on the same grounds. Much interest is manifested to know more of the message, and there are many who need only the courage of their convictions to take their stand with us. The members of the Hobart church are greatly encouraged and strengthened, and they are now proposing to build a meetinghouse of their own.
Our prayer is that the year 1896 may be a year of prosperity and growth for the cause in Tasmania; and it surely will be if those who have received light and blessing will labor in faith to present the same to others. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, February 18, 1896
February 18, 1896(Vol. 73, #7)
"Sanctified Humility" Let us look at and study the sixth chapter of Isaiah: "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke."
This was a revelation of the glory of Christ's divinity. Note the humility of the seraphim before him. With their wings they veiled their faces and their feet. They were in the presence of Jesus. They saw the glory of God,--the King in his beauty,--and they covered themselves. And what effect did this view of the Lord's glory have upon the mind of the prophet? "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar; and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me."
Beholding the glory of the Son of God caused the prophet himself to appear very insignificant. He felt nothing but contempt for himself. "I abhor myself! Woe is me, for I am undone." The more closely we view the Lord Jesus in his purity and loveliness, the less will we esteem self, the less will we strive for the mastery, or even for recognition. When the light of Jesus reveals the deformity of our souls, there will be no desire to lift up ourselves unto vanity. The appearance of self is most unpleasing. The more continuously the sinful man looks upon Jesus, the less he sees in himself to admire, and his soul is prostrated before God in contrition.
So many have this self satisfied feeling, and manifest this inclination to uplift self unto vanity, thus giving evidence that they are clothed with the filthy rags of their own self righteousness. If they do not seek most diligently for the heavenly anointing, they will not, cannot, see Jesus. Neither can they see their own poverty. Their spiritual defects are hidden from their eyes. They have a name to live, but give not the slightest evidence that their life proceeds from God. The true spiritual life is a reflection of the life of Christ. The meekness and lowliness of our Saviour are apparent in the daily lives of his true disciples. The gentleness of Christ is revealed. Such a life is constantly speaking of his love, and telling of the power of his grace. In beholding Christ, there is a continual change wrought in the human agent; his conversation is made fragrant with divine grace.
What a Saviour we have! It was he that revealed himself to John on the Isle of Patmos, and proclaimed, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." None but just such an ever-living, mighty God, could pay the ransom to save sinners from going down into the pit of death.
Bear in mind that the highest qualification of the mind will not, cannot, supply the place of true simplicity, of genuine piety. The Bible may be studied as a branch of human science would be; but its beauty, the evidence of its power to save souls that believe, is a lesson that is never thus learned. If the practise of the word is not brought into the life, then the sword of the Spirit has not wounded the natural heart. It has been shielded in the poetic fancy. Sentimentalism has so wrapped it about that the heart has not sufficiently felt the keenness of its edge, piercing and cutting away the sinful shrines where self is worshiped. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Many believe Jesus to be the world's Redeemer; but is he your Redeemer? Is he your personal Saviour? Until the truth is brought into the soul-sanctuary, exploring, searching out the defiling things which spoil the life and character, that soul will never see the kingdom of God. For "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
The law was given to man by his Creator to be the rule of his life. Adam transgressed that law, and fell from his high and holy state. Afterward, the law was proclaimed from Sinai, and God wrote it upon tables of stone with his own finger; for it was highly essential that his holy law should be placed in such form that it would never be lost to man, but ever kept prominently before the world. The life of Christ must be revealed in our life. Isaiah saw the glory of the lowly, self-denying life of Christ. His far-reaching, prophetic eye, like a living light, radiated the entire experience of Christ; and history is in perfect accord with the revelations of prophetic vision. Every act, every step of the way, was portrayed in living characters. Christ was revealed in and through humanity.
Jesus invites. "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." Jesus Christ has here presented this matter in a most beautiful light. He veiled his own divine personage in the garb of humanity, and humbled himself as a man. O never was humility like thy humility, thou Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world! Looking unto Jesus will subdue hated self, which is ever striving for the supremacy. Let this prayer ascend to God: "Impress thine own image upon my soul." And the spiritual eye can behold the glory of the character of Christ.
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. . . . And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." This is the vital current that is to flow from the heart of Christ as living water into the human vessel, from whence it again flows in rich currents, revealing Jesus, the fountainhead. This is experimental Christianity.
The apostle Paul makes supplication to God: "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power." But the mind must first be made adaptable to the nature of the truth to be investigated. The eyes of the understanding must be enlightened, and heart and mind brought into harmony with God, who is truth. He who beholds Jesus with the eye of faith sees no glory in himself; for the glory of the Redeemer is reflected into the mind and heart. The atonement of his blood is realized, and the taking away of sin stirs his heart with gratitude. Being justified by Christ, the receiver of truth is constrained to make an entire surrender to God, and is admitted into the school of Christ, that he may learn of him who is meek and lowly of heart. A knowledge of the love of God is shed abroad in his heart. He exclaims, O, what love! What condescension! Grasping the rich promises of faith, he becomes a partaker of the divine nature. His heart being emptied of self, the waters of life flow in, and the glory of the Lord shines forth. Perpetually looking unto Jesus, the human is assimilated by the divine. The believer is changed into his likeness.
"We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory [from character to character], even as by the Spirit of the Lord." The human character is changed into the divine. It is the spiritual eye that discerns this glory. It is veiled, shrouded in mystery, until the Holy Spirit imparts this discernment to the soul. The reason of the natural man may seek to discern it, his intellect may think to comprehend it, but neither can behold it. Those who possess the greatest amount of knowledge are still ignorant of it, until God communicates light to the soul.
The Lord expects more of his children than we render to him. He says, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, February 25, 1896
February 25, 1896(Vol. 73, #8)
"Higher Education" The term "higher education" is to be considered in a different light from what it has been viewed by the students of the sciences. The prayer of Christ to his Father is full of eternal truth. "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may also glorify thee; as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." "For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." The power and soul of true education is a knowledge of God, and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
Of Jesus it is written: "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him. . . . And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." A knowledge of God will constitute a kind of knowledge that will be as enduring as eternity. To learn and do the works of Christ, is to obtain a true education. Although the Holy Spirit worked the mind of Christ, so that he could say to his parents, "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" yet he worked at the carpenter's trade as an obedient son. He revealed that he had a knowledge of his work as the Son of God, and yet he did not exalt his divine character. He did not offer as a reason why he should not bear the burden of temporal care, that he was of divine origin; but he was subject to his parents. He was the Lord of the commandments, yet he was obedient to all their requirements, thus leaving an example of obedience to childhood, youth, and manhood.
If the mind is set to the task of studying the Bible for information, the reasoning faculties will be improved. Under study of the Scriptures the mind expands, and becomes more evenly balanced than if occupied in obtaining general information from the books that are used which have no connection with the Bible. No knowledge is so firm, so consistent and far-reaching, as that obtained from a study of the word of God. It is the foundation of all true knowledge. The Bible is like a fountain. The more you look into it, the deeper the fountain appears. The grand truths of sacred history possess amazing strength and beauty, and are as far-reaching as eternity. No science is equal to the science that reveals the character of God. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, yet he said: "Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons."
Where shall we find laws more noble, pure, and just, than are exhibited on the statute books wherein is recorded instruction given to Moses for the children of Israel? Through all time these laws are to be perpetuated, that the character of God's people may be formed after the divine similitude. The law is a wall of protection to those who are obedient to God's precepts. From what other source can we gather such strength, or learn such noble science? What other book will teach men to love, fear, and obey God as does the Bible? What other book presents to students more ennobling science, more wonderful history? It clearly portrays righteousness, and foretells the consequence of disloyalty to the law of Jehovah. No one is left in darkness as to that which God approves or disapproves. In studying the Scriptures we become acquainted with God, and are led to understand our relation to Christ, who is the sin bearer, the surety, the substitute, for our fallen race. These truths concern our present and eternal interests. The Bible stands the highest among books, and its study is valuable above the study of other literature in giving strength and expansion to the mind. Paul says: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."
The word of God is the most perfect educational book in our world. Yet in our colleges and schools, books produced by human intellect have been presented for the study of our students, and the Book of books, which God has given to men to be an infallible guide, has been made a secondary matter. Human productions have been used as most essential, and the word of God has been studied simply to give flavor to other studies. Isaiah describes the scenes of heaven's glory that were presented to him, in most vivid language. All through this book he pictures glorious things that are to be revealed to others. Ezekiel writes: "The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him. And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides, and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle." The book of Ezekiel is deeply instructive.
The Bible is designed of God to be the book by which the understanding may be disciplined, the soul guided and directed. To live in the world and yet to be not of the world, is a problem that many professed Christians have never worked out in their practical life. Enlargement of mind will come to a nation only as men return to their allegiance to God. The world is flooded with books on general information, and men apply their minds in searching uninspired histories; but they neglect the most wonderful book that can give them the most correct ideas and ample understanding.
How hard men work to obtain knowledge! They expend time and money in seeking to find out things that are not essential to a life of purity, that will not aid them in building up a character that will fit them to become members of the royal family, children of the Heavenly King. Some make long journeys to Jerusalem to see the place where Christ lived and taught. They listen to traditions and tales that men have invented. They spend money for that which is not bread. Christ says: "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you; for him hath God the Father sealed." To expend time and labor in finding the places where Jesus worked in Jerusalem, cannot bring any real benefit to soul or body. The money would better be expended in helping those who are perishing out of Christ. In doing this work, we may be assured that we are working in Christ's lines. Human guides may point to this spot or that one as a place where Jesus made his abode, and travelers may cultivate feelings of awe and reverence in looking upon various localities, and yet they have no certain knowledge that Christ ever taught there, or that his feet ever trod the soil. The only advantage that we can gain is an advantage that comes by faith in knowing and understanding the work of Christ for our soul's salvation, in knowing the will of God in our individual cases.
Men and women may study the will of God with profit. Let young men and young women, while the dew of youth is upon them, begin to study the word of God, which expresses his will. The steps of Christ are certainly marked out in the word. Go where they can be found to day. Do not seek to go back to the land where Christ's feet trod ages ago. Christ says: "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." We can know far more of Christ by following him step by step in the work of redemption, seeking the lost and the perishing, than by journeying to old Jerusalem. Christ has taken his people into his church. He has swept away every ceremony of the ancient type. He has given no liberty to restore these rites, or to substitute anything that will recall the old literal sacrifices. The Lord requires of his people spiritual sacrifices alone. Everything pertaining to his worship is placed under the superintendence of his Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the Father would send the Holy Spirit in his name to teach his disciples all things, and to bring all things unto their remembrance that he had said unto them. The curse rests upon Jerusalem. The Lord has obliterated those things which men would worship in and about Jerusalem, yet many hold in reverence literal objects in Palestine, while they neglect to behold Jesus as their advocate in the heaven of heavens.
Where is Christ? We would see Jesus, not the places where he used to make his abode. Christ is the bread of life, and we must feed upon his word, and be a doer of his commands. What is Christ to me? How am I related to Christ? He is in the heavens above, and as our high priest, is offering up the incense of his own merit. His holiness mingles with our prayers of repentance and faith. Through conversion we are brought into close relationship with God, and the Father loves those for whom Christ has died as he loves his own Son. Through the almighty ransom he has made, we become sons and daughters of God. We should earnestly inquire, not in regard to old Jerusalem and concerning the fables that are repeated for truth, but we should turn our eyes to the loving Saviour, who ever liveth to make intercession for us. We should prostrate the soul before the incarnate God. We are not to trust in fables, and worship places that God has cursed, and foster idolatry in so doing. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: "Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship; for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Many visit Jerusalem, and go away cherishing ideas which they suppose represent the truth, while in fact they have only come in contact with fables. They publish these falsehoods as truth.
Peter declares: "We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
Let the mind be educated to look to Jesus. Let an effort be made to become doers of his word. The curse of God is upon Jerusalem and its surroundings, and the land is defiled under the inhabitants thereof. There is no real foundation for feelings of awe in looking upon the land of Palestine. In revering these earthly things, men clothe them with a false glory. He who came to save the world could not be endured by those he came to rescue, and they killed the Lord of life and glory, thinking to extinguish his divine light from the world. But it was impossible for the grave to hold him. He burst the fetters of the tomb, and proclaimed in triumph over the rent sepulcher, "I am the resurrection and the life." Thus Christ became a present Saviour, a divine presence, in every place. All who believe may obtain clear views of Christ's true glory. When they behold him, all these minor things sink into insignificance, just as the lesser lights vanish when the sun appears. He who catches a glimpse of the matchless love of Christ, counts all other things as loss, and looks upon him as the chiefest among ten thousand, and as the one altogether lovely. As seraphim and cherubim look upon Christ, they cover their faces with their wings. Their own perfection and beauty are not displayed in the presence and glory of their Lord. Then how improper it is for men to exalt themselves! Let them rather be clothed with humility, cease all strife for supremacy, and learn what it means to be meek and lowly of heart. He who contemplates God's glory and infinite love, will have humble views of himself; but by beholding the character of God, he will be changed into his divine image. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, March 3, 1896
March 3, 1896(Vol. 73, #9)
"Christ's Words at the House of the Pharisee" Christ was invited to be a guest at the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath day. Some of the chief men of the Jewish nation were present on this occasion, and Jesus had accepted the invitation, in order that he might improve the opportunity of speaking words of truth, that like precious seed would drop into the hearts of those who were prepared to receive it. But the "Pharisees watched him," for there was a certain man before him who had the dropsy, and they were looking for some occasion that would afford them an excuse for accusing him. Jesus knew their thoughts, and "answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? And they held their peace." They had counseled among themselves concerning this occasion, and had said that no doubt Jesus would do as he had done in times past,--would have compassion on this afflicted man, and heal him on the Sabbath day. If he did this, they would condemn him for violating the Sabbath law. Jesus knew their reasoning, but "he took him, and healed him, and let him go" He could read the intents of their hearts, and he answered their unspoken thoughts, saying: "Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things."
The manner in which Christ anticipated their question was inexplainable, and they were so perplexed by his manner of dealing with them that they could not carry out their plans of accusing him, taking him before the council, and pronouncing him worthy of death. With these words he passed by their accusations, and put forth a parable to those that were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms. He said to them: "When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher; then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
Some who heard this important lesson felt the force of Christ's words, and put into practise the principles which he announced. The wise man had spoken these same words hundreds of years before: "A man's pride shall bring him low; but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit." Jesus had said to his disciples: "He that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."
In inviting Christ to this feast on the Sabbath day, the lawyers and Pharisees had thought to awe him with their greatness and dignity. They represented the religious instructors of the day, and were among the chief men of Jerusalem. But Christ had just pronounced a woe upon Jerusalem, pointing out the manner in which they had used the servants of God, and would treat the Lord they professed to serve. He had said: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate; and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." He had also spoken in reproof to those who had made the feast, saying: "When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."
These words came altogether too close to suit the self-righteous, ostentatious dignitaries who were at the feast; and one of the self-conceited Pharisees, endeavoring to close the channel of such remarks, exclaimed, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God." These words seemed to be in line with the remarks of Christ, but they were spoken with the purpose of breaking up his conversation. Under the guise of piety, this man thought to turn the conversation away from the close personal application which the Saviour gave it, to vague generalities which would affect no one for good. But the Lord read the heart of this pretender as an open book, and fastening his eyes upon him, he continued his remarks as though he had not recognized the design of this man to stop his conversation: "Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many; and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it; I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and showed his Lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper."
Our Lord presented this parable to search the man's feigned sanctity, and to make manifest the fact that he had no true appreciation of the kingdom of heaven. The religious teachers of the Jewish nation were zealous in their professions of godliness, while they refused to be doers of the word of God. They knew that this parable was spoken against them. One of their number had declared that those who ate bread in the kingdom of God should be blessed, but at the same time they were refusing the invitation to the feast that had been prepared for them. How difficult a matter it was to find guests for the table which the Lord had provided! In the parable he showed them that the first and second invitations had been given them by the prophets and by John the Baptist, but that they had made worldly enterprises and interests an excuse for refusing to accept the invitation. They were professing to look for the Messiah, and yet were misinterpreting the Scriptures in regard to his advent and work. They did not recognize him when he appeared among them, and proclaimed the blessing that would come upon those who accepted his invitation to the spiritual feast of truth. Around the family board, when breaking their daily bread, many uttered the words, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God;" and yet how few respected the gracious invitation to partake of the heavenly feast provided for them at infinite cost. Jesus represented the matter in its true light, and showed that in order to furnish his table with guests, he would have to send out his invitations into the highways and byways, to the lame, the poor, and the outcast. He would have to press his invitation upon men, and by the manifestation of redeeming love, compel them to come in.
Those who were sitting at the table understood the parable, and knew that their cases were represented by the different classes who began to make excuse; but they closed their eyes to the convincing facts, and would not believe that the threatened retribution would come upon them. They continued to despise the message of warning.
Jesus had spoken these words in answer to a self-righteous Pharisee who counted himself among those who should eat bread in the kingdom of God, but the lesson of warning given to him had a general application. The invitation of mercy had been refused by the Jewish nation, and the message was to be sent to the highways and hedges,--to the whole Gentile world. The way in which the message was treated in that age is an illustration of the way in which it is treated in every age of the world. The very same means are used in presenting the truth in every generation, and the same excuses are offered in refusing the invitation. Some declare that they cannot follow Christ, because to do so would interfere with their business interests. Others urge the difficulties that would arise in their social relations should they obey the commandments of God. They say they cannot afford to be out of harmony with their neighbors, acquaintances, and relatives. They make light of the message, but the Master of the feast regards their flimsy excuses as contempt of his invitation of mercy. These apologies which men offer for refusing the invitation to the heavenly supper will appear again in their true character in the day of God. The rich feast of God's grace has been provided at infinite cost, and an invitation to that feast confers special honor upon the human race. Those who accept the invitation are authorized and commissioned of God to extend it to every creature. Though the invitation was at first given to the Jewish nation, it was to be extended to all the world. Christ presents the character of the feast to which we are invited. He says: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. . . . Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. . . . It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Shall we not accept the invitation to the gospel feast, feed upon Christ, and thus have everlasting life? By Mrs. E. G. White. (Concluded next week.)
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, March 10, 1896
March 10, 1896(Vol. 73, #10)
"Words of Christ in the House of the Pharisee [Concluded]" The history of the great blessings that were offered to the Jews is presented in the parable of the supper. When the feast was prepared, the servants of the king were sent out to herald the invitation, "Come; for all things are now ready." But when those to whom the invitation was extended with one consent began to make excuse, and refused to come to the supper, the master of the feast was angry, and said, "None of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper."
Jesus was sitting in the midst of priests, rulers, lawyers, and Pharisees,--in the midst of men who had long been favored with the heavenly invitation, and who claimed to be guests for the feast of the Lord. But when the time came when they should have entered into the spiritual kingdom of heaven, when by believing on Christ they should have been partakers of his flesh and blood, when they should have received him whom their sacrificial offerings typified, they all with one consent began to make excuse. Mercy was extended to them, and their probation was lengthened, until three years and a half after the death of Christ, when the apostles declared: "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing you put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." The Lord gave the commission to go out into the highways and the hedges of the cities and villages, to go to the poor, the halt, the lame, and the blind, to minister to those who felt that they had need of a physician. Jesus had declared, "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The wandering sheep must be hunted up. The Jews refused to accept the flesh and blood of the Son of God; they would not listen to his word, which he declared is spirit and life, and rejected the invitation to the gospel feast. Through their impenitence and stubbornness of heart in refusing the heavenly invitation, they themselves were rejected. The solemn words were spoken by lips that cannot lie, saying, "None of those men that were bidden [and who have refused my invitation] shall taste of my supper."
Jesus passed from the house of the Pharisee, "and there went great multitudes with him." "Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him." Jesus received them with joy, and gave them the instruction that they so much needed; but the Pharisees were greatly offended because he received those whom they regarded with contempt, and because he complied with their request to speak unto them the words of life. The Pharisees would not receive the heavenly invitation themselves, they would not listen to his teachings, and yet they were greatly displeased because he did not respect their teachings, and would not refuse to have anything to do with the Gentiles, with publicans and sinners. They murmured, saying: "This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he called together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
The scribes and the Pharisees felt that they were in favor with God, and that they had no need of reformation; but Jesus presented parables to show them the deformity of self-righteousness, and revealed himself as the Great Physician to those who felt their need of healing. He looked with pity upon the common people, the publicans, and sinners, who solicited him to teach them what they must do to be saved. He drew aside the veil, and pointed out the nobler world, the society of heaven, which they had lost from their view. He brought celestial things within the range of their vision. In the parable of the lost sheep, the lost piece of silver, and the lost son, he showed them the love of God, and how he is working in view of the universe of heaven, cooperating with God and angels for the salvation of the lost. He revealed the fact that the censure and reproach that are cast upon him are cast also upon God and the holy angels, and that in laboring for the salvation of publicans and sinners he was carrying out the work that Heaven gave him to do in seeking those who are ready to perish. He longed to present before the scribes and the Pharisees, before the Jews and the Gentiles, the great things of eternal interest, in order that he might break the spell of infatuation that was upon them, and rescue them from the deception that imperiled their souls. He revealed to them how vain were the pursuits in which they were engaging, the importance of every moment of life, and urged upon them as upon us the necessity of giving their all to God and of devoting their faculties to his service, that they might bear precious fruit to the glory of God. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, March 17, 1896
March 17, 1896(Vol. 73, #11)
"Who Are the Nobility of the Earth?" We read in the word of God that "not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." The rich idolize their riches, and do the very things which Jesus has told them not to do. They lay up their treasure upon the earth, and they worship and serve their treasures. By their example they educate those who dwell with them or who are connected with them to think that money is the thing to live for, and thus they testify against Christ. What saith the world's Redeemer?--"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Every needed blessing will be given to those who serve God.
The day is not far distant when the books will be opened, when every man shall be judged out of those things which are written in the books according to his works, whether they may be good, or whether they be evil. In the judgment those who have loved God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, will be registered in the book of life as the nobility of the earth. The worldly, who have been called the noble, who have had large possessions, should now consider what is true nobility, and if they rightly understand this, they will esteem themselves richer than the richest if they are in possession of Jesus Christ. They will realize that the payment of a mere tithe of their earthly possessions will not give them power and eternal riches; but that every dollar they possess is the Lord's own capital. That which has secured the title of noble in this world, is the possession of riches which have been entrusted of the Lord for the benefit of his suffering children, and which have been appropriated to glorify him who should have been a wise steward of God. Many such men have used all their tact and wisdom in accumulating property, but have not employed their powers in healing the woes of suffering humanity about them.
There are many youths who possess talents, and if they were trained, they would be capable of doing a good work for the Master; but those who could aid them in obtaining an education, hoard up their treasures or use them simply for the gratification of themselves, and thus fail to build up the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. How do the angels of heaven look upon the daughters of wealth and fashion who decorate themselves with costly jewels, and spend thousands of dollars in glorifying themselves? How will Christ judge those who make gifts to the rich, when the poor are starving around them, when men's actions are weighed in the golden balances of the heavenly sanctuary? Has Jesus not said, "Know ye not that . . . ye are not your own? Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's"?
Jesus came from heaven to earth to redeem the sinner. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God does not desire to consume the sinner because of his perversity and his rejection of the great salvation provided for him. Jesus became poor that we, through his poverty, might come into possession of eternal riches. Yet Jesus, who did all this for fallen man, sees the souls he died to save idolizing themselves, trusting to their earthly riches, and despising the riches of his grace. He endured the agonies of the cross, despising the shame, in order that sinners might be elevated to eternal joys. He died to give them life and peace, and make them benefactors of their race.
How many of the poor and sorrowful, the naked, the hungry, and the destitute, might have been placed in comfortable circumstances, with the money needlessly expended for the adornment of the body! How many youth might have been assisted to procure an education; how many orphans and widows might have been made to rejoice, to send up to God a tribute of praise for the supply of necessary comforts, if money expended for gold and jewels had been devoted to philanthropy! Many young men and women might have been trained for missionary fields, to go forth to bring light to those who sit in darkness and have no light.
The fulfilling of the plan of salvation was a mighty achievement; but the rich man who has lost eternity out of his reckoning, has no appreciation of its value. The rich do only those things that suit their convenience. One rich person tries to outdo others in display. They are actuated by the same spirit that possessed Satan in the courts above. He has worked on the same line through all the ages, and rejoices at the transformation he can work in the character by implanting in the heart the love of riches. By pride of display and position he has caused the ruin of thousands and ten thousands. He has even led those who have placed their names on the church books to follow the fashion of the world, and seek to outdo their friends and neighbors in display. This has led to the committing of forgeries and robberies. In many cases wives have been tempters to their husbands, and have forced them to steal money in order to keep up the extravagant habits in which they have indulged. When frauds have been discovered, the perpetrators have often either fled from justice or put an end to their own lives. But the extravagance of the rich, and of those who would make a great display, reacts on the poor, and compels many to be ignorant, depraved, and destitute of the necessities of life. Thousands of talented men who have moral worth, and who, if they had a chance, could take a high position in society, are compelled to serve the rich and powerful, and to receive from their hands whatever they are pleased to bestow. If those they serve are selfish and avaricious, it will be made manifest in the way in which they deal with their servants.
There are multitudes of poor children who need care and protection. There are multitudes of aged people who are dependent upon others for the necessities of life. The Lord has not designed that these sufferers should be neglected. He has given to the rich an abundance by which the needs of the poor may be supplied. As good and faithful stewards, they are to distribute God's bounties to others.
God has made provision that ignorance need not exist. Those who have means are to take up their God-given responsibility. The poor are the purchase of the blood of the Son of God, and with God there is no respect of persons. The Lord says, "Sell that ye have, and give alms." Instead of hanging a necklace of gold and jewels about your neck, instead of adorning and decorating your mortal bodies, you are to deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Jesus. You are to impart to others, and care for the destitute and the ignorant.
Jesus left his high command, laid aside his royal robe and crown, and clothed his divinity with humanity, that he might seek and save the one lost sheep. He did not go to the worlds that had not fallen; he did not fix his eyes on the largest world; but he came to a world cursed by sin. The ninety and nine were his, but he left them to seek the one who had wandered away. He sees a world of sinners, full of guilt and wretchedness. He pities the sinner, sick and in need of a physician. Every one he succeeds in rescuing from the slavery of sin, awakens the greatest joy in the heart of the Redeemer. When the shepherd findeth the sheep, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing. That soul, however humble, is of great value in his sight. It was for the joy set before him of saving the lost, that Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame.
The heart of Christ is full of unutterable love toward every soul that comes to him. "Likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." Jesus said, "It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." The love manifested in Christ reveals the parental character of the Father; for God suffered with Christ. The Sin Bearer for a fallen world made the crown of thorns as a diadem upon his bleeding temples. O stubborn sinner, who will not come unto Christ that you might have life, Jesus will miss you. He is represented as the Divine Shepherd making search for the one lost sheep, that he might take it back and give it a place of refuge with the ninety and nine. Jesus desires the salvation of every lost soul. He says: "Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."
Dear soul, Jesus wants you in heaven, or he would never have left his glory, and come to our world to endure poverty, sorrow, abuse, rejection, and crucifixion. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." You that refuse to come will not find your name on the Lamb's book of life, but among the lists of Satan, and in your case he will be triumphant. The Lord Jesus came to break the chains of slavery off you, to put into your mouth a new song, even praise unto God. He came that he might present you with joy to the Father, and say, "Father, this soul is mine. I died to redeem it. I have graven this soul on the palms of my hands."
Not only is there joy among the angels when a soul is rescued from sin, but the Redeemer and the Father rejoice. The sorrow of Jesus over an unsaved world pressed his divine soul, and was a sorrow to end only with his death. Now he presents every soul who repents and believes before the Father with exceeding joy. He sees of the travail of his soul, and is satisfied. In the mansions above finally will be the Shepherd and his sheep. The work will be complete, and victory will crown the ransomed ones. When the redeemed of the Lord return unto Zion, the ransomed throng will sing: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, March 24, 1896
March 24, 1896(Vol. 73, #12)
"Christ the Minister's Theme" The ministry is a sacred office; for the minister is to preach a crucified and risen Saviour,--the power of God unto salvation to all who believe. He is to lift up Christ as a complete Saviour to all who accept him. He is to present the science of salvation, and this subject can never be exhausted. Christ is our living intercessor today, before the Father in the heavenly court. Jesus, the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world, is the theme instinct with divinity, which the servant of God is to present before his hearers. He is to make it plain that through the merits of Christ, through his example of suffering, the disciples of Christ are fitted for every work, for every trial and discouragement. He is to direct the people to look unto Jesus, to contemplate his self-denial, his self-sacrifice, his humiliation in our behalf, and to be ready and willing to follow in the footsteps of Jesus,--to endure the cross, despise the shame, and go without the camp bearing reproach for his sake.
The minister is to show the people how the Holy Spirit makes them one with Christ, their divine Leader. The truth is to be enthroned in the heart, that it may sanctify the soul. The power and grace of God in the heart will manifest itself as the power and wisdom of God in the outward life. Jesus said, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." With the divine endowment of the Holy Spirit, the human agent is qualified to work in Christ's lines. "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." The minister, living the life of Christ, knows from experience that the believer becomes a living agent through whom God can work. Those who believe in Christ possess the character of Christ, have the love of Christ, are one with him. They lean on Christ as their only staff and sufficiency. They are Christ's living witnesses. By their spirit, by their words, by their deportment, by their courtesy, by all their actions, they testify to the power of Christ. A power goes out from those who believe in Christ, and their testimony carries with it the conviction that they are laboring together with God; that they have communion with the Saviour.
The preaching of the word is not to be undervalued. To preach the grand and solemn truths of the gospel which is to save men's souls, is a sacred, holy work. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth." What an honor is conferred upon men who are called to be laborers together with God. As John, they are to be messengers to proclaim the coming of Christ! Like him they are to cry, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." "Lift him up, the risen Saviour," and say to all who hear, Come unto him who "hath loved us, and hath given himself for us." Lead men to contemplate the self-denial, the compassion, the great love wherewith he has loved them, which led him to pay the purchase money of his own life for our sakes. Let the science of salvation be the burden of every sermon. Let it be the theme of every song of praise. Let it be poured forth in every supplication. Let nothing be brought into the preaching to supplement Jesus Christ, the wisdom and power of God. Let his name, the only name given under heaven whereby we may be saved, be exalted in every discourse. From Sabbath to Sabbath let the trumpet of the watchmen give a certain sound. Let them hold forth the word of life, presenting hope to the penitent, and Christ as the stronghold to the believer. Let them reveal the way of peace to the troubled and despondent; let them show forth the grace and completeness of Christ as their living Saviour.
Let the minister not forget to encourage the precious lambs of the flock. Christ, the majesty of heaven, said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." Jesus does not send the children to the rabbis; he does not send them to the Pharisees; for he knows that these men would teach them to reject their best Friend. The mothers that brought their children to Jesus, did well. Remember the text, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." Let mothers now lead their children to Christ. Let ministers of the gospel take the little children in their arms, and bless them in the name of Jesus. Let words of tenderest love be spoken to the little ones; for Jesus took the lambs of the flock in his arms, and blessed them.
Our expectation is from God, who has given us rich and powerful proof and weighty arguments to move the hearts of men through preaching Jesus Christ and him crucified. Simple prayer, indited by the Holy Spirit, will find its way through the open door which Christ has declared he has opened, and no man can shut. The prayers of the saints, mingled with the merit and perfection of Christ, will ascend up as fragrant incense before the Father. Such prayers will be answered; the Holy Spirit will descend; souls will come to the knowledge of the truth; sinners will be converted; and the faces of many will be turned from the world toward heaven and the Sun of righteousness. Men will have new motives for action, and will become witnesses for Christ.
Watchmen are not to slumber or sleep in their important mission. They must not only preach, but minister, educating souls by personal labor, and teaching those who have turned from error to truth by precept and example what it means to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Ministers of Christ, great is your responsibility. Go forward in Christian experience from light to a greater light, reaching a more exalted standard continually. As the power of darkness works from beneath with intense activity, so let God's human agents work more vigilantly, cooperating with the divine, giving the trumpet a certain sound. Present the living oracles of God, showing the relation of the law and righteousness, and let no watchman fail to sound an alarm, and take up the warning coming from heaven, that all may be aroused to watch for souls, as they who must give an account. Light from heaven is waiting to be imparted to those who will walk in the light, as the light is given them. Let the workers for God manifest tact and talent, and originate devices by which to communicate light to those who are near and to those who are afar off. It is no time now to tolerate sleepy watchmen, and they never should have been tolerated. The experience of those who are working under the leadership of the principalities and powers of darkness, will be gained rapidly, and be abundant in suggestion. But because it has been so difficult to arouse from their lethargy the many who have long professed to know the truth, wicked spirits in high places have rapidly advanced their enterprises, and made their plans to hedge up the way of the Lord's army of workers. May the Lord show those who have long been hindrances to the cause of God, who have placed stumblingblocks in the way of those who would have advanced, what they have been doing, and may they make diligent work of repentance; for they have weakened the hands of others, and have given the enemy every advantage. Time has been lost, golden opportunities have been unimproved, because men have lacked clear, spiritual eyesight, and have not been wise to plan and devise means and ways whereby they might preoccupy the field before the enemy had taken possession. These men may think that they have done a very wise work; but the judgment will show that their warfare has been against Christ and his work.
Let us now wake up to earnest work. Watchmen who do not know the time of night, watchmen who feel no burden to lift up the danger signal, and give the warnings for this time, will not be intrusted with the light which God has to give. "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
There must be sleepless vigilance upon the part of every follower of Christ. Every one should look upon himself as a laborer together with God, working in his line to impart light and knowledge to others. God is working, and heavenly intelligences are waiting for the cooperation of human agencies, to work out in life and character a living demonstration of truth before the eyes of men. God has qualified men with the elements of faith, and it rests with them to exercise his intrusted gift and believe the evidences which he presents. They are to accept Christ, submit their will to the will of God, and love God and obey his commandments, that Christ may be formed within, the hope of glory. They must confess Christ, and reveal to the world that they have chosen him as their portion, or they will not be saved, but will be regarded as enemies of truth. Ministers are to present before the people the attractive loveliness of heaven, the glorious prize that Christ holds out before them. Only those will enter the gates of heaven who make Christ their refuge. Let men watch for souls as those who must give an account.
The way has been made clear for all those who choose to hear, repent, and believe. All heaven is waiting the sinner's cooperation, and the only barrier that stands in his way is one which he alone can remove,--his own will. He must submit to the will of God, and through repentance and faith, come unto God for salvation. No one will be forced against his will; Christ draws, but never compels, service from any man. The Roman power never had any authority for forcing the conscience, and the Protestant world has no license to follow in its track. In not a single instance have they the example of Christ in forcing men to become his followers. He says, "Come unto me [he gives an invitation to draw the soul] all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Man is required to surrender self, to submit to be a child of God, to submit to be saved by his grace, and when this is done, divine agencies cooperate with the human agent, and the character is transformed. It is in the surrender of the will that the line of demarcation between a child of God, an heir of heaven, and the rebellious, who refuse the great salvation, is distinctly drawn. The apostle asks the question, "Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?" It is the truth that sanctifies the soul. It is Satan that beclouds the mind, so that eternity is lost out of the reckoning.
Let us follow the example of Christ, and daily consecrate ourselves to his service, that we may be one with Christ, as Christ is one with the Father; then we can bring glory to our Master. Abide in Christ, as the branch abides in the living vine, and you will bear rich clusters of fruit to the glory of God. Jesus rendered perfect obedience to the divine requirements, and offered to the Father an unblemished offering. Those who believe in Christ as their personal Saviour, are "made the righteousness of God in him." As you value your own salvation, hold fast to your faith in Jesus Christ; for he is all and in all to those who believe. The time is come when Christ is to be preached as never before. Do we rejoice in this? We are constrained to set forth Christ as a complete Saviour, the necessity of every soul.
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
God calls upon the ministers of the gospel not to seek to stretch themselves beyond their measure by bringing forward artificial embellishments, striving for the praise and applause of men, being ambitious for a vain show of intellect and eloquence. Let the ministers' ambition be carefully to search the Bible, that they may know as much as possible of God and of Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. The more clearly ministers discern Christ, and catch his spirit, the more forcibly will they preach the simple truth of which Christ is the center. They will then preach the truth as it is in Jesus, and there will be no betraying of the sacred trust that has been committed to them in the work of the gospel. How painfully is the Lord Jesus Christ kept in the background! How his glory is veiled by the character and life of his representatives! Let the watchmen on the walls of Zion not join with those who are making of none effect the truth as it is in Christ. Let them not join the confederacy of infidelity, popery, and Protestantism in exalting tradition above Scripture, reason above revelation, and human talent above the divine influence and the vital power of godliness. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, March 31, 1896
March 31, 1896(Vol. 73, #13)
"Wealth an Entrusted Talent" "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
The followers of Christ are not to despise wealth; they are to look upon wealth as the Lord's entrusted talent. By a wise use of his gifts, they may be eternally benefited, but we are to bear the fact in mind that God has not given us riches to use just as we shall fancy, to indulge impulse, to bestow or withhold as we shall please. We are not to use riches in a selfish way, devoting them simply to our own enjoyment. This course would not be doing right toward God or toward our fellowmen, and would bring at last only perplexity and trouble.
We are probationers, placed upon trial. God has furnished us with opportunities by which we may copy the highest pattern of character. Christ is to be our pattern. He was rich in heavenly treasure; but although he was rich, for our sake he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. The Lord has made human agents his stewards, and the whole universe of heaven is interested to see what use men make of that which has been given them. God has entrusted his blessing to men for the purpose of helping their fellowmen who are in actual necessity. No one is to feel that his fellowman is of less value in the sight of God because he is poor. Those who are hungry, naked, and suffering, are committed by God himself to the mercy, the love, and the tender care of those whom he has made his stewards. Men misapply their blessings when they use their riches in an extravagant outlay for selfish indulgence, for the gratification of themselves, for lifting up their hearts in pride and vanity. They misapply their blessings when they hoard up their riches, and leave their fellowmen destitute of even the necessities of life. The world favors the rich, and looks upon them as of greater value than the honest poor man; but the rich are developing their characters after the manner in which they use their entrusted gifts. They are making manifest whether or not it will be safe to trust them with eternal riches. Both the poor and the rich are deciding their own eternal destiny and proving whether they are fit subjects for the inheritance of the saints in light. Those who put their riches to a selfish use in this world are revealing attributes of character that show what they would do if they had greater advantages, and possessed the imperishable treasures of the kingdom of God. The selfish principles exercised on the earth are not the principles which will prevail in heaven. All men stand on an equality in heaven; for there is no caste with God. Christ said, "All ye are brethren."
Everything we have received in this world has come to us through the gracious mercy of Christ. His example shows every man what he should do with God's entrusted goods. Men will not live an inactive life in the earth after it has been cleansed and purified. It is to become the abode of the saints, the dwellingplace of those who have been doers of the words of Christ, who have been faithful stewards, to whom it will be safe to entrust greater treasure. "If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? "If you reveal the fact that selfish principles control your life and character, and lead you to hoard your means to glorify yourself, and you pay no attention to the temporal and spiritual necessities of your fellowmen, your destiny will be decided, and you will be left outside the kingdom of God. You have used God's means in your own way, and after a manner of your own choosing. Those who thus employ their God-entrusted talents, will not develop the character which dwelt in our Lord Jesus Christ, and will not be partakers of the higher riches which are as enduring as eternity.
Why is it that riches are called unrighteous mammon?--It is because Satan uses worldly treasure to ensnare, deceive, and delude souls, to accomplish their ruin. God has given directions as to how they are to appropriate his goods in relieving the wants of suffering humanity, in advancing his cause, in building up his kingdom in the world, in sending missionaries into regions beyond, in disseminating the knowledge of Christ in all parts of the world. If the God-entrusted means are not thus applied, will not God surely judge for these things? Souls are left to perish in their sins while church members who claim to be Christians are using God's sacred trust of means in gratifying unholy appetites, in indulging self. What a vast amount of God's entrusted capital is expended in purchasing tobacco, beer, and liquor! God has forbidden all these indulgences because they tear down the human structure. Through their indulgence health is sacrificed, and life itself is offered on Satan's shrine. Perverted appetite causes the brain to become enfeebled, so that men cannot think sharply and clearly, and devise plans that will succeed in temporal matters; and much less can they bring a cultivated intellect into their religious transactions. They are unable to discern sacred and eternal things above those which are common and temporal. Satan has invented many ways in which to squander the means which God has given. Card playing, betting, gambling, horse racing, and theatrical performances are all of his own inventing, and he has led men to carry forward these amusements as zealously as though they were winning for themselves the precious boon of eternal life. Men lay out immense sums in following these forbidden pleasures; and the result is, their God-given power, which has been purchased by the blood of the Son of God, is degraded and corrupted. The physical, moral, and mental powers which are given to men of God, and which belong to Christ, are zealously used in serving Satan, and in turning men from righteousness and holiness. Everything is devised that can possibly turn the mind from that which is noble and pure, and the boundary line is almost reached when the inhabitants of the earth will be as corrupt as were the inhabitants of the world before the flood. Of the condition of society at that day it is written, "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." "And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence." Jesus said concerning our own day, "As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
If we look at the picture of the days that were before the flood, and then turn our attention to the habits and practises of society today, we shall see that our earth is fast ripening for the plagues of the last days. Men have corrupted the earth by their sinful course of action. Satan is playing the game of life for the souls of men. Those who are doers of the words of Christ will find that they will have to watch and pray continually in order that they may not be led into temptation. Many do not seem to appreciate the fact that the money they needlessly expend on amusements which only vex the soul and lay the foundation for the corruption of their morals, is money that belongs to the Lord. Those who use money for selfish gratification are pleasing and glorifying the enemy of all righteousness. If they turned their hearts to God, they would use their money to bless and uplift their fellowmen, to relieve poverty and suffering. Starvation is in our world, nakedness, disease, and death; yet how few abate their sinful extravagance! Satan is inventing everything that he can possibly devise in order to keep men thoroughly occupied, so that they shall have no time to consider the question, "How is it with my soul?"
The owner of all our earthly treasures came to our world in human form. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. We cannot appreciate how deeply interested he must be in the human family. He knows the value of every soul. What grief oppressed him as he saw his purchased inheritance charmed with Satan's inventions! The only satisfaction Satan takes in playing the game of life for the souls of men is the satisfaction he takes in hurting the heart of Christ. Though he was rich, for our sake Christ became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. Yet in view of this great fact, the majority of the world permit earthly possessions to eclipse heavenly attractions. They set their affections upon earthly things, and turn away from God. What a grievous sin it is that men will not come to their senses, and understand how foolish it is to permit inordinate affections for earthly things to expel the love of God from the heart. When the love of God is expelled, the love of the world quickly flows in to supply the vacuum. The Lord alone can cleanse the soul temple from the moral defilement.
Jesus gave his life for the life of the world, and he places an infinite value upon man. He desires that man shall appreciate himself, and consider his future well-being. If the eye is kept single, the whole body will be full of light. If the spiritual vision is clear, unseen realities will be looked upon in their true value, and beholding the eternal world will give added enjoyment to this world. The Christian will be filled with joy in proportion as he is a faithful steward of his Lord's goods. Christ yearns to save every son and daughter of Adam. He lifts his voice in warning, in order to break the spell which has bound the soul in captivity to the slavery of sin. He beseeches men to turn from their infatuation. He brings the nobler world before their vision, and says, "Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon the earth." Christ sees the danger; he knows the subtle temptations and power of the enemy; for he has experienced Satan's temptations. He gave his life to procure a period of probation for the sons and daughters of Adam. With the result of Adam's disobedience and transgressions before them, with greater light shining upon them, they are invited to come unto him and find rest unto their souls. But the greater the light and the plainer the danger signal, the greater the condemnation of those will be who turn from light to darkness. The words of Christ are too serious in their import to be disregarded.
Men seem moved with an insane desire to procure earthly possessions. Every species of dishonesty is practised in order to accumulate wealth. Men pursue their business affairs with intense zeal, as though success in this line would be a surety for obtaining heaven. They bind up the Lord's entrusted capital in worldly goods, and there is no means with which to advance the kingdom of God in the world by relieving the mental and physical distress of the world's inhabitants. Many who profess to be Christians fail to heed the command of Christ when he says, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
The Lord will not compel men to deal justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with their God; he sets before the human agent good and evil, and makes plain what will be the sure result of following one course or the other. Christ invites us, saying, "Follow me." But we are never forced to walk in his footsteps. If we do walk in his footsteps, it is the result of deliberate choice. As we see the life and character of Christ, strong desire is awakened to be like him in character; and we follow on to know the Lord, and to know his goings forth are prepared as the morning. We then begin to realize that "the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 7, 1896
April 7, 1896(Vol. 73, #14)
"Treasure Laid Up in Heaven" "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead [to earthly pleasures and worldly attractions], and your life is hid with Christ in God." What follows this experience?--"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience."
Truth languishes in our earth, and he that departeth from evil, maketh himself a prey. What shall I eat? and what shall I drink? and wherewithal shall I be clothed? are the questions which are occupying the minds of men, while eternity is dropped out of their reckoning. Men do not look upon the Lord Jesus Christ as the only hope of the world. He sees his purchased possession the sport of every kind of deception, and knows that the end thereof is eternal ruin. Those for whom he died are absorbed in providing themselves with temporal things that are not required. At the same time they are neglecting the preparation of character which would fit them for an abode in the mansions which he has purchased for them at an infinite price. Christ calls upon them to change this order of things, and to act as rational beings. He would have them use their God-given faculties in contemplating eternal realities. He lifts his voice in warning, saying, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. . . . No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
When temporal matters absorb the mind and engage the attention, the whole strength of the being is engaged in the service of man, and men look upon the worship due to God as a trifling matter. Religious interests are made subservient to the world. But Jesus, who has paid the ransom for the souls of the human family, requires that men shall subordinate temporal interests to the heavenly interests. He would have them cease to indulge in hoarding up earthly treasures, in spending money upon luxuries, and in surrounding themselves with those things which they do not need. He would not have them destroy spiritual power, but directs their attention to heavenly things. He urges that men should seek more earnestly and continually for the bread of life than for the bread which perishes. He says, "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed." "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." It is the word of God that is essential for our spiritual growth. "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Those who are doers of the words of Christ will bring heaven into their life.
Christ is our Redeemer, our owner, and he is intensely interested that we shall have peace in this world. He seeks to present before us the attractions of heaven; for where the treasure is, there will the heart be also. To lay up treasure in heaven is to use our God-given capabilities in acquiring means and influence that may be used for the glory of God. Every dollar we earn is the Lord's property, and should be used in reference to the time when we shall be called to give an account of our stewardship. No one of us will be able to evade the future reckoning. By choosing to lay up treasure in heaven, our characters will be molded after the likeness of Christ. The world will see that our hopes and plans are made in reference to the advancement of the truth and the salvation of perishing souls. They will see that Christ is all in all to those who love him.
The world is stirred to intense activity in seeking for earthly treasure. Men prostitute their God-given powers in devising and executing earthly projects; but Christ lifts his voice, like the trump of God, and calls the attention of men, saying, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
In securing treasure in heaven, we place ourselves in living connection with God, who owns all the treasures of the earth, and supplies all temporal mercies that are essential for life. Every soul may secure the eternal inheritance. The Lord opens the fact before his people that there is full room for the exercise of their faculties, for the fulfilment of their loftiest aims, for the acquirement of the choicest and most enduring treasure. They may lay up treasures where neither fire nor flood nor any manner of adversity can touch. It is the highest wisdom to live in such a way as to secure eternal life. This may be done by not living in the world for ourselves, but by living for God; by passing our property on to a world where it will never perish. By using our property to advance the cause of God, our uncertain riches are placed in an unfailing bank. But it is not riches alone that is accounted as treasure. We are to dispense our wealth of thought, to use our God-given wisdom in devising and executing plans to honor and glorify God. We are to make to ourselves friends by relieving the distress of the poor and by building up every interest we possibly can in the earth, to keep heaven and God continually in view, and to lift up the standard of righteousness among men. In so doing we are using the means and the influence that the Householder has lent us in trust to make for ourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness. The world may condemn us for using our means in building meetinghouses, in feeding the hungry, in helping the oppressed and suffering out of their difficulties; but the Lord says that this is the very work that should be done with his intrusted capital. Those who make friends with the mammon of unrighteousness will be received into everlasting habitations. Every sacrifice made for the purpose of blessing others, every appropriation of means for the service of God, will be treasure laid up in heaven. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 14, 1896
April 14, 1896(Vol. 73, #15)
"Character of the Last Conflict" The great controversy between the Prince of light and the prince of darkness has not abated one jot or tittle of its influence as time has gone on. The stern conflict between light and darkness, between truth and error, is deepening in its intensity. The synagogue of Satan is intensely active, and in this age the deceiving power of the enemy is working in the most subtle way. Every human mind that is not surrendered to God and is not under the control of the Spirit of God, will be perverted through satanic agencies. The enemy is working continually to supplant Jesus Christ in the human heart, and to place his attributes in the human character, in the place of the attributes of God. He brings his strong delusions to bear upon the human mind, that he may have a controlling power. He seeks to obliterate the truth and abolish the true pattern of goodness and righteousness, in order that the professed Christian world may be swept to perdition through separation from God. He is working in order that selfishness may become worldwide, and thus make of no effect the mission and work of Christ.
Christ came to the world to bring back the character of God to man, and to retrace on the human, soul the divine image. Through his entire life, Christ sought by continuous, laborious efforts to call the world's attention to God and to his holy requirements, so that men might be imbued with the Spirit of God, might be actuated by love, and might reveal in life and character the divine attributes. Christ came to be the light and life of the world, and his life was one of continual self-denial and self-sacrifice. The Lord Jesus valued every human being, and could not endure the thought that one soul should perish. His great heart of love embraced the whole world, and led him to provide complete salvation for all who would believe in him. In the character of Christ, majesty and humility were blended. Temperance and self-denial were seen in every act of his life, but there was no taint of bigotry, no cold austerity, manifested in his manner to lessen his influence over those with whom he came in contact. The world's Redeemer had a greater than angelic nature; yet united with his divine majesty were meekness and humility that attracted all to himself. He speaks to all, saying, "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."
Christ is man's example. "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. . . . That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." Christ, our Redeemer, comprehended all the necessities of man. He formulated the mighty plans by which fallen man is to be uplifted from the degradation of sin. In every circumstance, however trivial, he represented the Father. Though upholding the world by the word of his power, he would stoop to relieve a wounded bird. O that we all had an intelligent knowledge of Jesus Christ! Weary and worn as he often was, he pleased not himself. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh." Who are those that refuse to hear the voice of Christ!--They are those who do not hear and practise his word. They are those whose hearts were crowded and overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life; who are eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying and giving in marriage. They are those who will not receive the message of warning for these last days.
The agencies of Satan are at work to keep the minds of men engrossed with the things of this life, in order that he may work counter to the mission and work of Christ. Of Satan, Christ declares he "abode not in the truth." Once Satan was in co-partnership with God, Jesus Christ, and the holy angels. He was highly exalted in heaven, and was radiant in light and glory that came to him from the Father and the Son; but he became disloyal, and lost his high and holy position as covering cherub. He became the antagonist of God, an apostate, and was excluded from heaven. He established his empire, and planted the standard of rebellion against the law of Jehovah. He invited all the powers of evil to rally about his standard, in order to form a desperate companionship of evil to league against the God of heaven. He worked perseveringly and determinedly to perpetuate his rebellion, and to cause men to turn from Bible truth, and to stand under his banner. As soon as the Lord through Jesus Christ created our world, and placed Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, Satan announced his purpose to conform to his own nature the father and mother of all humanity, and to unite them with his own ranks of rebellion. He was determined to efface the image of God from the human posterity, and to trace his own image upon the soul in place of the divine image. He adopted methods of deception by which to accomplish his purpose. He is called the father of lies, an accuser of God and of those who maintain their allegiance to God, a murderer from the beginning. He put forth every power at his command to win man to cooperate with him in apostasy, and succeeded in bringing rebellion into our world.
All the vast, complicated machinery of evil agencies is put into action in these last days. Through generation after generation, from age to age, Satan has gathered human agencies through whom to work out his diabolical purposes, and to bring about the enforcement of his plans and devices in the earth. The great putrid fountain of evil has been continually flowing through human society. Though unable to expel God from his throne, Satan has charged God with satanic attributes, and has claimed the attributes of God as his own. He is a deceiver, and through his serpentine sharpness, through his crooked practises, he has drawn to himself the homage which man should have given to God, and has planted his satanic throne between human worshiper and the divine Father.
But in man's behalf, Christ met the specious temptations of Satan, and left to man an example as to how to overcome Satan in the conflict. He exhorts his followers, saying, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Satan has made masterly efforts to perpetuate sin. He arrayed all his civil agencies to war against Jesus Christ in an active, desperate conflict, in order that he might bruise the heart of infinite Love. He seduced the people to bow to idols, and thus gain supremacy over earthly kingdoms. He considered that to be the god of this world was the next best thing to gaining possession of the throne of God in heaven. In a large measure he has been successful in his plans. When Jesus was on earth, Satan led the people to reject the Son of God, and to choose Barabbas, who in character represented Satan, the god of this world. The Lord Jesus Christ came to dispute the usurpation of Satan in the kingdoms of the world. The conflict is not yet ended; and as we draw near the close of time, the battle waxes more intense. As the second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ draws near, satanic agencies are moved from beneath. Satan will not only appear as a human being, but he will personate Jesus Christ; and the world who has rejected the truth will receive him as the Lord of lords and King of kings. He will exercise his power, and work upon the human imagination. He will corrupt both the minds and the bodies of men, and will work through the children of disobedience, fascinating and charming, as does a serpent. What a spectacle will the world be for heavenly intelligences! What a spectacle for God, the Creator of the world, to behold! The form Satan assumed in Eden when leading our first parents to transgress, was of a character to bewilder and confuse the mind. He will work in as subtle a manner as we near the end of earth's history. All his deceiving power will be brought to bear upon human subjects, to complete the work of deluding the human family. So deceptive will be his working, that men will do as they did in the days of Christ; and when asked, Whom shall I release unto you, Christ or Barabbas? the almost universal cry will be, Barabbas, Barabbas! And when the question is asked, "What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?" the cry again will be, "Crucify him!" Christ will be represented in the person of those who accept the truth, and who identify their interest with that of their Lord. The world will be enraged at them in the same way that they were enraged at Christ, and the disciples of Christ will know that they are to be treated no better than was their Lord. But Christ will surely identify his interest with that of those who accept him as their personal Saviour. Every insult, every reproach, every false accusation made against them by those who have turned their ears away from the truth and are turned unto fables, will be charged upon the guilty ones as done to Christ in the person of his saints.
Those who love and keep the commandments of God are most obnoxious to the synagogue of Satan, and the powers of evil will manifest their hatred toward them to the fullest extent possible. John foresaw the conflict between the remnant church and the power of evil, and said, "The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." The forces of darkness will unite with human agents who have given themselves into the control of Satan, and the same scenes that were exhibited at the trial, rejection, and crucifixion of Christ will be revived. Through yielding to satanic influences, men will be transformed into fiends; and those who were created in the image of God, who were formed to honor and glorify their Creator, will become the habitation of dragons, and Satan will see in an apostate race his masterpiece of evil,--men who reflect his own image.
Men were imbued with a satanic spirit at the time when they decided that they would have Barabbas, a thief and murderer, in preference to the Son of God. The demoniac power triumphed over humanity; legions of evil angels took entire control of men, and in answer to Pilate's question as to whom he should release unto them, they shrieked out, "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas." When Pilate spoke again to them concerning Jesus, the hoarse cry was raised, "Crucify him, crucify him." Through yielding to demoniac agencies, men were led to take their stand on the side of the great apostate. Unfallen worlds looked upon the scene with amazement, unable to comprehend the degradation that sin had wrought. Legions of evil angels controlled the priests and rulers, and gave voice to the suggestions of Satan in persuading and tempting the people by falsehoods and bribes to reject the Son of God, and to choose a robber and murderer in his stead. They appealed to the very worst passions of the unregenerate heart, and stirred up the worst elements of human nature by the most unjust accusations and representations. What a scene was this for God to look upon, for seraphim and cherubim to behold! The only begotten Son of God, the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory, was mocked, insulted, taunted, rejected, and crucified by those whom he came to save, who had given themselves to the control of Satan.
Christ said, "If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?" "They shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogue ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. . . . Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." The agencies of Satan are having their last chance to develop before the world, before angels and men, the true principles of their attributes. The people of God are now to stand as representatives of the attributes of the Father and the Son. "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 21, 1896
April 21, 1896(Vol. 73, #16)
"Redeem the Time, Because the Days Are Evil" "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."
Society today is fast approaching the condition of the world before the flood. As children grow up to youth, and youth to manhood and womanhood, they are becoming full of self-sufficiency, maturing rapidly in the knowledge of evil. Many, through constantly associating with thieves, with the depraved, dissolute, disobedient characters of society, learn to be cunning in avoiding detection, and become experts in deception and fraud. The youth of today are educated in crime by reading the stories which fill the popular publications. Having no regard for the right because it is right, as they read stories of theft, murder, and every other species of crime, they are led to devise means by which they could improve upon the criminals' methods, and escape detection. Foul publications assist in perfecting the education of the youth in the way that leads to perdition. The youth of our cities breathe in the tainted, polluted atmosphere of crime; the evil influence is then communicated to the country, and the whole community becomes contaminated.
Some of the rulers of the earth are not men of moral worth. They have no desire to check the publication of this foul literature which is increasing year by year, and which feeds the passion for crime and evil. Stories of criminal life such as are found in the papers of the day, and so-called revelations of the future, are treated as realities. Revolutions are predicted, and many catch the evil spirit lurking in these representations of future horrors; and they feed upon these things until they are filled with the same spirit, and are led to do even worse, were it possible, than these sensational writers depict. Christ saw the conflict that is approaching, and has sent us word to watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation. He has warned us that "as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. . . . Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."
We are not warned against properly participating in business transactions, but against carrying to excess that which is lawful in itself, against allowing our minds to be so absorbed in earthly things that we shall not discern the important things that concern our eternal interest. We are warned against indulging perverted appetite, against surfeiting and drunkenness. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Jude describes the condition of our world as we approach the close of earth's history, and lifts the danger signal, that we may understand the perils of our time.
But even in the corrupt condition in which the society of today is, there are souls capable of better things,--souls represented by Christ under the symbol of "the lost pearl." Christ gave up everything, that he might seek and save that which was lost, that he might recover the pearl that he valued at infinite cost. What are we ready to do to cooperate with him in this work? What sacrifice are we ready to make, that we may find the lost pearl, and place it in the hands of our Saviour? The cities are teeming with iniquity, and Satan suggests that it is impossible to do any good within their borders; and so they are sadly neglected. But there are lost pearls there, whose value you cannot realize until you earnestly seek to find them. There might be one hundred workers where there is but one, who might be seeking diligently, prayerfully, and with intense interest, to find the pearls that are buried in the rubbish of these cities.
How can we find language to express our deep interest, to describe our desire that every soul should awake and go to work in the Master's vineyard? Christ says, "Occupy till I come." It may be but a few years until our life's history shall close; but we must occupy till then. The fiat will go forth, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still," and then there will be no more occasion to labor for souls. Every case will be decided. Are you carrying no burden for lost souls? Are you not afraid some trust has been committed unto you for which you will be held accountable? Are you sensible of the responsibility imposed by the talents entrusted to you? Have you misused your time, your strength, your influence? The despised privileges, the wasted hours, the neglected duties, are all registered in the books of heaven; and every individual must meet this record in the judgment, just as it stands. Now what are you going to do? Will you heed the admonition, "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die"? You may fold your hands saying, "I am only a lay member of the church; it is a hopeless task for me to undertake." But have you yoked up with Christ? are you laboring in his way? O, let it no longer be a source of grief to the heavenly intelligences and to Him who has paid such an infinite price for souls, that you refuse to be channels of light, that you refuse to cooperate with the heavenly agencies for the salvation of souls! But let us "awake out of sleep," and put all our God-given abilities into the work, that it may be written in the books that we are "redeeming the time, because the days are evil." If we keep our talents inactive, we lose all ability to make use of them. The mind is a gift of God, designed to be improved and developed, that we may be able to enlighten others; but it may be perverted and misused in doing Satan's work.
The second chapter of 2 Peter presents the true condition of the world at this time, and the third chapter is full of warnings and counsel for the followers of Christ. 1 Peter 1:1-11 also contains the very instruction that we need. Shall we heed these admonitions of the Lord?
The Lord Jesus has a special work for his believing, commandment-keeping people to do. He desires that we should be faithful laborers together with God in the salvation of sinners. The servants of Jesus Christ, who know the truth and the power of the grace of God, have an extensive and important mission to fulfil; and every soul is held responsible for the proper exercise of the talents entrusted to him. We are justified by faith, but judged by the character of our works. In the parable, before the nobleman went away, he "called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability." There is not one human being to whom is not committed some talent, not one but has a work to do for the Lord. Not one is to be excused. Not one is to remain in idleness; but every man is required to do his best; the talents entrusted to him are to be used in consecrated service for the Master. Each member of the family of God is a responsible agent, and all should donate gifts to carry forward his work. From the humblest to the most exalted in privilege and position, both in the church and in the world, a strict account of the entrusted talents will be required, with the improvement which they are sure to make if put to use in the Lord's service. It is practise that enables us to use our abilities to the best advantage. Investments are to be made in such a way as to accomplish the greatest good for the cause, and to increase the revenue of the Lord's treasury. This need not apply solely to money investments, but to the improvement of our capabilities and opportunities as well. The Lord has given to every man his work, and expects returns proportionate to the ability of each. All are expected to perform their duty intelligently, so that the amount entrusted to them shall be doubled by the use they make of it. The fidelity of every human agent is to be tested and tried, and the destiny of the worker is determined by the faithful improvement, or by the lack of improvement, of his talents, according to the amount returned. Christ has paid the penalty, the wages of sin; he has shed his own precious blood to redeem the world from eternal ruin. If we always bear this in mind, we shall understand that there is no excuse for our remaining in ignorance.
The invitation of Christ is, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you," engage with me to save all who will believe on him whom the Father hath sent. Shall we bear the yoke with Christ? shall we be co-laborers with him? Listen to what he says, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Those who barricade the soul, refuse the invitation to the gospel feast; those who hoard up their talents to rust, unemployed, unimproved, must not think that such action in any way relieves them from responsibility; for God holds us responsible for the good we might do if we took up the yoke with Christ, lifting his burdens, learning more of his meekness and lowliness of heart day by day. The interest continues to accumulate on buried talents; and instead of decreasing our responsibility, the burying of our talent only increases and intensifies it. Let the human agent consider the solemn fact that the day of reckoning is just before us, and that we are daily deciding what our eternal destiny shall be. The Master examines every individual case, dealing personally with the talents entrusted by him. O solemn day of reckoning!--that day which will bring paleness to many faces,--that day in which the words shall be spoken to many, "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." It will be an awful thing to be found "wanting" when the book of accounts is opened in that great day. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell [the graves of those who persisted in transgression and sin until death overtook them] delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Upon the decisions reached in that day depends the future, eternal interest of every soul. We shall have unspeakable joy, or unutterable woe and misery, the horrors of despair. O how Jesus will love to recompense every true worker! Every faithfully performed duty will receive his blessing. It is then that he pronounces the benediction, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." What is the joy of our Lord? "For the joy that was set before him" he "endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Truth, precious truth, is not to be hidden in our hearts. "A city set on a hill cannot be hid."
When we consider that Christ died for the ungodly while they were yet sinners, we are led to realize how willing and even anxious he is to bless us, that we may be a blessing to others. This is the word which he sends unto us: "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 28, 1896
April 28, 1896(Vol. 73, #17)
"Our Youth and Children Demand Our Care" "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear."
Those who have newly come to the faith should be patiently and tenderly dealt with, and it is the duty of the older members of the church to devise ways and means to provide help and sympathy and instruction for those who have conscientiously withdrawn from other churches for the truth's sake, and thus cut themselves off from the pastoral labor to which they have been accustomed. The church has a special responsibility laid upon her to attend to these souls who have followed the first rays of light they have received; and if the members of the church neglect this duty, they will be unfaithful to the trust that God has given them.
There has been altogether too little attention paid to our children and youth, and they have failed to develop as they should in the Christian life because the church members have not looked upon them with tenderness and sympathy, desiring that they might be advanced in the divine life. In our large churches very much might be done for the youth; and shall they have less special labor? Shall less inducements be held out to them to become full-grown Christians--men and women in Christ Jesus--than was afforded them in the denominations which they have left for the truth's sake? Shall they be left to drift hither and thither, to become discouraged, and to fall into temptations that are lurking everywhere to catch their unwary feet? If they err and fall from the steadfastness of their integrity, do the members of the church who have neglected to care for the lambs, censure and blame them, and magnify their failures? Are their shortcomings talked of and exposed to others, and are they left in discouragement and despair?
The work that lies next to our church members is to become interested in our youth; for they need kindness, patience, tenderness, line upon line, precept upon precept. O, where are the fathers and mothers in Israel? We ought to have a large number of them who would be stewards of the grace of Christ, who would feel not merely a casual interest, but a special interest in the young. We ought to have those whose hearts are touched by the pitiable situation in which our youth are placed, who realize that Satan is working by every conceivable device to draw them into his net. God requires that the church rouse from its lethargy, and see what is the manner of service demanded of them at this time of peril. The lambs of the flock must be fed. The eyes of our brethren and sisters should be anointed with heavenly eyesalve, that they may discern the necessities of the time. We must be aroused to see what needs to be done in Christ's spiritual vineyard, and go to work. The Lord of heaven is looking on to see who is doing the work he would have done for the youth and the children.
As a people who claim to have advanced light, we are to devise ways and means by which to bring forth a corps of educated workmen for the various departments of the work of God. We need a well-disciplined, cultivated class of young men and women in the Sanitarium, in the medical missionary work, in the office of publication, in the conferences of different States, and in the field at large. We need young men and women who have a high intellectual culture, in order that they may do the best work for the Lord. We have done something toward reaching this standard, but still we are far behind that which the Lord has designed. As a church, as individuals if we would stand clear in the judgment, we must make more liberal efforts for the training of our young people, that they may be better fitted for the various branches of the great work committed to our hands. As a people who have great light, we should lay wise plans, in order that the ingenious minds of those who have talent may be strengthened and disciplined and polished after the highest order, that the work of Christ may not be hindered by the lack of skilful laborers, who will do their work with earnestness and fidelity.
The church is asleep, and does not realize the magnitude of this matter of educating the children and youth. "Why," one says, "what is the need of being so particular thoroughly to educate our youth? It seems to me that if you take a few who have decided to follow some literary calling, or some other calling that requires a certain discipline, and give due attention to them, that is all that is necessary. It is not required that the whole mass of our youth should be so well trained. Will not this answer every essential requirement?"--No, I answer, most decidedly not. What selection would we be able to make out of the numbers of our youth? How could we tell who would be the most promising, who would render the best service to God? In our human judgment we might do as did Samuel when he was sent to find the anointed of the Lord, and look upon the outward appearance. When the noble sons of Jesse passed before him, and his eye rested upon the handsome countenance and fine stature of the elder son, to him it seemed that the anointed of the Lord was before him; but the Lord said to Samuel, "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." Not one of the noble appearing sons of Jesse would the Lord accept. But when David, the youngest son, a mere youth, and the shepherd of the sheep, was called from the field, and passed before Samuel, the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him: for this is he."
Who can determine which one of a family will prove to be efficient in the work of God? There should be general education of all its members, and all our youth should be permitted to have the blessings and privileges of an education at our schools, that they may be inspired to become laborers together with God. They all need an education that they may be fitted for usefulness in this life, qualified for places of responsibility both in private and public life. There is a great necessity of making plans that there may be a large number of competent workers, and many should fit themselves up as teachers that others may be trained and disciplined for the great work of the future. The church should take in the situation, and by their influence and means, seek to bring about this much-desired end. Let a fund be created by generous contributions for the establishment of schools for the advancement of educational work. We need men well trained, well educated, to work in the interests of the churches. They should present the fact that we cannot trust our youth to go to other seminaries and colleges established by other denominations, but must gather them in where their religious training shall not be neglected. God would not have us in any sense behind in educational work, and our colleges should be far in advance in the highest kind of education.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." If we do not have schools for our youth, they will attend other seminaries and colleges, and will be exposed to infidel sentiments, to cavilings and questionings concerning the inspiration of the Bible. There is a great deal of talk concerning higher education, and many suppose that this higher education consists wholly in an education in science and literature; but this is not all. The highest education includes the knowledge of the word of God, and is comprehended in the words of Christ, "That they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
The highest class of education is that which will give such knowledge and discipline as will lead to the best development of character, and will fit the soul for that life which measures with the life of God. Eternity is not to be lost out of our reckoning. The highest education will be that which will teach our children and youth, our teachers and educators, the science of Christianity, that will give them an experimental knowledge of God's ways, impart to them the lessons which Christ gave to his disciples of the paternal character of God.
"Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy." "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." Let us seek to follow the counsel of God in all things; for he is infinite in wisdom. Though we have come short of doing what we might have done for our youth and children in the past, let us now repent and redeem the time. The Lord says, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 5, 1896
May 5, 1896(Vol. 73, #18)
"Operation of the Holy Spirit Made Manifest in the Life" At infinite cost, provision has been made that men shall reach the perfection of Christian character. Those who have been privileged to hear the truth, and have been impressed by the Holy Spirit to receive the Holy Scriptures as the voice of God, have no excuse for becoming dwarfs in the religious life. By exercising the ability which God has given, they are to be daily learning, and daily receiving spiritual fervor and power, which have been provided for every true believer. If we would be growing plants in the Lord's garden, we must have a constant supply of spiritual life and earnestness. Growth will then be seen in the faith and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no halfway house where we may throw off responsibility, and rest by the way. We are to keep advancing heavenward, developing a solid religious character. The measure of the Holy Spirit we receive, will be proportioned to the measure of our desire and the faith exercised for it, and the use we shall make of the light and knowledge that shall be given to us. We shall be entrusted with the Holy Spirit according to our capacity to receive and our ability to impart it to others. Christ says, "Every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth." He who truly seeks for the precious grace of Christ, will be sure not to be disappointed. This promise has been given to us by Him who will not deceive us. It is not stated as a maxim or a theory, but as a fact, as a law of the divine government. We can be assured that we shall receive the Holy Spirit if we individually try the experiment of testing God's word. God is true; his order is perfect. "He that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Light and truth will shine forth according to the desire of the soul. O that all would hunger and thirst after righteousness, that they might be filled!
Those men who calculate just how religious exercises should be conducted, and are very precise and methodical in diffusing the light and grace that they seem to have, simply do not have much of the Holy Spirit. If they had more of the Spirit of God, they would meddle less with the experiences of men who have received this divine gift in large abundance. There is much need of the testimony that was given to Nicodemus. Jesus said unto Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus was astonished as well as indignant at these words. He regarded himself as not only an intellectual, but a pious and religious man. But Christ said again to him, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so [are a few who profess to believe the truth?--No.] is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" Nicodemus was unbelieving. He could not harmonize this doctrine of conversion with his understanding of what constituted religion. He could not explain to his own satisfaction the science of conversion; but Jesus showed him, by a figure, that it could not be explained by any of his precise methods. Jesus pointed out to him the fact that he could not see the wind, yet he could discern its action. He might never be able to explain the process of conversion, but he would be able to discern its effect. He heard the sound of the wind which bloweth where it listeth, and he could see the results of its action. The operating agency was not revealed to view; men could not tell whence it came, or whither it went. They could not define by what law it was governed; but they could see what it produced by its action. No human reasoning of the most learned man can define the operations of the Holy Spirit upon human minds and characters; yet they can see the effects upon the life and actions. The Holy Spirit is a free, working, independent agency. The God of heaven uses his Spirit as it pleases him, and human minds and human judgment and human methods can no more set boundaries to its working, or prescribe as to the channel through which it shall operate, than they can say to the wind, "I bid you to blow in a certain direction, and to conduct yourself in such and such a manner."
Though we cannot see the Spirit of God, we know that men who have been dead in trespasses and sins, become convicted and converted under its operations. The thoughtless and wayward become serious. The hardened repent of their sins, and the faithless believe. The gambler, the drunkard, the licentious, become steady, sober, and pure. The rebellious and obstinate become meek and Christlike. When we see these changes in the character, we may be assured that the converting power of God has transformed the entire man. We saw not the Holy Spirit, but we saw the evidence of its work on the changed character of those who were hardened and obdurate sinners. As the wind moves in its force upon the lofty trees and brings them down, so the Holy Spirit can work upon human hearts, and no finite man can circumscribe the work of God. The Spirit of God is manifested in different ways upon different men. One under the movings of this power will tremble before the word of God. His convictions will be so deep that a hurricane and tumult of feeling seem to rage in his heart, and his whole being is prostrate under the convicting power of the truth. When the Lord speaks forgiveness to the repenting soul, he is full of ardor, full of love to God, full of earnestness and energy, and the lifegiving Spirit which he has received cannot be repressed. Christ is in him, a well of water springing up into everlasting life. His feelings of love are as deep and ardent as was his distress and agony. His soul is like the fountain of the great deep broken up, and he pours forth his thanksgiving and praise, his gratitude and joy, until the heavenly harps are tuned to notes of rejoicing. He has a story to tell, but not in any precise, common, methodical way. He is a soul ransomed through the merits of Jesus Christ, and his whole being is thrilled with the realization of the salvation of God.
Others are brought to Christ in a more gentle way. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." You cannot see the operating agency, but you can see its effects. When Nicodemus said unto Jesus, "How can these things be?" Jesus said to him, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" A teacher in Israel, a man among wise men, a man who supposed that he was able to comprehend the science of religion, and yet stumbling at the doctrine of conversion! He was not willing to admit truth, because he could not understand all that was connected with the operation of the power of God; and yet he accepted the facts of nature, although he could not explain or even comprehend them. Like other men of all ages, he was looking to forms and precise ceremonies as more essential to religion than the deep movings of the Spirit of God.
The very work that Christ declared necessary in the case of Nicodemus is the very work that needs to be done for those men who think that everything pertaining to religion must be done in a precise, methodical way. They need to be born again; and how the new birth is accomplished matters not, so long as the heart is renewed. When the prayer is sincerely offered, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me," the voice of the Lord answers, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them." The renewed heart will have no plants of selfishness to cultivate. Pride will be seen in its sinfulness, and will be expelled. It is not for the human clay to find fault with the molding process of the potter, but to submit to be molded in any way. Every soul must submit to the Lord before he can be made a vessel unto honor, to be filled with the renewing, sanctifying grace of Christ.
There are many men in the ministry who need to take home to themselves the words that Christ spoke to Nicodemus. They may regard themselves as expositors of the Scriptures, and yet may make the most simple doctrines of that Bible, the most essential truth, the most practical experience in godliness, a mystery to their hearers. No man, no matter how high his calling or responsibility, can fully understand the word of God, unless he practices the word in his daily life. If the truth is made practical, then he gives expression in his character to the comfort and peace of God that passeth understanding. A child in years may be able to comprehend the meaning of the practical lessons of Christ, when the most learned masters and teachers are ignorant of their significance. Jesus answered and said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemeth good in thy sight."
It is a dangerous thing for men to resist the Spirit of truth and grace and righteousness, because its manifestations are not according to their ideas, and have not come in the line of their methodical plans. The Lord works in his own way, and according to his own devising. Let men pray that they may be divested of self, and may be in harmony with heaven. Let them pray, "Not my will, but thine, O God, be done." Let men bear in mind that God's ways are not their ways, nor his thoughts their thoughts; for he says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." In the instruction that the Lord gave Gideon when he was about to fight with the Midianites,--that he should go out against his foes with an army of three hundred blowing trumpets, and carrying empty pitchers in their hands, and shouting, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon,--these precise, methodical, formal men would see nothing but inconsistency and confusion. They would start back with determined protest and resistance. They would have held long controversies to show the inconsistency and the dangers that would accompany the carrying on of the warfare in such an extreme way, and in their finite judgment they would pronounce all such movements as utterly ridiculous and unreasonable. How unscientific, how inconsistent, would they have thought the movements of Joshua and his army at the taking of Jericho! "Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him." Where were the scientific methods in this manner of warfare? By Mrs. E. G. White. (Concluded next week.)
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 12, 1896
May 12, 1896(Vol. 73, #19)
"Operation of the Holy Spirit Made Manifest in the Life (Concluded)" The Lord works in his own way, in order that men shall not lift themselves up in pride of intellect, and take the credit and the glory to themselves. The Lord would have every human being understand that his capabilities and endowments are from the Lord. God works by whom he will. He takes those whom he pleases to do his work, and he does not consult those to whom he will send his messenger as to what are their preferences concerning whom or what manner of person they would like to bring the message of God to them. God will use men who are willing to be used. The Lord would use men of intelligence if they would permit him to mold and fashion them, and to shape their testimony after his own order. Men high or low, learned or ignorant, would better let the Lord manage and take care of the safety of his own ark. The work of men is to obey the voice of God. Whoever has a connection with the work and cause of God, is to be continually under the discipline of God. "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."
There is a great need of taking self in hand when we find ourselves watching to make capital out of the missteps of a brother, a sister, or a friend. Although we do not acknowledge that the object of defaming another is to exalt self, self-exaltation is behind the practise of noting the shortcomings of others. Let every soul remember it is best to be on guard, and to make straight paths for his own feet, lest the lame (spying ones) be turned out of the way. None of us are in danger of being too devotional, or of possessing too much Christlikeness of character. The remedy for unlikeness to Christ, for giving occasion for your good to be evil spoken of, is to live humbly, to keep looking unto Jesus in prayerful watchfulness, until changed into the likeness of his beautiful character.
The soul cannot be satisfied with forms, maxims, and traditions. The cry of the soul must be, give me the bread of life; lift up a full cup to my parched, spiritual nature, that I may be revived and refreshed; but do not intrude and interpose yourself between me and my Redeemer. Let me see him as my helper, as the man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Thou, O Lord, must be my helper. Thou wast wounded for my transgressions, bruised for my iniquities, the chastisement of thy peace was upon me, and with thy stripes I am healed.
Christ was crucified for our sins, and was raised from the rent sepulcher for our justification; and he proclaims in triumph, "I am the resurrection and the life." Jesus lives as our intercessor to plead before the Father. He has carried the sins of the whole world, and has not made one mortal man a sin bearer for others. No man can bear the weight of his own sins. The crucified One bore them all, and every soul who believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. The disciple of Christ will be fitted by his grace for every trial and test as he strives for perfection of character. By looking away from Jesus to some other one, or to something else, he may sometimes make mistakes; but as soon as he is warned of his danger, he again fastens his eyes upon Jesus, in whom his hope of eternal life is centered, and he plants his feet in the footprints of his Lord, and travels on securely. He rejoices, saying, "He is my living intercessor before God. He prays in my behalf. He is my advocate, and clothes me with the perfection of his own righteousness. This is all I require to enable me to bear shame and reproach for his dear name's sake. If he permits me to endure persecution, he will give me grace and the comfort of his presence, so that his name shall be thereby glorified."
There are souls famishing for the bread of life, thirsting for the waters of salvation; and woe unto that man who by pen or voice shall turn them aside into false paths! The Spirit of God is appealing to men, presenting to them their moral obligation to love and serve him with heart, might, mind, and strength, and to love their neighbors as themselves. The Holy Spirit moves upon the inner self until it becomes conscious of the divine power of God, and every spiritual faculty is quickened to decided action. Jesus said, "I will send you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever." A deep, thorough work is to be wrought in the soul, which the world cannot see. Those who know not what it is to have an experience in the things of God, who know not what it is to be justified by faith, who have not the witness of the Spirit that they are accepted of Jesus Christ, are in need of being born again. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." What can the world know of Christian experience?--Verily, nothing. "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." The great Teacher explained this instruction, saying, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
In this age, the word of God is not considered reliable. The word of Christ, that cuts directly across human desires and indulgences, and condemns popular habits and practises,--the Word which was made flesh and dwelt among us,--is ignored and despised. The teachings and example of Christ are not made the criterion for the life of the professed follower of Christ. Many who name the name of Christ are walking in the light of the sparks of their own kindling, rather than following in the footsteps of their professed Master. They do not represent the same character that Christ represented in his pure, sincere love to God, and in his love for fallen man. They do not take God at his word, and identify their interests with Jesus Christ. They do not form the habit of communing with Jesus, of taking him as a guide and counselor, and thus learn the trade of living a well-defined Christian life. Those who not only hear but do the words of Christ, make manifest in character the operation of the Holy Spirit. The result of the internal operation of the Holy Spirit is demonstrated in the outward conduct. The life of the Christian is hid with Christ in God, and God acknowledges those who are his, declaring, "Ye are my witnesses." They testify that divine power is influencing their hearts and shaping their conduct. Their works give evidence that the Spirit is moving upon the inward man; those who are associated with them are convinced that they are making Jesus Christ their pattern.
Those who are in connection with God are channels for the power of the Holy Spirit. If one who daily communes with God errs from the path, if he turns a moment from looking steadfastly unto Jesus, it is not because he sins wilfully; for when he sees his mistake, he turns again, and fastens his eyes upon Jesus, and the fact that he has erred, does not make him less dear to the heart of God. He knows that he has communion with the Saviour; and when reproved for his mistake in some matter of judgment, he does not walk sullenly, and complain of God, but turns the mistake into a victory. He learns a lesson from the words of the Master, and takes heed that he be not again deceived. Those who truly love God have internal evidence that they are beloved of God, that they have communion with Christ, that their hearts are warmed with fervent love toward him. The truth for this time is believed with sound confidence. They can say with all assurance, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. . . . We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts."
The inner life of the soul will reveal itself in the outward conduct. Let the word of God bear its testimony in behalf of the messenger whom God hath sent with a message in these last days to prepare a people to stand in the day of the Lord. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" The wisdom of so-called intellectual men cannot be relied upon, unless they have learned and are daily learning lessons in the school of Christ. Men, in their supposed wisdom, may plan and devise theories and systems of philosophy, but the Lord calls them vain and foolish. The Lord says, "The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
No one has been created in Christ Jesus for mere self-enjoyment. He who lives unto himself is not a Christian; for self-denial and cross-bearing are the portion of every true follower of Christ. We have been bought with a price, in order that we may render willing service to our Master. Every hour that we have failed to acknowledge Christ as our personal Saviour, we have robbed God; for Christ purchased us by the ransom of his own blood. The Christian cannot serve the world, or yield to the claims of any power, relation, or society, that will make him deny Christ, dishonor God, and prove disloyal to his holy law. The Christian is to surrender himself unreservedly to God as his purchased possession. God claims him for himself, and will impart to the believer special favors, enabling him to be complete in Christ, more than conqueror through him that hath loved him. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 19, 1896
May 19, 1896(Vol. 73, #20)
"Take the Cup of Salvation" Jesus says, "My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." The peace spoken of by the great Teacher is larger and fuller than we have imagined. Christ is ready to do large things for us, to restore our natures by making us partakers of his divine nature. He waits to link our hearts with his heart of infinite love, in order that we may be fully reconciled to God; but it is our privilege to understand that God loves us as he loves his Son. When we believe in Christ as our personal Saviour, the peace of Christ is ours. The reconciliation provided for us in the atonement of Christ is the foundation of our peace; but gloomy feelings are no evidence that the promises of God are of no effect. You look at your feelings, and because your outlook is not all brightness, you begin to draw more closely the garment of heaviness about your soul. You look within yourself, and think that God is forsaking you. You are to look to Christ. In me, Christ says, ye shall have peace. Entering into communion with our Saviour, we enter the region of peace.
Satan is our destroyer, but Christ is our restorer. We must put faith into constant exercise, and trust in God, whatever our feelings may be. Isaiah says: "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." You can say with the psalmist, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." "Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord sent ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten." "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious." Consider the fact that the Lord has given his only begotten Son, "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
God has given Jesus as our sin bearer, in order that we may be presented perfect in the merits of Christ before the throne of God. Those who receive Jesus as the way the truth, and the life, are beloved of God, even as his only begotten Son is beloved. Jesus died to rescue souls from the bondage of sin, and every one who returns to his loyalty, is precious in the sight of God. Our glorious Redeemer, who died to secure our eternal happiness, is a risen Saviour, who has ascended to the Father. He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. The administration of his grace is in his hands, and he ever liveth to dispense blessings in abundant measures of grace. He will give power to his children, according as their circumstances demand. He says, "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." "As thy days, so shall thy strength be." Little annoyances and trials borne with patience, will fit the soul for the endurance of greater trials and more severe tests, but proportionate grace will be given for every trial that shall come upon us. The Saviour says, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
Satan knows that Christ has purchased redemption for the whole world, and he is determined to wrest from the hand of Christ every soul that he can possibly influence. But believing in Christ, we shall have grace to meet his temptations. Jesus would have us comforted with faith in his goodness. Whatever may be the tribulation that shall come upon us in the world, we are to be of good cheer, knowing that Christ has overcome the world. We will have tribulation in the world, but peace in Jesus Christ. Turn your eyes from within, and look to Jesus, who is your only helper.
How thankful we should be that Christ took human nature upon himself, and became subject to temptation, even as we are! Though he took humanity upon himself, he was divine. All that is attributed to the Father himself is attributed to Christ. His divinity was clothed with humanity; he was the Creator of heaven and earth; and yet while upon earth, he became weary, as men do, and sought rest from the continual pressure of labor. He who made the ocean, who controls the waters of the great deep, who opened the springs and channels of the earth, felt it necessary to rest at Jacob's well, and to ask a drink of water from a strange Samaritan woman. When she questioned the propriety of his request,--how it was that he, being a Jew, should ask water of one who was a Samaritan,--he spoke words to her that revealed his divine character. He said: "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." When the woman expressed surprise at this statement, he continued, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
Christ was one with us in suffering the temptations common to human nature. He was tempted in all points like as we are, and yet he sinned not, neither was guile found in his mouth. When tempted, he sought strength from his Heavenly Father, just as every individual may do who is tempted. He prayed often, pouring out his petitions with strong crying and tears. He besought his Father for help, in order that he might be braced for trial and strengthened for duty. My dear brother, you place yourself in the society of those who bring temptations upon you, and you do not always resist temptation; yet the first decided resistance would bring angels to your side, to strengthen you. When you present your petitions to God for help, an angel lifts up a standard for you against the enemy, in order that you may not be overcome. You should look by faith to Jesus, saying, "Lord, save, or I perish." When this petition is sincerely offered, the heavenly standard is raised, and one stronger than your enemy shields you from his assaults. Our precious Saviour condescended to take humanity upon himself, and for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich,--not rich in worldly treasure, but rich in the gold of love and faith,--rich in imperishable treasure. The Lord has given us precious blessings in the simple flowers of the field, in the fragrance so grateful to our senses. He has tinted every flower with beauty; for he is the great Master Artist. He who has created the beautiful things in nature will do far greater things for the soul. God is a lover of the beautiful, and he would adorn our characters with his own rich graces. He would have our words as fragrant as the flowers of the field. He has given us blessings in daily provision for our physical needs. The very bread we eat has upon it the image and superscription of the cross. If Christ had not died upon the cross of Calvary, we should all have miserably perished. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
But though the Lord has freely given us all things richly to enjoy, it is essential that we pray to him, in order that he may bestow upon us his gifts. There is no uncertainty as to what will be the result. The promise is, "Ask, and ye shall receive." Watch unto prayer, and be assured that the representatives of Christ are close beside you. When you are placed in circumstances where you are tempted to indulge appetite, or to forget that you are not your own to do with yourself as you please, ask God for help. You are in the service of God, and Jesus is waiting to restore to you his moral image. He loves you. He knows that your temptations are strong; but he is by your side, in order to make a way of escape, that you may be set free from the snares of the enemy. Do not fix your eyes upon the discouraging features of your religious experience. Look to Jesus. Seek for a new heart, and never rest until you can say, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." Acknowledge every ray of light that Jesus in his matchless love and mercy gives to you.
Do not think that because you have made mistakes, you must always be under condemnation; for this is not necessary. Do not permit the truth to be depreciated before your mind because those who profess it do not live consistent lives. Cherish faith in the truth of the third angel's message. If you do not cultivate faith, its importance will gradually lose its place in your mind and heart. You will have an experience like that of the foolish virgins, who did not supply oil for their lamps, and their light went out. Faith should be cultivated. If it has become weak, it is like a sickly plant that should be placed in the sunshine, and carefully watered and tended. The Lord would have every one who has had light and evidence, cherish that light, and walk in its brightness. God has blessed us with reasoning powers, so that we may trace from cause to effect. If we would have light, we must come to the light. We must individually lay hold on the hope set before us in the gospel, making the most of the blessings that are placed within our reach. Instead of looking to see if we have not made some mistakes in believing, we should look for evidence by which to strengthen and confirm faith. The things that have been revealed, belong unto us and to our children. God's promises have been given for our encouragement.
Shall we look at our sins, and begin to mourn, and say, I have done wrong, and I cannot come to God with any degree of confidence? Does not the Bible say, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"? It is a proper thing for us to have a realization of the terrible character of sin. It was sin that caused Christ to suffer an ignominious death on Calvary. But while we should understand that sin is a terrible thing, we should not listen to the voice of our adversary, who says, "You have sinned, and you have no right to claim the promises of God." You should say to the adversary, It is written, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." I am so glad that God has made a provision whereby we may know that he does pardon our transgressions! We do not believe in God as we should, and I have thought that this unbelief is our greatest sin. The psalmist says, "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. . . . The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." This is the kind of experience that we should have.
We must not think, when we are afflicted, that the anger of the Lord is upon us. God brings us into trials, in order that we may be drawn near to him. The psalmist says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." He does not desire us to be under a cloud. We should pray as did David, "Open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise." The Lord would have us lay hold of these promises for ourselves. He does not desire us to go in anguish of spirit. We are not to look at the thorns and the thistles in our experience. We are to go into the garden of God's word, and pluck the lilies, the roses, and the fragrant pinks of his promises. Those who look upon the difficulties in their experience, will talk doubt and discouragement; for they do not behold Jesus, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. We should keep our minds upon the love, the mercy, the graciousness of our God, in order that we may become changed into his image, by beholding the divine character. Thus joy will be brought into our experience; for by studying the word of God we shall see that we are not left to our weakness, to our doubts, and that there is no occasion for sinking under discouragement. Talk faith; act faith. Cultivate the faith that works by love, and purifies the soul.
I have not always dwelt on the good things of God as I should have done; but I do not make it a practice to look on the dark side. This morning my heart was drawn away from the things that are seen and temporal, to the things that are unseen and eternal. I said, O God, I will pluck the roses and the lilies and the pinks! I will call upon the name of the Lord! I will take the cup of salvation! By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 26, 1896
May 26, 1896(Vol. 73, #21)
"What Doth the Lord Require?" "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be save." "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
My brother, my sister, do you in your words, in your spirit, in your actions, resemble Christ? If in word and spirit you represent the character of Christ, then you are Christians; for to be a Christian is to be Christlike. The tongue will testify of the principles that characterize the life; it is the sure test of what power controls the heart. We may judged our own spirit and principles by the words that proceed from our lips. The tongue is always to be under the control of the Holy Spirit.
When poor, wounded, bruised souls come to you for words of hope, you are to speak to them the words of Christ. Do you refuse to give them pleasant, courteous, kind words? Those who speak as Christ spoke will never plant bitter words like barbed arrows in the wounded soul. "The Lord hearkened and heard." Will you bear in mind that the Lord hears the words we speak, and is acquainted with the spirit that prompts our action? Christ is the defense of all that are hidden in him.
Bear in mind that every unkind word, every ruthless thrust, is recorded in the books of heaven as given to Christ in the person of his suffering ones. Is it not Christlike to speak kind words, comforting words, even though you feel inclined to do otherwise? Is it not Christlike to help lift the burdens when they press heavily upon souls whom God has valued so highly as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life?
It is of great importance what attitude we assume toward those who are laborers together with God. I am so sorry to write that the Lord withholds many blessings which he longs to bestow upon those who have a knowledge of the truth; he cannot pour out his blessing upon the human agents, because of their attitude toward their fellow laborers and their fellowmen. Those who claim to be members of Christ's body will allow their own fancies, their likes and dislikes, to shape their conduct toward even God's own delegated servants. After Christ has made the infinite sacrifice to redeem us from the oppressive power of Satan, shall we fail to pity and help those who are fallen and sinful like ourselves? Shall one man usurp an authority over his brethren, and hurt their souls because he imagines that he has authority, and can do this work? The Lord "suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harms."
"Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" You are just as dependent upon Christ for all that you receive as is the weakest, poorest, and humblest soul. "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" A mere speculative belief amounts to nothing. Do you believe on the Son of God as your personal Saviour? Then if you believe with all your heart, God dwells in the soul, and the soul in God. You represent Jesus. Those who are in positions of trust are on test and trial, to see if they will be wise men in positions of trust, to reveal whether Christ is working in and through them, so that he can represent his character and express himself in their words and actions toward his heritage, for whom he has given his own precious life. He will not suffer those who are entrusted with responsibilities to harm his children. He will punish all who are acting in his stead, if they suffer one to be hurt, bruised, or discouraged, and become crippled in spirit or influence through the course they pursue, or if they look with indifference on the wrong course of another who claims to believe the truth. He will surely punish the one who misrepresents Christ in character, in words, in attitude. Every arbitrary exaction of man toward his fellowman will react upon himself in double measure. Just in proportion as the human agent is a partaker of the divine nature, he will be in sympathy with Christ. Jesus says, "A new commandment I give unto you [that ye tolerate one another?--No], That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."
Through false philosophy, Satan has a widespread influence over many minds that are loyal to God's commandments in sentiment but not in practise. What is the character of God?--"Merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty." Here we have the character of the Lord Jesus plainly set forth, and the principles upon which he acts as lawgiver.
The fifty-first psalm is of great importance; its lessons should be studied and practised. We should say with the psalmist, "O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise." If the heart is in harmony with the truth, the lips will speak words to help, to bless, to strengthen, and not take all the life, courage, and confidence out of a man, and exasperate him by the manifestation of a spirit which reveals that Satan is working through the human agent who claims to be a Christian.
The following words were written not to meet the case of a few who are great sinners, but to meet the case of men who have been entrusted with special responsibilities,--men who are not to be lords over God's heritage, but to be ensamples to the flock: "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." "Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed the , O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
All these are lessons from God, to be carefully studied and diligently practised. Many of those who profess to believe important, sacred truths are by their words and actions exerting an influence that counteracts the truth. There are many whose unlawful propensities [are] so strong, because of their high notions of the own capabilities, that the Lord cannot work through them; for it would prove their ruin. Therefore the power that should be revealed in these men as representatives of Christ is not revealed; for God cannot work with men's sins. He may bear long with them, and send them messages of warning; but unless they shall take heed and mend their ways, he will leave them to themselves, to be filled with their own doings. In these perilous times there are few who are qualified to do a work for the Master; and men know not what they are doing when they will in any way grieve the Spirit and wound and bruise the souls of men engaged in opening the Scriptures to others. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, June 2, 1896
June 2, 1896(Vol. 73, #22)
"Danger of Rejecting the Truth Through Clinging to Tradition" The people of all ages will be judged according to the light they have received. The church that has been favored with great light and with precious opportunities, as were Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, will be held accountable for the use they have made of the light. As Jesus preached throughout these cities, how he longed to see fruits of his labor! How he longed to see the church struggling to be delivered from the bondage of sin! Every effort put forth through faith in him, would make them stronger in him. Charged with his exalted mission, he stood before the world as the representative of the Father. He said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father;" and again, "I and my Father are one." O that the inhabitants of these cities had followed his example and imitated his character! O that by partaking of his grace, by joining with him in his labors, they had cheered the heart of Christ! O that they had manifested faith in him, by taxing their powers to the utmost in diffusing the light shining upon them! O that they had come into companionship with him who is the Fountain of healing waters, that through them streams of salvation might have reached a lost world!
Those who receive Christ are changed in nature, and instead of selfishness and self-love, they love God and their fellowmen, presenting to the world a spectacle of what the grace of Christ can do. In order to present the grace of Christ to the world, it is necessary that those who profess his name should consecrate their all to God, that their hearts should be filled with love, that they may give the world an idea of the love wherewith the Father hath loved us. There is no way whereby the love of God can be measured save by the gift of his Son to the world. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus could best express the love of God in deeds of mercy; and so ample, so abundant were his deeds of love, that man could not imitate them, save by becoming partaker of the divine nature.
The deeds of love and compassion performed by Jesus in the cities of Judea, were regarded with wonder by the angels of heaven; and yet multitudes in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum looked on with indifference, and in their hardness of heart they acted as though time or eternity was scarcely worth their attention. The majority of the inhabitants of these cities spent their time in caviling over themes of little importance, and but a few took the position that the Saviour of mankind was the Christ.
The prophecies of the Scriptures were plain, and gave clear predictions of his life, character, and work; and from the testimony of men who had spoken as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, evidence was sufficient to prove that Jesus was all he claimed to be,--the Son of God, the Messiah of whom Moses and the prophets did write, the Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel. But it was in vain that he sought to convince the priests and rulers, and to draw the hearts of common people to his light. Priests and rulers, scribes and Pharisees, clung to their traditions, their ceremonies, customs, and theories, and suffered not their hearts to be touched and cleansed and sanctified by divine grace. The few who did follow Christ came from among the lowly and unlearned. "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight." Jesus was accused of eating with publicans and sinners, as though it were a crime to associate with the fallen, and he replied, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Had his accusers been truly righteous by faith in God, they would gladly have received the Son of God, and would have profited by his instructions; but those who were self-righteous, rich in their supposed knowledge, and far advanced in their own eyes in spiritual things, felt no need of receiving more truth and light. Christ said of these who supposed themselves wise, "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God." Jesus recognized their difficulty and said, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." The Pharisees believed themselves very prudent in withholding their faith and sympathy from Christ; for though they had the Scriptures, they misinterpreted them.
Jesus unfolded to men the real import of the Scriptures, and revealed to them the significance of the words that holy men of God had written as they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit. The prophets had desired to see the day of Christ, and searched what the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify. And yet Jesus stood among the people who claimed to believe the prophets, who were looked up to as wise and righteous, and "they knew him not." Had they opened their hearts to Jesus, he would have opened to them veins of the precious ore of truth, and made them rich in knowledge to give to those who were sadly impoverished and ready to perish. Jesus would have endowed them with power to communicate the knowledge of true holiness. The Holy Ghost would have been given unto them, and they would have perceived that there were advanced steps to be taken; and becoming like the holy men of old, they would have desired to look into those things which they now saw but dimly. But filled with their own self-importance, they accepted the traditions, theories, and customs of men, and rejected the commandments of God. They had made of no effect the significance of symbols, types, and shadows, and through their meaningless exactions covered up the import of the commands of God.
The work of Jesus was to reveal the character of the Father, and to unfold the truth which he himself had spoken through prophets and apostles; but there was found no place for the truth in those wise and prudent men. Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, had to pass by the self-righteous Pharisees, and take his disciples from unlearned fishers and men of humble rank. These who had never been to the rabbis, who had never sat in the schools of the prophets, who had not been members of the Sanhedrin, whose hearts were not bound about with their own ideas,--these he took and educated for his own use. He could make them as new bottles for the new wine of his kingdom. These were the babes to whom the Father could reveal spiritual things; but the priests and rulers, the scribes and Pharisees, who claimed to be the depositaries of knowledge, could give no room for the principles of Christianity, afterward taught by the apostles of Christ. The chain of truth, link after link, was given to those who realized their own ignorance, and were willing to learn of the great Teacher.
Jesus knew that he could do the scribes and Pharisees no good, unless they would empty themselves of self-importance. He chose new bottles for his new wine of doctrine, and made fishermen and unlearned believers the heralds of his truth to the world. And yet, though his doctrine seemed new to the people, it was in fact not a new doctrine, but the revelation of the significance of that which had been taught from the beginning. It was his design that his disciples should take the plain, unadulterated truth for the guide of their life. They were not to add to his words, or give a forced meaning to his utterances. They were not to put a mystical interpretation upon the plain teaching of the Scriptures, and draw from theological stores to build up some manmade theory. It was through putting a mystical meaning upon the plain words of God, that sacred and vital truths were made of little significance, while the theories of men were made prominent. It was in this way that men were led to teach for doctrines the commandments of men, and that they rejected the commandment of God, that they might keep their own tradition.
If the self-righteous priests and Pharisees had been willing to look into God's great moral mirror, and had caught but one glimpse of their own imperfection of character, they would have said with Daniel, "My comeliness was turned in me into corruption." They would then have regarded it as the greatest possible blessing to learn the lesson of the great Teacher, which would have made them wise unto salvation. If they had learned from him who was meek and lowly of heart, the scribes and Pharisees would have shared with the disciples on the day of Pentecost, and would have been filled with the Holy Spirit. They would have had Christ's mold upon them. The cold, stubborn heart would have been kindled into love by his grace, and they would have been conformed to the image of Christ. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
The Holy Spirit will enter the heart that can boast of nothing. The love of Jesus will fill the vacuum that is made by the emptying out of self. "All things," Jesus says, "are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." O let us heed the words of earnest entreaty that are spoken to every soul burdened with a weight of woe, "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." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, June 9, 1896
June 9, 1896(Vol. 73, #23)
"Lay Hold of the Hope" "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." When you begin to feel despondent, look unto Jesus, and commune with him. When you think your brethren misunderstand you, remember that Jesus, your Elder Brother, never makes a mistake. He will judge righteously. The words of Christ uttered in the great day of the feast have a wonderful meaning and power. He lifted up his voice and said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." We are not to be driven to Christ. It is our part to come,--to make our own choice, and come to the fountain of life. Why should we not come to Christ? for in him our hope of eternal life is centered. The lessons that have come to us through Christ are not oft-repeated maxims; they are full of vital thought. But it is our part to appropriate divine truth. The apostle Paul exhorts us to lay hold on the hope set before us in the gospel. By faith we are to appropriate the promises of God, and to provide ourselves with the abundant blessings which have been secured for us through Christ Jesus. Hope has been set before us, even the hope of eternal life. Nothing short of this blessing for us will satisfy our Redeemer; but it is our part to lay hold upon this hope by faith in him who has promised. We may expect to suffer; for it is those who are partakers with him in his sufferings, who shall be partakers with him in his glory. He has purchased forgiveness and immortality for the sinful, perishing souls of men; but it is our part to receive these gifts by faith. Believing in him, we have this hope as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast. We are to understand that we may confidently expect God's favor not only in this world, but in the heavenly world, since he paid such a price for our salvation. Faith in the atonement and intercession of Christ will keep us steadfast and immovable amid the temptations that press upon us in the church militant. Let us contemplate the glorious hope that is set before us, and by faith lay hold upon it.
We must not permit Satan to cast his hellish shadow athwart our pathway, and accomplish his purpose of eclipsing the bright views of our future reward. Let us not look upon his shadow of darkness. We gain heaven not through our own merits, but through the merits of Jesus Christ. We cannot find salvation in our own individual selves; we are to look unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith, and as we look, we live. Satan would point us to ourselves, and seek to make us feel that we must bear our own sins. How hard poor mortals strive to be sin bearers for themselves and for others! but the only sin bearer is Jesus Christ. He alone can be my substitute and sin bearer. The forerunner of Christ exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Shall we not give up our sins, and let them go? Shall we not turn from them and hate them, and still remember that Christ regards his human agents as of great value? We cannot calculate the estimate placed upon the soul. Then take your eyes off yourself, and encourage hope and confidence in Christ. Let your hope not be centered in yourself, but in him who has entered within the vail. Talk of the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is true that we are exposed to great moral peril; it is true that we are in danger of being corrupted. But this danger threatens us only as we trust in self, and look no higher than our own human efforts. In doing this we shall make shipwreck of faith. Our hope of salvation is an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast, when it entereth into that which is within the vail. Anchored in Christ, the soul, like a ship amid the raging elements, tempest tossed and driven, is immovable. It is not driven on the rocks or drawn into the whirlpool. "Wherefore didst thou doubt?" said Christ to the sinking Peter. The same question may be addressed to us. Why do we dishonor God with our shameful unbelief? The Lord has pledged himself to give us strength to enable us to stand. As we search the Scriptures, we find ground for confidence, provision for sufficiency. It is our privilege to say boldly, yet humbly, The Lord is my helper, therefore I shall not be moved from my steadfastness. My life is hid with Christ in God. Because he lives, I shall live also. Let us pledge ourselves before God and the angels of heaven that we will not dishonor God by speaking words of discouragement or unbelief. If we talk faith, we shall have faith; we shall be confirmed in faith. Close the door to distrust, and open the door wide to faith. Invite into the soul temple the heavenly Guest. Let every word we utter, every line we trace with the pen, give evidence of unwavering faith. Let us not think that Jesus is the Saviour of some one else, but that he is our personal friend. Entertain the precious thought that Jesus loves me. In this way the cloud of despondency and gloom will be rolled back from the soul, and we shall be enabled to make melody in our hearts unto God. We may triumph in the Lord, every day acknowledging the fact that our heavenly treasure, our everlasting portion, is sure to us through the atonement and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Believing this ourselves, we shall be able to aid others to see that their only help is in God, and encourage them to flee for refuge to Christ, laying hold on the hope set before us in the gospel.
You need never feel that you are alone. Angels are your companions. The Comforter that Jesus Christ promised to send in his name, abides with you. Christ said of his followers, "Ye are the light of the world." It is your part to let the light shine forth in clear, steady rays. Let your good works represent Christ. How many there are who feel that it would be a good thing to tread the soil of old Jerusalem, and that their faith would be greatly strengthened by visiting the scenes of the Saviour's life and death! But old Jerusalem will never be a sacred place until it is cleansed by the refining fire from heaven. The darkest blot of guilt rests upon the city that refused the light of Christ. Do we want to walk in the footsteps of Jesus? We need not seek out the paths in Nazareth, Bethany, and Jerusalem. We shall find the footprints of Jesus by the sickbed, by the side of suffering humanity, in the hovels of the poverty stricken and distressed. We may walk in these footsteps, comforting the suffering, speaking words of hope and comfort to the despondent. Doing as Jesus did when he was upon earth, we shall walk in his blessed steps. Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." When the sin-cursed earth is purified from every stain of sin; when the Mount of Olives is rent asunder, and becomes an immense plain; when the holy city of God descends upon it,--the land that is now called the Holy Land will indeed become holy. But God's cause and work will not be advanced by making pilgrimages to Jerusalem. The curse of God is upon Jerusalem for the rejection and crucifixion of his only begotten Son. But God will cleanse away the vile blot. The prophet says, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away. And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." Rev. 21:1-5, R. V. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, June 16, 1896
June 16, 1896(Vol. 73, #24)
"The Work of the Soldiers of Christ" "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."
The lessons contained in the words of Paul to Timothy are of the greatest importance to us today. He charges him to "be strong"--in his own wisdom?--No, but "in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." He who would be a follower of Christ is not to rely upon his own capabilities, or to feel confident in himself. Neither is he to be dwarfed in his religious efforts, to shun responsibilities, and remain inefficient in the cause of God. He is to draw strength from a sure and safe source, that never fails those who would have divine power. The exhortation to us is, "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." If the Christian feels his weakness, his inability, by putting his trust in God, he will find the grace of Christ sufficient for every emergency.
The soldier of Christ must meet many forms of temptation, and resist and overcome them. The fiercer the conflict, the greater the supply of grace to meet the need of the soul; and the very nature of the grace received will enlarge the capacity of the servant of Christ to know God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. The soul of the believer will go out in intense longing to know and understand more of the truth and righteousness of Christ. All who advance in the divine life will have increased ability to search for truth as for hid treasure, and will appropriate the truth to their own souls. The true Christian will understand what it means to pass through severe conflicts and trying experiences; but he will steadily increase in the grace of Christ to meet successfully the enemy of his soul, who works through human agency to cause the ruin of the servants of Christ. By passing through severe ordeals of trial, the follower of Christ will better understand the ways of God and the plan of redemption, and will not be ignorant of the devices of the enemy. The darkness will press upon his soul at times; but the true light will shine, the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness will dispel the gloom; and although Satan seeks in every way to discourage him by presenting obstacles before him, through the grace of Christ he will be enabled to be a faithful witness of the things which he has heard from the inspired messenger of God. He does not despise or neglect the message received, but commits his knowledge to faithful men, who in their turn are to be able to teach others also. In communicating the light to others, the Christian proves the truth of the word that "the path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day."
He who receives and diffuses light puts out his talents to exchangers for the benefit of his fellowmen, in order that they may see and understand the things by which he has been blessed. By thus communicating truth to others, the worker for Christ obtains a clearer view of the abundant provisions made for all, of the sufficiency of the grace of Christ for every time of conflict, sorrow, and trial. Through the mysterious plan of redemption, grace has been provided, so that the imperfect work of the human agent may be accepted in the name of Jesus our Advocate. Man has little power, and can accomplish but a small work at his very best. When the ability of humanity is considered in its true light, when the soul is under the shadow of the cross of Calvary, he who would be a worker for God will consecrate himself, spirit, soul, and body, without reservation, to the cause of Christ, knowing that, at his best and fullest, his own power is small. But to him who has entirely surrendered his life to God, the assurance is given that the Holy Spirit will be his helper. Jesus said, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive." "The Comforter . . . whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
God is omnipotent, and at every point where we need divine help and seek for it in sincerity, it will be given. God has pledged his word that his grace will be sufficient for you in your greatest necessity, in your sorest distress. Christ will be to you a present help if you appropriate his grace. The Lord expects his servants to excel others in life and character. He has placed every facility at the command of those who serve him. The Christian is looked upon by the whole universe as one who strives for the mastery, running the race set before him, that he may obtain the prize, even an immortal crown; but if he who professes to follow Christ does not make it manifest that his motives are above those of the world in this great contest where there is everything to win and everything to lose, he will never be a victor. He is to make use of every entrusted power, that he may overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil through the power of the Holy Spirit, by grace abundantly provided that he shall not fail nor be discouraged, but be complete in Christ, accepted in the Beloved. Those who would be victors should contemplate and count the cost of salvation. Strong human passions must be subdued; the independent will must be brought into captivity to Christ. The Christian is to realize that he is not his own. He will have temptations to resist, and battles to fight against his own inclinations; for the Lord will accept no halfway service. Hypocrisy is an abomination to him. The follower of Christ must walk by faith, as seeing him who is invisible. Christ will be his dearest treasure, his all and in all.
This experience is essential to those who profess the name of Christ, for its influence pervades the conduct, and sanctifies the influence of the Christian's life in its effect upon others. The business connections and intercourse of Christians with the men of the world will be sanctified by the grace of Christ; and wherever they are, a moral atmosphere will be created, that will have power for good; for it will breathe the spirit of the Master.
He who has the mind of Christ knows that his only safe course is to keep close to Jesus, following the light of life. He will not accept work, or engage himself in business, that will hinder him from reaching the perfection of Christian character. Probation has been given to the human family,--not that they may receive worldly honor, not that they may lay up for themselves treasures upon earth, but that they may be complete in him who has given his own life for this end. They are to shine as lights in the world; they are to bring eternal realities before the indifferent, the careless, and the disloyal. The golden beams of the light of truth are to be reflected in their words and actions, for in this way they are to represent Christ to the world. They are to be earnest, thorough missionaries.
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." Earnest work for the Master will bring trials; but will the true disciple be moved from his purpose? Will he faint at any tribulation? Will he snatch himself away from Christ, refusing to wear his yoke because outward troubles come upon him? Will he become disheartened? When Satan stirs up his human agents to oppose and discourage him, will he withdraw himself from the assembly of the saints, when he has the assurance that at the house of prayer he will meet with Him whom he loves? Will he go back to the world, and by his actions declare to men that the business of the world is of higher character and more worthy of his strength of body and mind than the service of God? Will he give to the worship of God a poor, sickly, tired-out service, and expect God to receive it at his hand? Hear the words that the inspired apostle has received from heaven for our instruction. He says, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."
Those who would be soldiers for Christ should closely estimate what will be the influence of accepting positions of trust in advancing worldly enterprises. They should consult the Lord Jesus, and at every step ask him, Will this work serve to advance, to save, my spiritual interest, or will it hinder me from attaining perfection of character? If large gain is presented as an inducement to entangle you and imperil your soul, you have but one answer to give; "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Satan presented this inducement to the world's Redeemer, knowing that if he accepted it, the world would never be ransomed. Under different guises, Satan presents this temptation, knowing that those who are beguiled by it, will never stand among those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. We would suppose that those who yield to one temptation and are disappointed in their expectations, would see that they have chosen a work which would continually draw them into evil, and bind them away from Christ. But instead of seeing their delusion, many go on in their blindness, and Satan has his bait all ready, and entangles them more deeply in the world, binding them up with an interest that will lead them away from the service of the Master. They cannot see afar off, but are blinded by the glamour of the flattering prospect that the world presents before them. They do not follow the light of the world, but another leader, and they walk in darkness, and they know not at what they stumble.
The Christian is enlisted to fight in the cause of God, to be a soldier of Jesus Christ; and he is bound by his vows to God to do good service in the army of Christ. To be loyal to his Master, he must refuse to engage in any business which will imperil his soul and dishonor God. He stands under the bloodstained banner of Prince Immanuel, and his best powers are to be devoted to God, his first duty is to be faithful to his Master. He is not to place himself in any position that will shut him away from the channel of light; for he must have light from heaven if he would walk in the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in. Through business relations, Satan has laid his snare for thousands of the professed followers of Christ. Through his temptations he leads them to place themselves where they think they cannot attend the social meetings, and they breathe in the atmosphere of satanic agency. The light becomes darkness, so that they forget that they were purged from their old sins, and their moral power degenerates until they have a name to live, and are dead. They have no spiritual life. The light that was in them has become darkness, and how great is that darkness.
God calls upon his people to become luminous, and to reflect the light of his love upon the world. He calls upon them to be found in the assembly of the saints, bringing with them every soul that they can influence to go. The soldiers of Jesus Christ must arise to do the work of the Master, for in the army of the Lord there is much to be done that they have entirely neglected. Were they alive to the interest of the work, they would see souls close by their side to whom they could speak a word in season, of warning, encouragement, or comfort. There are tempted, tried souls all about us for whose ruin Satan is much more interested than are the professed brethren of Christ for their salvation. But it is the work of the servant of Christ to sow beside all waters, and the promise is, that "he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, June 23, 1896
June 23, 1896(Vol. 73, #25)
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" I love to speak of Jesus and his matchless love. I have not one doubt of the love of God. I know that he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto him. His precious love is a reality to me, and the doubts expressed by those who know not the Lord Jesus Christ, have no effect upon me. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Do you believe that Jesus is your Saviour, and that he has manifested his love for you in giving his precious life for your salvation? Take Jesus as your personal Saviour. Come to him just as you are; give yourself to him; grasp his promise by living faith, and he will be to you all that you desire. To every one inquiring, "What must I do to be saved?" I answer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Do not for one moment doubt that he will save you just as you are, if you will only come to him. He said to the Jews, "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." Let not this be said of you. Jesus longs to save you, to give you peace and rest and assurance while you live, and to bestow upon you eternal life in his kingdom; but no one will be compelled to be saved. Jesus says, "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve."
Those who give their hearts to Christ will find rest in his love. We have a token of the magnitude of his love in his sufferings and death. Behold him dying upon the cross amid the deepest gloom; for the heavens are darkened and the earth convulsed. The rent rocks are but a feeble emblem of the state of his mind when he exclaimed, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" But did the Father forsake his Son, whom he called his only begotten and his well-beloved? The reason that Jesus endured such agony was because he became the sinner's substitute and surety. He himself bore the penalty of the law which the sinner deserved, in order that the sinner might have another trial, another chance to prove his loyalty to God and his commandments. There are only two classes in the whole universe,--those who believe in Christ and whose faith leads them to keep God's commandments, and those who do not believe in him, and are disobedient. The sins of the world were laid upon Christ, and for this reason he was numbered with transgressors. He bore the curse and was treated as a transgressor, in order that the repentant sinner might be clothed with his righteousness. He was condemned for sin in which he had no share, in order that we might be justified by righteousness in which we had no part. Christ has manifested his love for us, and has become our representative, in order that our sin need not drown us in perdition.
Standing as man's representative at Pilate's bar, he suffered the cruel sentence of death to be passed upon him by unreasonable and wicked men, and answered not a word to their accusations. The Majesty of heaven was brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. When the poor sinner inquired the way of life, Jesus did not remain silent; but when condemned to the most ignominious and cruel of deaths, he had not a word to say. He was not silent because he was guilty; for he was the embodiment of purity and holiness. He could have delivered himself from those who came to take him in the garden of Gethsemane. A few words from his lips sent the murderous throng reeling to the earth, as if smitten by a bolt of the wrath of God. But he suffered humiliation, agony, and death in silence, because he had given his life for the life of the world. He was not compelled to do it, but he volunteered to be man's substitute and surety, and "the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all." The wages of sin is death, and he freely offered himself as a propitiation for the sins of men. We have every reason to hope in his mercy, to believe in his love. You have every reason to believe that he can and will save you. Why? Because you are guiltless?--No; because you are a sinner, and Jesus says, "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The call is addressed to you, and when Satan says to you that there is no hope, tell him you know there is; "for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Believe that Jesus means just what he says; take him at his word, and hang your helpless soul upon him. He says, "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." Do not cast away such rich promises as these. The hand that was nailed to the cross for you is stretched out to save you. Believe that Jesus will hear your confession, receive your requests, forgive your sins, and make you a member of the royal family. You need the hope which Jesus will give to cheer you under every circumstance.
When we are tempted to place our affections on any earthly object that has a tendency to absorb our love, we must seek grace to turn from it, and not allow it to come between us and our God. We want to keep before the mind's eye the mansions which Jesus has gone to prepare for us. We must not allow our houses and lands, our business transactions and worldly enterprises, to come between us and our God. We should keep before us the rich promises that he has left on record. We should study the great waymarks that point out the times in which we are living. We know that we are very near the close of this earth's history, and everything of a worldly nature should be secondary to the service of God. We should now pray most earnestly that we may be prepared for the struggles of the great day of God's preparation. We should rejoice in the prospect of soon being with Jesus in the mansions he has gone to prepare for us. Jesus can supply your every need, if you will look to him and trust in him. As you behold him, you will be charmed with the riches of the glory of his divine love. The idolatrous love of things that are seen will be superseded by a higher and better love for things that are imperishable and precious. You may contemplate eternal riches until your affections are bound to things above, and you may be an instrument in directing others to set their affections on heavenly treasures. You can help them to see that money spent needlessly is wasted, and worse than wasted; for it might have been used in presenting the truth to souls who are ready to perish. If the spendthrift is redeemed, it will be by having an object placed before him that will show him the sin of wasting his Lord's goods. The Lord requires his servants to trade upon the goods that he has put in their charge. The talents which he has given to them are to be improved by exercise. The money placed in their hands is to be put out to the exchangers. Souls for whom Christ died need light and truth, and it must be sent to them. We may be the means through which worthy objects may be presented before them in such a way as to win their affection for Christ and heavenly things; and we are responsible for the souls that we might help. Those who rightly value money are those who see its availability in bringing the truth before those who have never heard it, and by this means rescuing them from the power of the enemy. The soul who accepts the truth will find his love for earthly things dislodged. He sees the surpassing glory of heavenly things, and appreciates the excellency of that which relates to everlasting life. He is charmed with the unseen and eternal. His grasp loosens from earthly things; he fastens his eye with admiration upon the invisible glories of the heavenly world. He realizes that his trials are working out for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, and in comparison to the riches that are his to enjoy, he counts them light afflictions which are but for a moment. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, June 30, 1896
June 30, 1896(Vol. 73, #26)
"Christians to Be Colaborers With God" There is no respect of persons with God. Those who have the largest responsibilities are under the most sacred obligations to be the most Christlike in spirit, word, and action, and to manifest tenderness toward all, especially toward those who do not feel that they are important personages. Let there be no putting forth of the finger and speaking vanity, no word spoken that will depreciate or condemn another. It is important work to deal with human minds. Man is God's property, and angels are looking with intense interest to see how man will deal with his fellow man. When heavenly intelligences see those who claim to be the sons and daughters of God putting forth Christlike efforts to help the erring, manifesting a tender, sympathetic spirit for the repentant and the fallen, angels press close to them, and bring to their remembrance the very words that will soothe and uplift the soul. Holy angels are on the track of every one of us. We are not to despise the least of God's little ones, not to exact homage from any one toward ourselves. The angels are all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. Shall we be privileged to cooperate with heavenly intelligences? Will God accept us as lightbearers to the world?
Jesus Christ has taken the position of one who came to seek and to save that which is lost, and he has exalted the world inasmuch as he died to redeem it, to bring back the one lost sheep to the fold. Jesus has given his precious life, his personal attention, to the least of God's little ones; and angels that excel in strength encamp round about them that fear God. Then let us be upon our guard, and never permit one contemptuous thought to occupy the mind in regard to one of the little ones of God. We should look after the erring with solicitude, and speak encouraging words to the fallen, and fear lest by some unwise action we shall turn them away from the pitying Saviour.
Those who love Jesus will love those for whom Christ died. If many of the sinners that are around us had received the light which has blessed us, they would have rejoiced in the truth, and have been in advance of many that have had a long experience and great advantages. Take these lost sheep as your special burden, and watch for souls as they that must give an account. Draw not a glance to yourself, but cry with earnest, heartfelt interest, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." This is the Christian's message to the world. This is the effective argument. Encourage your heart to put forth earnest endeavors to induce perishing souls to fix their eyes upon Him who was uplifted upon the cross; and remember that as you do this, unseen angels are flashing the light of truth into the mind, and impressing it upon the heart, and leading the soul to believe in Jesus. The sinner is enabled to see Jesus as he is,--full of compassion, pity, and love,--and he exclaims, "Thy gentleness hath made me great."
Jesus would impress upon the hearts and minds of his disciples the value of the human soul. He demands cooperation on the part of his followers in rescuing lost sinners. There is one lost sheep, the very least that could be numbered; and yet he represents the shepherd as leaving the ninety and nine, and going into the mountains to seek that one lost wanderer. Then why is it that the sons and daughters of God are so cold of heart, so indifferent to the souls that are perishing around them? Why is it that the members of the church are so willing to let the whole burden rest upon the shoulders of the ministers? How great a mistake is this, since every subject of grace is to have a part to act in saving those that are lost. To every man Christ has given his work, and personal efforts must be put forth to save the perishing. The worker must be much in secret prayer; for this work requires great wisdom in the science of saving souls. Christ said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." He said also to his disciples, "Ye are the light of the world." He made the church the depositary of sacred truth. He left his church a stewardship of sacred truth, and it is the work of the church to carry forward his mission of saving the world. He is the Sun of Righteousness, who is to impart bright rays to his followers; and they, in turn, are to shed his light upon others. They are to be his representatives to the world. Believing in Christ as their personal Saviour, they take up the work where he left it. "Without me ye can do nothing," said Christ; but with him we can do all things. There is a large, a very large number of straying and lost sheep that have perished in the wild deserts of sin, simply because no one went after them, to search for them and to bring them back to the fold. Jesus uses the illustration of a lost sheep to show the need of seeking after those who have wandered from him; for a sheep once lost will never find its way back to the fold without help. It must be sought for, it must be carried back to the fold.
All heaven is interested in the work of saving the lost. Angels watch with intense interest to see who will leave the ninety and nine, and go out in tempest and storm and rain into the wild desert to seek the lost sheep. The lost are all around us, perishing and sadly neglected. But they are of value to God, the purchase of the blood of Christ. "And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."
The world's Redeemer said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. . . . The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." In the same way the disciples of Christ work the works of Christ, copying the example of their Master. Jesus commissioned his disciples, saying, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." This commission rests upon every one who claims to believe in Jesus Christ. We are to seek to save those that are lost. We are to search for the one lost sheep, and bring him back to the fold; and this represents personal effort.
A church may be composed of those who are intelligent, well educated, and wealthy, and to the world it may appear to be a strong church; but if its members are not men and women who walk humbly with God, they are stumblingblocks to sinners; for they direct the feet into false paths, and do not shine by reflecting the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. They may have an appearance of shining, like an iceberg in the sun; but they do not shine with the rays of Heaven. Then there may be another church composed of men and women who have not been educated in the colleges, and who have no wealth or worldly honor, yet they feel the sacred responsibility that rests upon them, and they shine as burning lights for the Master. Wherever they go, they shed light, and diffuse a heavenly atmosphere. They go forth to seek the lost sheep. They feel that it is a great privilege to deny self, to lift up the cross, and to be partakers of the divine energy. The influence of these workers goes up to God as a sweet aroma. The true worker for God wrestles with God in prayer, and puts intense earnestness into the work of saving lost souls. He does not seek to exalt self by word or deed, but simply seeks to win souls. God pronounces the purest, the meekest, the most childlike Christian, the best worker for him, the mightiest in labor for souls. Heavenly intelligences can work with the man or woman who will not absorb the glory to himself, but who will be willing that all the glory shall redound to the honor of God. It is the man who most feels his need of divine wisdom, the man who pleads for heavenly power, that will go forth from communion with Christ, to hold converse with souls perishing in their sins; and because he is anointed with the Spirit of the Lord, he will be successful where the learned minister may have failed. God has given lessons that are all-important in regard to the duty of every disciple. Not one need be in darkness; for it is evident that every Christian is to be a living epistle, known and read of all men.
Every one who believes in Christ as a personal Saviour is under bonds to God to be pure and holy, to be a spiritual worker, seeking to save the lost, whether they are great or small, rich or poor, bond or free. The greatest work on earth is to seek and to save those who are lost, for whom Christ has paid the infinite price of his own blood. Every one is to do active service, and if those who have been blessed with light do not diffuse light to others, they will lose the rich grace which has been bestowed upon them, because they neglect a sacred duty plainly marked out in the word of God. As the light of the unfaithful one diminishes, his own soul is brought into peril; and the ones to whom he should have been a shining light, miss the labor that God intended that they should have through the human instrument. Thus the sheep unsought is not brought back to the fold.
God depends upon you, the human agent, to fulfil your duty to the best of your ability, and he himself will give the increase. If human agents would but cooperate with the divine intelligences, thousands of souls would be rescued. The Holy Spirit would give devoted workers glimpses of Jesus that would brace them for every conflict, that would elevate and strengthen them, and make them more than conquerors. When two or three are met together to unite their counsel, and to send up their petitions, the promise is for them: "Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and ye shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto you." "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" The Lord has promised that where two or three are met together in his name, there will he be in the midst. Those who meet together for prayer will receive an unction from the Holy One. There is great need of secret prayer, but there is also need that several Christians meet together, and unite with earnestness their petitions to God. In these small companies Jesus is present, the love of souls is deepened in the heart, and the Spirit puts forth its mighty energies, that human agents may be exercised in regard to saving those who are lost. Jesus ever sought to show how worthless are formal ceremonies, and strove to impress upon his disciples that the Holy Spirit must enlighten, renew, and sanctify the soul. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, July 7, 1896
July 7, 1896(Vol. 73, #26)
"Christ's Life a Testimony to His Divine Claims" All the world are invited to come to the gospel feast. Jesus has called all sinners to himself. "Many are called, but few are chosen." The voice of entreaty comes to the careless and the impenitent, saying, "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?" The Lord has sent forth his entreating invitation. It is the same invitation that he gave to the Samaritan woman while seated upon Jacob's well. Jesus said to her: "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. . . . Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
When Jesus spoke to the woman of Samaria, he was not presenting the gospel invitation to her alone, but to the thousands upon thousands who should read his words. Jesus traveled up and down the breadth of the land, giving his invitation to the feast. When the sun illuminated the landscape, Jesus said to the vast throng: "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." He took the opportunity of presenting himself to the people during the feast days, when they gathered at Jerusalem. The people met together to carry out the instructions given to Moses, to "observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine;" and Jesus himself stood in the midst of them. The feast of tabernacles was the great holiday of the nation. This feast was preceded by a day of atonement, which occurred on the tenth day of the seventh month, when every one was to afflict his soul by confessing his sins, both to the Lord and to his brethren. This humiliation was to prepare the way for the celebration of the feast of tabernacles, which lasted seven days, and was a memorial of the protecting care of God when he led Israel through the wilderness. In the instruction to Moses, he said: "Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." It was to the celebration of this feast that Jesus came. The Scripture says: "But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews." "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed of him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the Synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
They concealed their true convictions for fear of persecution. They dared not express their true feelings and faith. Many were convinced that he was the Messiah, long looked for and greatly desired, yet they dared not express their convictions. There was dissension among the people concerning him. Some denounced him as a deceiver, while some ventured to express their favor toward him, saying that he was a good man. But this was as far as they ventured to go. They had not moral courage in the face of the denunciations uttered against him to say, I believe him to be the world's Redeemer. They dared not give utterance to the conviction that he was the divine Son of God, and that they were dependent on him alone for salvation. Many were silent, and uttered no opinion concerning him; and even some of the chief rulers who believed in him did not confess him. It was about the midst of the feast when Jesus went up to the temple and taught. "And the Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" He spoke with assurance, and revealed a depth of knowledge far exceeding that of the most learned of the Scribes and rabbis. It was evident that he had a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures, and that he presented truth that was unmingled with the sayings and maxims of men. The old truths fell upon their ears like a new revelation. The people had never before heard the gospel of the Old Testament presented with such simplicity and fervor, spoken with a voice so full of melody and tenderness. They were thrilled to the very depths of their souls, and they marveled at his wisdom. Jesus read the question in their hearts, and answered the suggestions of their thoughts. He said: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
Jesus presented his lessons to the people; but he did not make a practise of asserting his high and authoritative claim. He had come to save the lost world, and his words and works, his whole life in humanity, was to speak of his divinity. He left it to his own dignity, to his life, to his course of action, to witness to the people that he worked the works of God. He left it to them to draw their own conclusion concerning his claims, while he expounded to them the prophecies concerning himself. He directed them to search the Scriptures; for it was essential that they should interpret correctly the mission and work of the Son of God. He pointed out the fact to them that he was fulfilling the prophecies that had hitherto been given by holy men who were moved upon by the Holy Spirit. He declared plainly that they wrote of him, and brought the clear rays of the light of prophecy to illuminate his words and works. Conviction fastened upon the minds of his hearers, and in their minds and affections they wove a crown of glory for his head. He stood forth in his ministry as one distinguished from every other teacher. He himself had inspired the prophets to write of him. His life work had been planned in the eternal counsels of heaven before the foundation of the world. He was the light of the world, yet he was meek and lowly in heart and character. His life was the light of men, and he presented his life before the people, that their faith might lay hold upon it, and that they might become one with him.
Though he presented infinite truth, he left many things unsaid that he might have said, because even his disciples were not able to comprehend them. He said, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." The burden of his teaching was obedience to the commandments of God, that would work transformation of character and inculcate moral excellence, shaping the soul after the divine similitude. Christ had been sent to earth to represent God in character. Jesus was the Life giver, the Teacher sent of God to provide salvation for a lost world, and to save men in spite of all Satan's temptations and lying deceptions. He himself was the gospel. In his teachings he clearly presented the great plan devised for the redemption of the race. Divinity had united with humanity for the purpose of uniting humanity with divinity, that through Christ man might become a partaker of the divine nature. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
The sayings of the Lord Jesus Christ are of value beyond all computation. Those who casually read them do not comprehend their depths of meaning. They are life and light, and upon their reception depends the soul's salvation. They are truth and righteousness, and are to be carefully studied and practiced. But the sayings of Christ are not a new revelation. The principles which he expounded were announced to Moses from the pillar of cloud, and to the prophets, who spoke and wrote as they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit. But the Jews had departed from the light and the grace that had been given them, and had not practised the sacred teachings that were essential for their present, spiritual help and for their eternal interests. Because of this, the words of Christ fell upon the ears of the Jewish nation as a new revelation. They were like blind men whose eyes were opened to behold wonderful things; their hearts burned within them as he opened the Scriptures to them. Although he had not been known as a student in any of their schools, Christ told them that he had not been untaught and uneducated. He taught that which he had learned of God. He said, "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will [he will not remain in ignorance], he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
He who fully purposes is his heart to do the will of God, at whatever self-denial or self-sacrifice, will certainly know the truth through his own experience. Those who will obey God's commandments, and not deviate from the precepts of Heaven, will enter into life. To will to do the will of God, is to yield the whole mind and affections to the control of God. Such a one will know of the doctrine, not be in questioning and doubt, not be halting between two opinions; for he will be willing to submit all to God, realizing that he has purchased all. It is when we give ourselves to Christ, to do his will, that we realize the truth of the saying of David, "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." It is then that reason and conscience are fully in harmony with the will of God, and there is no collision between the truth of God and the soul.
The doctrines that Christ taught are essential for the salvation of the soul; for perfection of character is the result of willing obedience to the truth as it is in Jesus. This is the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. It is self-exaltation that results in the rejection of Christ, and this proved the ruin of the Jews. They felt no need of a Saviour, they realized no weakness, they desired no plan of atonement. For many years they had been going through a round of service which had been instituted by Christ, and which typified Christ, yet when the Messiah walked among them in the habiliments of humanity, offering them his grace and pardoning mercy if they would forsake their sins and turn unto God, they did not discern him. Many were loaded with deception and hypocrisy. When the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to the baptism of John, he exclaimed: "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." He presented to the Jewish leaders the fact that they must be transformed in character. He said to Nicodemus: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. . . . Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
If the Jewish nation had accepted the light that Christ brought to them, it would have revealed to them their need of a Saviour, their need of atonement, their need of the purifying, pardoning love of God. It would have revealed to them the significance of the atonement which they had been celebrating, and fitted them to enjoy the feast of tabernacles and to rejoice before the Lord. They would have realized that God does not require simply a portion of the heart; but that acceptable service to himself means the consecration of heart, mind, soul, and strength. In explaining his teaching to them, Jesus said, "He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him." He who speaks by his own authority, who presents a message that does not come from God, is only a human teacher, liable to be seduced by the deceptions of the enemy; he seeks but the praise of men, the exaltation of himself; but he who is sent of God, as was Christ, is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. The common people heard him gladly, and many testified, "Never man spake like this man." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, July 14, 1896
July 14, 1896(Vol. 73, #28)
"The Cheerful Giver Accepted" "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." If we act in the spirit of this counsel, we may invite the divine One to audit the accounts of our temporal matters. We may feel that we are only giving offerings from that which is our Lord's entrusted gift. All our offerings should be presented with cheerfulness; for they come from the fund which the Lord has seen fit to place in our hands for the purpose of carrying forward his work in the world, in order that the banner of truth may be unfurled in the highways and byways of the earth. If all who profess the truth would give to the Lord his own in tithes and gifts and offerings, there would be meat in the house of the Lord. The cause of benevolence would no longer be dependent on the uncertain gifts of impulse, and vary according to the changing feelings of men. God's claims would be welcomed, and his cause would be considered as justly entitled to a portion of the funds entrusted to our hands. The Lord is our divine Creditor, and he has made us promises through the prophet Malachi that are very plain, positive, and important. It means very much to us whether or not we are rendering to God his own. He allows his stewards a certain portion for their own use, and if they will trade upon that which he claims, he will divinely bless the means in their hands. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts."
The only plan which the gospel has marked out for sustaining the work of God is one that leaves the support of his cause to the honor of men. With an eye single to the glory of God, men are to give to God the proportion which he has required. Viewing the cross of Calvary, looking upon the world's Redeemer, who for our sake became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich, we shall feel that we are not to lay up for ourselves treasures on the earth, but to lay up treasures in the bank of heaven, which will never suspend payment nor fail. The Lord has given Jesus to our world, and the question is, What can we give back to God in gifts and offerings to show our appreciation of his love? "Freely ye have received, freely give."
How much more eager will every faithful steward be to enlarge the proportion of gifts to be placed in the Lord's treasure house, than to decrease his offering one jot or tittle. Whom is he serving? For whom is he preparing an offering?--For the One upon whom he is dependent for every good thing which he enjoys. Then let not one of us who is receiving the grace of Christ, give occasion for the angels to be ashamed of us, and for Jesus to be ashamed to call us brethren. Shall ingratitude be cultivated, and made manifest by our niggardly practises in giving to the cause of God?--No, no! Let us surrender ourselves a living sacrifice, and give our all to Jesus. It is his; we are his purchased possession. Those who are recipients of his grace, who contemplate the cross of Calvary, will not question concerning the proportion to be given, but will feel that the richest offering is all too meager, all disproportionate to the great gift of the only begotten Son of the infinite God. Through self-denial, the poorest will find ways of obtaining something to give back to God.
Time is money, and many are wasting precious time which might be used in useful labor, working with their hands the thing that is good. The Lord will never say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant," to the man who has not taxed the physical powers which have been lent him of God as precious talents by which to gather means, wherewith the needy may be supplied, and offerings may be made to God. The rich are not to feel that they can be content in giving of their money merely. They have talents of ability, and they are to study to show themselves approved unto God, to be earnest spiritual agents in educating and training their children for fields of usefulness. Parents and children are not to regard themselves as their own, and feel that they can dispose of their time and property as shall please themselves. They are God's purchased possession, and the Lord calls for the profit of their physical powers, which are to be employed in bringing a revenue to the treasury of the Lord.
Were the thousand channels of selfishness cut off that now exist, and the means directed in the right channel, there would be a large revenue flowing into the treasury. Many purchase idols with money that should go to the house of God. No one can practice real benevolence without practicing genuine self-denial. Self-denial and the cross lie directly in the path of every Christian who is truly following Christ. Jesus says: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Will every soul consider the fact that Christian discipleship includes self-denial, self-sacrifice, even to the laying down of life itself if need be, for the sake of Him who has given his life for the life of the world?
Christians who view Christ upon the cross, are bound by their obligation to God because of the infinite gift of his Son, to withhold nothing which they possess, however dear it may be to them. If they possess anything that can be employed to draw any soul, no matter how rich, or no matter how poor, to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world, they are to use it freely for this purpose. The Lord employs human agents to be coworkers with him in the salvation of sinners.
All heaven is actively engaged in furnishing facilities by which to extend the knowledge of the truth to all peoples, nations, and tongues. If those who profess to have been truly converted, do not let their light shine forth to others, they are neglecting the doing of the words of Christ. We need not tax ourselves with rehearsing how much has been given to the cause of God, but rather let us consider how much has been kept back from his treasury to be devoted to the indulgence of self in pleasure-seeking and self-gratification. We need not reckon up how many agents have been sent forth, but rather recount how many have closed the eyes of their understanding, so that they might not see their duty and minister to others according to their several ability.
How many might now be employed were there means in the treasury to sustain them in the work! How many facilities might be used in extending the work of God as his providence opens the way! Hundreds could be employed in the field in doing good in various branches, but they are not there. Why?--Selfishness keeps them at home; they love ease, and so remain away from the vineyard of the Lord. Some would go into regions beyond, but they have not the means to take them; for others have left undone that which they ought to have done. These are some of the reasons why a few workers have to go loaded down as a cart beneath sheaves, while others take no burden. Those who ought to be laborers in the vineyard will not undertake the work in faith and hope. The stay-at-home, professed Christians are misrepresenting Jesus Christ. They refuse to be partakers with him of his trials, of his humiliation, and of his burden bearing. They do not wear his yoke. If they would engage all their powers for God, they would not work alone. But many feel no genuine burden for souls. Step by step they might work their way until, by study and prayer, they might become skilful in the Scriptures, and be able to lay hold with intense earnestness of the God of all grace, beseeching him for his Holy Spirit to mold and fashion them and make them wise to win souls to Christ.
Actual efforts must be put forth to save souls from sin and Satan. Why is it that men and women who know the truth do not work with all their God-given powers while mercy's sweet voice is heard? Jesus is entreating, "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." Many of those who are stay-at-home believers, are not taking upon them the yoke of Christ. They refuse to lift his burdens, although he says, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light" Christ carries the pressing weight, and bears the heaviest end of the yoke. A large number will not go without the camp, bearing the reproach, as did Jesus their Master, and yet by their attitude, by their inconsistent conduct, they actually weaken the efforts of those who are bearing the heavy burdens. They know nothing of what it means to be meek and lowly of heart. They know nothing of what it means to be self-denying, of what it means to be a partaker with those who do go forth to labor in the cause of God. They misjudge the workers and depreciate their efforts. They are not prepared to sympathize with them in their trials, in their heartaches and disappointments. They cannot be partakers with their brethren in their sufferings, nor can they be partakers with Christ in his sufferings. Failing of this, they will not be partakers with Christ in his glory, nor enter into the joy of their Lord in seeing souls saved in his eternal kingdom as a result of their self-sacrificing efforts in being laborers together with God. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, July 21, 1896
July 21, 1896(Vol. 73, #29)
"Why the Lord Waits" The blessing of God cannot come upon those who are idlers in his vineyard. Professed Christians who do nothing, neutralize the efforts of real workers by their influence and example. They make the grand and important truths they profess to believe, appear inconsistent, and cause them to have no effect. They misrepresent the character of Christ. How can God let the showers of his grace come upon the churches that are largely composed of this kind of members? They are of no manner of use in the work of God. How can the Master say to such, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," when they have been neither good nor faithful? God cannot speak a falsehood. The power of the grace of God cannot be given in large measure to the churches. It would dishonor his own glorious character to let streams of grace come upon the people who will not wear the yoke of Christ, who will not bear his burdens, who will not deny self, who will not lift the cross of Christ. Because of their slothfulness they are a hindrance to those who would move out in the work if they did not block up the way. God calls not for an empty charity that is but a name, but for liberal, openhanded charity. The liberality of God demands that his people render to him his own in tithes and gifts and offerings. There are many who possess an empty benevolence, who make no retrenchments, practise no self-denial or self sacrifice. They leave that for some one else to do; but God calls for men who, through faith and prayer, will give themselves to the work; who will study, who will plan, and unite with their plans, self-denial and self-sacrifice. This is the only kind of liberality that is after the order of Christ, and which will redound to the honor and glory of God. Until this benevolence is brought into active exercise, God's blessing cannot come upon his people in its fulness and power.
Every truly converted soul will be intensely desirous to bring others from the darkness of error into the marvelous light of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with his glory, will not come until we have an enlightened people, that know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God. When we have entire, wholehearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of his Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers together with God. God cannot pour out his Spirit when selfishness and self-indulgence are so manifest; when a spirit prevails that, if put into words, would express that answer of Cain,--"Am I my brother's keeper?" If the truth for this time, if the signs that are thickening on every hand, that testify that the end of all things is at hand, are not-sufficient to arouse the sleeping energy of those who profess to know the truth, then darkness proportionate to the light which has been shining will overtake these souls. There is not the semblance of an excuse for their indifference that they will be able to present to God in the great day of final reckoning. There will be no reason to offer as to why they did not live and walk and work in the light of the sacred truth of the word of God, and thus reveal to a sin-darkened world, through their conduct, their sympathy, and their zeal, that the power and reality of the gospel could not be controverted.
It is not the ministers alone, but the laymen, who are not contributing all that they can to persuade men, by precept and example, to accept the saving grace of Christ. With skill and tact, with wisdom received from above, they should persuade men to behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. When the hearts of the believers are warm with the love for God, they will do a continual work for Jesus. They will manifest the meekness of Christ, and display a steadfast purpose that will not fail nor be discouraged. God will use humble men to do his work; for there is a large vineyard calling for laborers. "Why stand ye here all the day idle?"
Christ pronounced a woe upon the cities and the people who had been favored with his labors, who had witnessed his gracious works, and listened to his gracious words, and had failed to repent. To those who made a great profession of godliness while failing to bring forth corresponding works, he gave his most scathing rebukes. To the Pharisees he said, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." The mercy and love of God will flow forth from the lips of those in whose hearts abide the mercy and love of God. "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."
If those who have had great light will not respond to the invitation to become laborers with God, then God will take and use those who have had far less light and much fewer opportunities. Those who will work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, will realize that it is God that worketh in them, to will and to do of his own pleasure. There should be thousands fully awake and in earnest in the work of God, who should be bright and shining lights. There should be thousands who know the time in which we are living, and who wait not to be urged, but who are constrained by the power of God to diffuse light, to open to others the truth that is so distinctly revealed in the word of God. There is no time to lose. Men and women should be ministering in unenlightened communities in regions beyond. After they have awakened an interest, they should find the living preacher who is skilful in the presentation of the truth, and qualified to instruct families in the word of God. Women who have the cause of God at heart can do a good work in the districts in which they reside. Christ speaks of women who helped him in presenting the truth before others, and Paul also speaks of women who labored with him in the gospel. But how very limited is the work done by those who could do a large work if they would! There are families that have means which they could use for God's glory in going to distant lands to let their light shine forth in good works to those who need help. Why do not men and women engage in the missionary work, following the example of Christ?
But we can say nothing more than to repeat what has been said. Instruction has been given, but how few have acted upon it! How few have been sufficiently interested to go without the camp bearing the reproach of Christ! God calls for personal effort from those that know the truth. He calls for Christian families to go into communities that are in darkness and error, to go into foreign fields, to become acquainted with a new class of society, and to work wisely and perseveringly for the cause of the Master. To answer this call, self sacrifice must be experienced. While many are waiting to have every obstacle removed, souls are dying without hope and without God in the world. Many, very many, for the sake of worldly advantage, for the sake of acquiring knowledge of the sciences, will venture into pestilential regions, and will go into countries where they think they can obtain commercial advantage; but where are the men and women who will change their location, and move their families into regions that are in need of the light of the truth, in order that their example may tell upon those who shall see in them the representatives of Christ?
The Macedonian cry is coming from every quarter of the world, and men are saying, "Come over, . . . and help us," and why is there not a decided response? Thousands ought to be constrained by the Spirit of Christ to follow the example of him who has given his life for the life of the world. Why decline to make decided, self-denying efforts, in order to instruct those who know not the truth for this time? The chief Missionary came to our world, and he has gone before us to show us the way in which we should work. No one can mark out a precise line for those who would be witnesses for Christ. Those who have means are doubly responsible; for this means has been entrusted to them of God, and they are to feel their accountability to forward the work of God in its various branches. The fact that the truth binds souls by its golden links to the throne of God, should inspire men to work with all their God-given energy, to trade upon their Lord's goods in regions beyond, disseminating the knowledge of Christ far hence among the Gentiles.
Many to whom God has entrusted means with which to bless humanity, have let it prove a snare to them, instead of letting it prove a blessing to themselves and others. Can it be that the property that God has given you shall be permitted to become a stumblingblock? Will you let his entrusted means, which has been given you to trade upon, bind you away from the work of God? Will you allow the trust which God has reposed in you as his faithful steward, serve to lessen your influence and usefulness, by keeping you from being laborers together with God? Will you permit yourself to be detained at home, in order to hold together the means which God has entrusted to you to put into the bank of heaven? You cannot plead that there is nothing to do; for there is everything to do. Will you be content to enjoy the comforts of your home, and not try to tell perishing souls how they may obtain the mansions Christ has gone to prepare for those who love him? Will you not sacrifice your possessions, in order that others may obtain an immortal inheritance?
What are the principles of the law of God? "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and . . . thy neighbor as thyself." Every soul that obeys the first four commandments, will obey the last six commandments, and make manifest what is the duty of man to his fellow men. He will manifest tender, pitying love toward every one for whom Christ has died. He will consecrate himself to be a missionary, to be a laborer together with God. All who have the Spirit of Christ are missionaries; for they derive zeal and energy from the chief Missionary. They will have the wisdom that comes from God, which is neither a blind impetuosity nor a cold, calculating Phariseeism, but springs from trust in God. "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."
What can the universe of heaven think of those who profess to believe that Jesus Christ is the world's only hope of salvation, when they do so little to make him known to those who are in the darkness of error? In the great day when every case is decided for eternity, how enormous will seem the guilt of those who have failed to warn their associates in probationary time of the doom that awaits those who neglect so great salvation. What a revelation will then be made of what professed Christians might have done, and did not do! How many souls will they see that might have been saved through their instrumentality had they been laborers together with God! Many who profess to love God seem to be enclosed in an icy atmosphere, and the love of Christ has never melted their souls. The Lord Jesus says, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, July 28, 1896
July 28, 1896(Vol. 73, #30)
"Conformity to the World" "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communication hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." In the grand truths given in the Old and New Testament Scriptures, we hear the voice of God speaking in unmistakable language to the children of men: "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, . . . and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
Christians, whatever may be their field of labor, whatever part of the Lord's vineyard is assigned them, cannot be in conformity to the world. The world's ways are not God's ways. There must be no obliteration of the line of demarcation given us by Jesus Christ, to separate between Christians and the world, thus bringing down the truth to a common level, and dishonoring the God who has at an infinite sacrifice, sent his Son into the world. There must be no betrayal of holy trust on the part of any who profess to be children of God.
There is no safety for the child of God unless he daily receives a new and fresh experience in looking unto Jesus. By beholding him day by day, he will reflect his image, and thus represent his divine attributes. His only safety lies in daily placing himself under the guidance of God's word, in daily bringing his course of action to the test inquiry, "Is this the way of the Lord?" A divine life will represent Jesus Christ, and will be antagonistic to the customs, practises, and standards of the world.
We need, as Christians, to keep Jesus ever before us, looking unto him, the "author and finisher of our faith." Every soul who is seeking to become a joint heir with Jesus Christ must consider that his special work during this testing period is to study the character of Christ, and conform to that character. He cannot do this in his own strength; but through the abundant grace given of God, daily improvement will be made. Satan, on the one side, is striving to press you into his service; Christ, on the other, is seeking to win and draw you to himself. You cannot become victor over Satan's devices without fierce conflicts with inclination. Satan, striving for the mastery, is determined to conquer. Every faculty is to be strictly guarded and held loyal to God. This is the way of the Lord, to bring self under severe discipline, constantly keeping the eye fixed on Jesus. Through his grace, the striving one comes out of the conflict with temptation with clearer views, rejoicing in a new and elevated strength and power, because he makes the Lord "first, and last, and best in everything." The religious life is simply abiding in Christ.
While many profess to be sons and daughters of God, in practice they ignore the example of the works and words of Christ. "It is my privilege," they plainly say by their actions, "to act myself. I should be perfectly miserable if I could not act myself." This is the religious current with the world; but it does not bear the heavenly indorsement. It is a deception, a delusion. Persons may, under certain influences of the moment, be full of ecstasies; for chords are touched whose vibrations are pleasing to the natural taste. But these persons will have to learn that this is not the religion of Jesus Christ. When the circumstances change which so elated them, the depression and want of stimulus is felt, as the drunkard feels the want of the stimulus of the intoxicating cup. To flash out brightly now and then under the praise of the world is not the religion of Jesus Christ. Science, so-called, human reason and poetry, cannot pass as revelation, although it is Satan's plan that these things shall become first in human minds. Those souls that have not realized that the follower of Christ must subordinate every power that has been bestowed upon him to the will of God, will be drawn into the net which Satan has so carefully woven for their inexperienced feet. They cannot see that it is required of them to bring every thought into captivity to Christ. This restraint is to them a galling yoke. The voice of God, speaking to them through his word, revealing what it means to be a child of God, an heir of heaven, to walk in the path cast up for the righteous, is first neglected, then despised, then assailed. Other voices than God's arrest their attention and engage their thoughts. They are found, in the place of conformity to the revealed will of God, opposed in heart and practice to his requirements. Unless these souls are willing to become as clay in the hands of the potter, to be molded into such vessels as God can use, they will always show a deformity of character, will always bear the marks of a vessel unto dishonor, because they refuse to be made vessels unto honor. They will never receive the finishing touch of immortality. Such characters would, in their deficiency, mar heaven.
As the professed people of God have been growing more and more into conformity with the world through various agencies which Satan has set in operation, it behooves Christ's faithful ministers to sound the alarm throughout all our churches. Their duty in this respect is expressed in this same epistle to the Corinthians, where the Lord places before us the true standard of the minister of Christ. He is to be a worker together with God. "Now then," says Paul, "we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." Having called the people to Christ, he is to be a shepherd of the flock, an example of good behavior. The work of the minister is not to be brought down to a low, earthy standard, shaped according to man's natural, unconverted heart. He is not to carry with him into the work his own spirit and deficiencies of character, but in all things he is to fulfill the word, representing before the people Jesus Christ as their pattern, unfolding before them the truth in its purify, and conforming his life to its holy principles.
God requires the training of the mental faculties. They need to be so cultivated that we can, if necessary, set the truth before the highest earthly powers to the glory of God. The converting power of God upon heart and character is also needed every day. Self-discipline must be carried on by every one who claims to be a child of God; for it is in this way that the mind and will are brought into subjection to the mind and will of God. Decided discipline in the cause of the Lord will accomplish more than eloquence and the most brilliant talents. An ordinary mind, well trained, will accomplish more and higher work than the most educated mind and the greatest talents, without self-control.
A mere profession of the truth is of no value. The soul that would become a partaker of the divine nature must grasp firmly the principles of truth, and personally appropriate and absorb the rich nourishment to be derived therefrom. In purpose and will, the human agent must cooperate with God. Self is to be corrected of all its defects. The vine that is trailing upon the ground, and clinging to the stumps and rubbish within its reach, must have its tendrils cut away from these earthly supports, and find its true support in entwining about God.
Much is said in the epistles of being sound in the faith. This should teach us the necessity of caution. We must not weave into our experience our own inclinations and strong traits of character. This will misrepresent the precious, elevating, ennobling principles of truth, and lead others astray. Soundness in the faith means more than many discern. It means to correct every error that exists in our thoughts and actions, lest we corrupt the word of God.
There are needed for this time well-balanced minds, healthy, wholesome Christians. Many of those who profess Christ have a sickly experience. They cannot bear anything unfavorable. They lose heart if they think they are in any way slighted or hurt, if their brethren have not been as tender with them as they think they should be. The Great Physician would, by his infinite skill, restore them to sound moral health; but the patient refuses to take the prescription he offers. These persons may apply the word of God to their case for a short time, but they do not become doers of that word. They soon come under influences which suit their natural tastes and counteract all they have gained.
Separated and consecrated to Jesus Christ, the soul finds joy and peace. Christ does not leave us in our weakness and inefficiency, but, gathering us in the arms of his mercy, binds us to his great heart of infinite love. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Here is Christ's work; will you, the human agent, cooperate with him? "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 4, 1896
August 4, 1896(Vol. 73, #31)
"Letter to Believers on Pitcairn Island" "Sunnyside," Cooranbong, N. S. W., May 12, 1896. Dear Brethren and Sisters on Pitcairn Island: I send you greeting. I have received from you letters and tokens of remembrance, which I value highly because they speak to me of your love to one whom you have never seen. I have much love for you, and my heart goes out in prayer that you may grow in spiritual knowledge and understanding. Nothing would please me better than to spend some time with you on your island home, but we each have our corner in the Master's vineyard in which to work for him. God has given to each man his work. Our part is to do this work faithfully and well.
How glad I am that you may have with you the presence of One who is all-sufficient and all-powerful. Although you are cut off from the world by the broad ocean, you are not alone. The apostle John, banished to the Isle of Patmos by men inspired of Satan to persecute those who bore faithfully witness to God, was visited by the heavenly messenger. Writing of his experience, John says: "I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia. . . . And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter."
On this lonely island John received "the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bear record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand."
That same Jesus who appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos will visit each one of you on your island home. He will be found of all who call upon him, and will manifest unto them his love and the love of his Father. Light from the Son of God shone on the barren Isle of Patmos, making it a heaven to the lonely exile; and if you keep close to Jesus, your Elder Brother, your home will be honored by the divine Presence. Keep your eyes uplifted to Jesus; feel that it is your privilege to come to him with all your griefs and troubles, be they large or small. Trust him as implicitly as a child trusts its parents.
But though you are largely shut away from the temptations which assail those living in cities and villages, you are not out of the reach of the enemy. Satan is constantly plotting the ruin of men and women; he watches untiringly to see where he can introduce himself; and he will seek to turn you from your allegiance to God. But in God there is strength to overcome all temptations. When you are tempted, let your heart go out to God in prayer for strength to resist the enemy. Learn to believe in Jesus, and to take him at his word. Fasten the mind on his precious promises, that you may give help to those with whom you associate. The young as well as the old are to be workers together with God in the battle against evil. By faith in the blood of Christ they can keep their own souls in the love of God. Each morning let them say, I must live for Jesus today; I must love him, and think of him, and refuse to be led by the tempter to do a wrong action. Then they will be victors in the battle, and a victory gained today fortifies the soul against tomorrow's temptations. Ask God to show you what you should avoid, and what you should encourage. Parents and children, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
God has given man a guide-book, which shows him the way to heaven. The Bible is the voice of God to man, telling him what he must do to gain eternal life. "Search the Scriptures," said Christ, "for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." If you would be successful students of this word, ask God for the aid of his Holy Spirit, who will teach us all things. Carefully study the Bible, verse by verse, praying that God will give you wisdom to understand his word. Take one verse, and concentrate your mind on it, praying to ascertain the thought God has put in that verse for you. Dwell upon the thought until it becomes your own, and you know "what saith the Lord."
It will not do merely to read God's word; for the truth it contains is like treasure hid in a field; it does not lie upon the surface, and only the earnest, persevering searcher is rewarded by finding the jewels of priceless worth,--the inexhaustible riches of Christ Jesus. Never, till I made a business of searching the Bible, did I know what treasures it contains.
Few realize what they lose by not searching the Scriptures.
All who search the inspired word for themselves will gain a knowledge of a personal, abiding Saviour; and their Christian experience will not depend upon feeling, but upon the word of the living God. "The words I speak unto you," said Jesus, "they are spirit, and they are life." And the more one studies the word of God, the more that word takes possession of his mind, and he sees deeper and deeper into the divine purpose. Said the psalmist, "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple," --to all who, with the simplicity of a child, will search that word. "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding."
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." The experience you gain by a study of God's word will enable you to be a help to others. As you appropriate the precious promises it contains, you will find help and assurance. Your light will shine brighter and brighter unto the perfect day; for you will know Him whose going forth is prepared as the morning. The precious Saviour watches over each one of his little flock on your island. He gave his own precious life that you might not perish; and each one should bear in mind that his life is given him, not to be lightly esteemed, but to be used in God's service. A life of faithful service to God is the only happy life. Living for him, we may enjoy a sweet sense of peace and assurance.
Well may our hearts turn to our Redeemer with the most perfect trust when we think of what he has done for us, even when we were sinners. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Through faith we may rest in his love. "Him that cometh to me," he says, "I will in no wise cast out." It would be a terrible thing to stand before God clothed in sinful garments, with his eye reading every secret of our lives. But through the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice we may stand before God pure and spotless, with our sins pardoned and atoned for. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The redeemed sinner, clothed in the white robes of Christ's righteousness, may stand in the presence of a sin-hating God, made perfect by the virtue and merits of his Saviour. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Keep your eye fixed upon Jesus. Think of him as your friend. Through his rich grace he can save to the uttermost all who come to him. He tells us in his word that he is the "living bread which came down from heaven;" and that "if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever."
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 11, 1896
August 11, 1896(Vol. 73, #32)
"Who Are Representing Christ?" We are living in times that try men's souls. Those in high positions of trust, whom we may call--as God called some in the days of Noah--mighty men, men of renown, know little of the causes that underlie the present state of society. Many do not care to know; others do not study from cause to effect. Those who hold the reins of government are not able to solve the problem of moral corruption, poverty, pauperism, and increasing crime of every type, manifest in all classes, from the highest to the lowest. Many are struggling vainly to place business operations on a more secure basis. The great extremes of wealth and want produce unnumbered evils.
In our large cities there exists an appalling condition of poverty. Multitudes are destitute of food, clothing, or shelter fit for a human being. In the same cities are men of wealth, who have more than heart could wish; who live luxuriously, spending their money upon richly furnished houses and personal adornment; or worse, upon the gratification of the sensual appetites,--upon tobacco, liquors, and other things that destroy the power of the brain, unbalance the mind, and debase the soul. While they are thus selfishly indulging themselves, all heaven is looking down upon these unfaithful stewards. God and angels mark how the means given to men with which to honor the Creator by blessing the world, is turned to the gratification of self, to the dishonor of God, and the neglect of his heritage.
The Lord declares: "Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; that chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David; that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed. The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein."
Israel had transgressed the law, violated the Sabbath, and oppressed the poor, turning away the stranger from his right. They had given themselves to indulgence of appetite, to wine drinking, and to similar things. The Lord put his rebuke upon them, and foretold their degradation. Through indulgence in wine and strong drink, they were confusing their judgment, and deteriorating their character. "Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock: ye which rejoice in a thing of naught, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness." This whole prophecy presents lessons upon temperance, reproving selfishness, luxurious living, indulgence in those things that pervert the senses, and lead to extravagance and sin.
The prince of darkness has set in operation every device to ruin and destroy man. He has legions of evil workers uniting with him to obliterate the image of God in our youth. I ask those who are acquainted with truth, who know righteousness, What are you doing? Are you using your influence to bring into the ranks of the Lord's army all whom you can possibly reach? Have you yourself enlisted to fight the battles of the Lord? As Christians it is our work to represent Christ. We are to set an example that shall be in striking contrast to the practises of this evil age. He that is selfish will neglect to do the very work he ought to do, and take up a work that God has not given him to do. "He that loveth pleasure ["sport," margin] shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich." "He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honor." "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labor. He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not."
"He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want." This breaks up worldly policy, and sets aside worldly maxims. "That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate." Consider also these words: "For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoil them. Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go." Why?--"Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul."
While distrust and alienation are pervading all classes of society, Christ's disciples are to reveal the spirit that reigns in heaven. Because the world was ruined through sin, God gave his Son to draw men back to him. He "so loved the world, that he gave" all that heaven could give for the saving of the lost. In every soul who receives that love it will manifest itself in like manner. God so loved that he gave. If we love with his love, we, too, shall give all. We shall be co-workers with him whose mission it is to "preach the gospel to the poor; . . . to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." We shall do the work he has set before us,--"to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke; . . . to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house; when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh."
Again the Lord says: "Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way: but let it rather be healed." All about us are souls that have gone out of the way,--souls that have been wounded and bruised by the enemy, and that feel a craving for help, for comfort, for sympathy. These souls, when brought in contact with us, should find a strong hand stretched out to clasp their hand,--a strong, living faith that will help them to put their trust in Jesus.
All who pray in sincerity, "Be thou my pattern," will work in Christ's lines; they will reveal that they themselves are striving to follow Christ, and as the natural result, they will lead others to seek the higher life. The power of speech is a precious gift of God, and if used in speaking words of hope and courage to the oppressed, it will be a savor of life unto life. But it may be a savor of death unto death. Harsh or even thoughtless words may be a great hindrance to the struggling, fainting soul. They may sting and bruise until the soul shall be driven upon Satan's ground, never again to listen to the voice of Christ.
The Saviour marks all our work as though done unto himself; for he identifies his interest with that of suffering humanity. Every one who names the name of Christ is called, so far as it lies in his power, to help every other soul in the heavenward way. But let none feel that Christ has placed them on the judgment seat to pass judgment on a brother or sister who is unfortunate, or who falls into error. Many hearts are sorely stricken, to whom words fitly spoken might bring peace and rest. These souls are a test to their brethren and sisters, revealing what is in the heart. All heaven is looking to see how we treat those that need our help. It is this that reveals whether the glowing fire of the first love is still burning upon the altar of the heart. What a power the church would have in it if all its members were so imbued with the Spirit of Christ as to speak to one another only words of comfort and peace and hope; if none felt it their prerogative to judge, to oppress, to cast a dark shadow on the soul of another!
When the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" the Saviour "called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of sea. Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."
My brethren, be not deceived in regard to your own souls. They that are hearers and doers of the words of Christ are the only ones who have built on the eternal Rock, and whose house will stand secure when the storms beat upon it. What kind of foundation have you been building upon,--sliding sand or solid rock? If you are not doers of the words of Christ, your house is sure to fall. Do you seek to save souls that are perishing? or do you fold your arms, and leave those unhelped whom you could help? You will gain no strength or encouragement to your own soul in neglecting to work the works of Christ.
"Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him," said Jesus, "shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." "If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 18, 1896
August 18, 1896(Vol. 73, #33)
"The Kingdom of Christ" "Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God?" said Christ, "or with what comparison shall we compare it?" Christ found the kingdoms of the world corrupt. After Satan was expelled from heaven, he erected his standard of rebellion on this earth, and sought by every means to win men to his standard. In order the more successfully to gain the allegiance of the world, he put on the garb of religion. By familiar intercourse, through his agents, with the inhabitants of the world, he worked to extend his power, that the contagion of evil might be widespread. His purpose was to establish a kingdom which would be governed by his own laws, and carried on with his own resources, independent of God; and so well did he succeed, that when Christ came to the world to establish a kingdom, he looked upon the governments of men, and said, "Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God?" Nothing in civil society afforded him a comparison. The world had cast aside that class of people most needing care and attention; even the most earnest religionists among the Jews, filled with pride and prejudice, neglected the poor and needy, and some among them frowned upon their existence.
In striking contrast to the wrong and oppression so universally practised were the mission and work of Christ. Earthly kingdoms are established and upheld by physical force, but this was not to be the foundation of the Messiah's kingdom. In the establishment of his government no carnal weapons were to be used, no coercion practised; no attempt would be made to force the consciences of men. These are the principles used by the prince of darkness for the government of his kingdom. His agents are actively at work, seeking in their human independence to enact laws which are in direct contrast to Christ's mercy and lovingkindness.
Prophecy has plainly stated the nature of Christ's kingdom. He planned a government which would use no force; his subjects would know no oppression. The symbols of earthly governments are wild beasts, but in the kingdom of Christ, men are called upon to behold, not a ferocious beast, but the Lamb of God. Not as a fierce tyrant did he come, but as the Son of man; not to conquer the nations by his iron power, but "to preach good tidings unto the meek;" "to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;" "to comfort all that mourn." He came as the divine Restorer, bringing to oppressed and downtrodden humanity the rich and abundant grace of Heaven, that by the power of his righteousness, man, fallen and degraded though he was, might be a partaker of divinity.
In the eyes of the world, Christ was peculiar in some things. Ever a friend of those who most needed his protection, he comforted the needy, and befriended those shunned by the proud and exclusive Jews. The forsaken ones felt his protection, and the convicted, repentant soul was clothed with his salvation. And he required of his subjects that they give aid and protection to the oppressed. No soul that bears the image of God is to be placed at the footstool of human power. The greatest possible kindness and freedom are to be granted to the purchase of the blood of Christ. Over and over again in his teaching, Christ presented the value of true humility, showing how necessary it is that we exercise helpfulness, compassion, and love toward one another.
Professed Christians of today have the example of Christ before them, but do they follow it? Often, by the hardness of their hearts, they make it manifest that they do not belong to the kingdom of Christ. Too many educate themselves to censure and condemn, repulsing with harsh, stinging words, those who may seek their help. But coldhearted worldliness excludes the love of Jesus from the heart. We can cooperate with Christ in the upbuilding of his kingdom only by being sanctified by his Spirit. We must use no force, take up no weapons to compel obedience; for to do this would be to exhibit the same spirit revealed by the enemies of Christ.
Christ can do nothing for the recovery of man until, convinced of his own weakness and stripped of all self-sufficiency and pride, he puts himself under the control of God. Then and then only can he be a true subject of God. No confidence can be placed in human greatness, human intellect, or human plans. We must place ourselves under the guidance of an infinite mind, acknowledging that without Jesus we can do nothing. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." "Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."
Christ taught that his church is a spiritual kingdom. He himself, "the Prince of peace," is the head of his church. In his person humanity, inhabited by divinity, was represented to the world. The great end of his mission was to be a sin offering for the world, that by the shedding of blood an atonement might be made for the whole race of men. With a heart ever touched with the feelings of our infirmities, an ear ever open to the cry of suffering humanity, a hand ever ready to save the discouraged and despairing, Jesus, our Saviour, "went about doing good." His words inspired hope; his precepts awakened men to faith, and caused them to put their trust in him.
Before man can belong to the kingdom of Christ, his character must be purified from sin and sanctified by the grace of Christ. He must become a member of Christ's body, receiving nourishment from him as the branches of the vine derive their strength from the parent stalk. And all who are members of the kingdom of Christ will represent him in character and disposition. Who are thus working out their lives in the service of Christ? All such will sit with him on his throne. But all who exalt themselves, all who oppress their fellow men in any wise, do this to Jesus Christ; for every soul has been purchased at an infinite price, and through faith in Christ is capable of receiving immortality, to live through the eternal ages.
How long God will bear with the heartless indifference shown in the treatment of men toward their fellow men, we cannot determine. But "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." If men sow deeds of love and compassion, words of comfort, hope, and encouragement, they will reap that which they have sown.
Christ longs to manifest his grace, and stamp his character and image upon the whole world. He was offered the kingdoms of this world by the one who revolted in heaven, to buy his homage to the principles of evil; but he come to establish a kingdom of righteousness, and he would not be bought; he would not abandon his purpose. This earth is his purchased inheritance, and he would have men free and pure and holy. The world's Redeemer hungered and thirsted for sympathy and cooperation; and his earthly pilgrimage of toil and self sacrifice was cheered by the prospect that his longings would be satisfied, that his work would not be for naught. And though Satan works through human instrumentalities to hinder the purpose of Christ, there are triumphs yet to be accomplished through the blood shed for the world, that will bring glory to God and to the Lamb. His kingdom will extend, and embrace the whole world. The heathen will be given for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. Christ will not be satisfied till victory is complete. But "he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 25, 1896
August 25, 1896(Vol. 73, #34)
"Our Battle With Evil" The will of man is aggressive, and is constantly striving to bend all things to its purposes. If it is enlisted on the side of God and right, the fruits of the Spirit will appear in the life; and God has appointed glory, honor, and peace to every man that worketh good.
When Satan is permitted to mold the will, he uses it to accomplish his ends. He often works under cover as an angel of light. He has synagogues for worship, and an immense number of followers. But with all his high professions, he is at enmity with God. He instigates theories of unbelief, and stirs up the human heart to war against the word of God. With persistent, persevering effort, he seeks to inspire men with his own energies of hate and antagonism to God, and to array them in opposition to the institutions and requirements of Heaven and the operations of the Holy Spirit. He enlists under his standard all evil agencies, and brings them into the battlefield under his generalship to oppose evil against good.
It is Satan's work to dethrone God from the heart, and to mold human nature into his own image of moral deformity. He stirs up the evil propensities, awakening unholy passions and ambitions. He says, "All this power, these honors, and riches, and sinful pleasures, will I give thee;" but his conditions are that integrity shall be yielded, conscience blunted. Thus he degrades the human faculties, and brings them into captivity to sin.
God calls upon men to oppose the powers of evil. He says: "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."
The Christian life is a warfare. But "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." In this conflict of righteousness against unrighteousness, we can be successful only by divine aid. Our finite will must be brought into submission to the will of the Infinite; the human will must be blended with the divine. This will bring the Holy Spirit to our aid; and every conquest will tend to the recovery of God's purchased possession, to the restoration of his image in the soul.
The Lord Jesus acts through the Holy Spirit; for it is his representative. Through it he infuses spiritual life into the soul, quickening its energies for good, cleansing from moral defilement, and giving it a fitness for his kingdom. Jesus has large blessings to bestow, rich gifts to distribute among men. He is the wonderful Counselor, infinite in wisdom and strength; and if we will acknowledge the power of his Spirit, and submit to be molded by it, we shall stand complete in him. What a thought is this! In Christ "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him." Never will the human heart know happiness until it is submitted to be molded by the Spirit of God. The Spirit conforms the renewed soul to the model, Jesus Christ. Through its influence, enmity against God is changed into faith and love, and pride into humility. The soul perceives the beauty of truth, and Christ is honored in excellence and perfection of character. As these changes are affected, angels break out in rapturous song, and God and Christ rejoice over souls fashioned after the divine similitude.
It is by contemplating Christ, by exercising faith in him, by experiencing for ourselves his saving grace, that we are qualified to present him to the world. When the soul is renovated through the truth and brought into harmony with God, the Lord will accept us as workers together with himself, for the salvation of others. Jesus will be our theme; his love burning upon the altar of our hearts, will reach the hearts of the people. The truth will be presented, not as a cold, lifeless theory, but as a living force to change the life. But the power is of God through his Holy Spirit, which works effectually on hearts and minds. When Jesus left to his disciples the work which he had begun, he charged them: "Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." And he promised, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." And the disciples "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication," waiting for the fulfillment of the promise.
We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as the disciples prayed on the day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that time, we need it more today. All manner of false doctrines, heresies, and deceptions are misleading the minds of men; and without the Spirit's aid, our efforts to present divine truth will be in vain.
We are living in the time of the Holy Spirit's power. It is seeking to diffuse itself through the agency of humanity, thus increasing its influence in the world. For if any man drinks of the water of life, it will be in him "a well of water springing up into everlasting life;" and the blessing will not be confined to himself, but will be shared by others.
On occasions when the Holy Spirit has manifested its power among our churches or in our schools, some have given it a mere formal acknowledgment; others have met it with unbelief and resistance; and still others have given the heavenly Guest a confined range, limiting its power and its operations. It has been looked upon as an element to be restricted, controlled. The Spirit of God has unconfined range of the heavenly universe; and it is not the province of finite human minds to limit its power or prescribe its operations. Let no one pronounce judgment upon the Holy Spirit; for it will pronounce judgment upon those who do this.
To reject the Holy Spirit, through whose power we conquer the forces of evil, is the sin that surpasses all others; for it cuts us off from the source of our power,--from Christ and communion with him. When there is a manifest awakening in church or school, and it is evident that the Holy Spirit is working, the first intimation of the heavenly influence should be honored. Let the routine of study or work be secondary, and let every one cooperate with the divine agency, with hearty thanksgiving that God has visited his people.
The warfare between good and evil has not grown less fierce than it was in the days of the Saviour. The path to heaven is no smoother now than it was then. All our sins must be put away. Every darling indulgence that hinders our religious life must be cut off. The right eye or the right hand must be sacrificed, if it causes us to offend. Are we willing to renounce our own wisdom, and to receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child? Are we willing to part with our self-righteousness? Are we willing to sacrifice the approbation of men? The prize of eternal life is of infinite value. Are we willing to welcome the Holy Spirit's aid, and cooperate with it, putting forth efforts and making sacrifices proportionate to the value of the object to be obtained?
The exhortation of the Spirit of God is of peculiar force at this time: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 1, 1896
September 1, 1896(Vol. 73, #35)
"Take Heed Lest Ye Fall" "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness." "Now these things were our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."
In the hearing of all Israel, and with awful majesty, God had spoken from Mount Sinai, declaring the precepts of his law. Overwhelmed with a sense of guilt, and fearing to be consumed by the glory of the presence of the Lord, the people had entreated Moses, "Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die."
God called Moses up into the mountain that he might communicate his law to him; and when the presence of Moses was withdrawn, the solemn impression made upon the people by the manifestation of God's presence, passed quickly away. Although the glory of God was still like a devouring fire upon the top of the mountain, old habits of thought and feeling began to assert their power. Even the leaders of the host seemed to lose their reason. The memory of their covenant with God, their terror when, falling upon their faces, they had exceedingly feared, all vanished like smoke from the minds of the people. Weary of waiting for the return of Moses, they began to clamor for some visible representation of God.
Aaron, who had been left in charge of the camp, was tempted to believe that if he resisted the demands of the people, they would take his life, and instead of exercising faith in God, trusting to divine power to sustain him, he yielded to their clamors. Collecting the golden ornaments, he made a molten calf, and fashioned it with a graving tool. Then the leaders of the people declared, "These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."
Aaron saw that the image he had made pleased the people, and he was proud of his workmanship. He built an altar before the idol, and declared: "Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord." "And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play." After feasting, they gave themselves up to mirth and dancing, which ended in the shameful orgies that mark the heathen festivals.
God in heaven beheld it all, and he warned Moses of what was taking place in the camp, saying: "Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. . . .And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."
As Moses came down from the mountain with the two tables of the testimony in his hand, he heard the shouts of the people, and as he came near, he beheld the idol and the reveling multitude. Overwhelmed with horror and indignation that God had been so dishonored, and that the people had broken their solemn covenant with him, he cast the tables of stone upon the ground, and broke them. Though his love for Israel was so great that he was willing to lay down his own life for the people, his zeal for the glory of God moved him to anger, which found expression in this act of such terrible significance. God did not rebuke him. The breaking of the tables of stone was but a representation of the fact that Israel had broken the covenant which they had recently made with God. His anger was not prompted by self-love or wounded ambition, but was that righteous indignation against sin, which springs from zeal for the glory of God, and which is referred to in the words of Scripture, "Be ye angry, and sin not."
And Moses "saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies)" "And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people do unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him." "And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it."
Mark the extreme fanaticism and sin into which the people were led by the enemy. In his service and under his influence, they exhibited the traits of his character. They ate and drank without a thought of God or of his mercy, without a thought of resisting the one who was leading them on to the most shameful deeds. Mirth and dancing were carried to such a point that the senses were infatuated and beguiled. God was dishonored; for his people had become a shame in the sight of the nations. Judgments were about to fall upon the infatuated multitude; yet in his mercy God gave them another opportunity to forsake their sins. "Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me." The trumpeters caught up the words, and sounded them through their trumpets, "Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me." All who were repentant had the privilege of taking their stand beside Moses. "And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. . . . And there fell of the people that day about thee thousand men."
Those who had shown so little sense of the presence and greatness of God, and who, after the exhibition of his majesty, were ready to depart from him, would be a continual snare to Israel; and they were slain as a rebuke to sin, and to lead the people to fear to dishonor God. In this work there was no hypocrisy or partiality shown; no confederation was made to shield the guilty; for the terror of the Lord was upon the people.
To us the warning is given: "All these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." There can be no presumption more fatal than that which leads men to venture upon a course of self-pleasing. In view of this solemn warning from God, should not fathers and mothers take heed? Should they not point out to the youth the dangers that are constantly arising to lead them away from God? Many parents allow their children to attend pleasure parties, thinking that amusement is essential for health and happiness; but what dangers are in that path! The more the desire for pleasure is gratified, the stronger it becomes, till at last the life experience is largely made up of self-gratifications. God bids us beware. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
Pleasure parties of a worldly nature, gatherings for eating and drinking, are inspired from a power that is from beneath. They are an oblation to the enemy of God. By indulging in such gratifications, the mind becomes intoxicated, even as in liquor drinking; and the thoughts, allowed to run in a low channel, soon pervert the powers of the mind. The common conversation and perverted ideas are woven into the texture of the character, and defile the soul. Like Israel of old, the pleasure lovers eat and drink, and rise up to play.
All who take part in that which dishonors God bring upon the cause of God a stain not easily effaced. They wound their own souls, and will carry the scars through their lifetime. The wrongdoer may see his sin, and repent; God may pardon him; but the power of discernment, which ought ever to be kept keen and sensitive to discern between the sacred and the common, is in a great measure destroyed. Because of this, some will remain in blindness and insensibility, adopting worldly and even infidel sentiments, accepting human devices and imaginations as divine, while they turn away from the demonstrations of the Holy Spirit.
Two great powers are at work in this world,--one from above, and the other from beneath. Every man is under the influence of one or the other. Those who are united with Christ will work in Christ's lines; those who are in union with Satan will work under the inspiration of their leader. The will of man is left free to act, and by action is revealed what spirit is moving upon the heart. "By their fruits ye shall know them."
To all who are waiting our Lord's appearing, I would say, Have you individually watched your soul as one who is cooperating with God for its purification from all sin, and for its entire sanctification to God? By precept and example do you teach the youth sanctification through the truth, unto holiness and obedience to God? or by thought and action do you say, "My Lord delayeth his coming"?
The Holy One of Israel has given us rules of guidance, and all who would be saved must follow these rules; for they form the standard of character. The Lord's will must become our will in everything. His religion must be brought into all we do, giving sanction to each daily duty. No one can swerve from the first principles of righteousness without sinning.
In that great day when the accounts of all are opened, it will be known who is prepared to meet his Lord in peace. "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 8, 1896
September 8, 1896(Vol. 73, #36)
"The Need of Consecrated Workers" "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified." And the special charge was given to Aaron: "Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: and that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean."
The Lord gave special directions to Moses in regard to everything connected with his work; for he was jealous for his honor. He said, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified." Today his work is as sacred as in the time of the children of Israel. The proclamation of his truth, that is to shine amid the moral darkness of the world, is a work over which God and the heavenly angels have supervision; and none should be engaged in this work but those that are sanctified by a living connection with God. Converted men are needed,--men who will love and honor God, fearing to move in their own wisdom, and realizing that their efforts can prove successful only as recognized by him without whose blessing there is no prosperity. Every moment divine power must be combined with human effort, else strange fire will be offered instead of the sacred.
Many fail to recognize the sacredness of the work in which they are engaged. But in order to work successfully, they should keep its exalted character ever before them. Let all read the directions given by Christ to Moses, requiring every man to be in his place, and do that part of the work to which he was appointed and set apart. If, in putting up or taking down the tabernacle, any man was found out of place, or ventured upon any officious action, that man was put to death.
To handle sacred things as we would common matters is an offense to God; for that which God has set apart to do his service in giving light to this world is holy. Those who have any connection with the work of God are not to walk in the vanity of their own wisdom, but in the wisdom of God, or they will be in danger of placing sacred and common things on the same level, and thus separate themselves from God. And just in proportion to man's consecration to God in this life, will be his advancement in the future life. It is impossible for men to refuse to walk in the light God has given them and still have a living connection with him. They may lay plans which are looked upon as wise, but without God for their counselor, these plans will prove to be a snare. The enemy will work through such ones to carry out his own devices; for they reject the means by which God would teach and direct them.
The last dream which God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, and the experience of the king in connection with it, contain lessons of vital importance to all those who are connected with the work of God. The king was troubled with his dream; for it was evidently a prediction of adversity, and none of his wise men would attempt to interpret it. The faithful Daniel stood before the king, not to flatter, not to misinterpret in order to secure favor. A solemn duty rested upon him to tell the king of Babylon the truth. He said: "My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation: it is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him; this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king: that they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
But Nebuchadnezzar did not heed the heaven-sent message. One year after he had been thus warned, as he walked in his palace, he said within himself, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" The God of heaven read the heart of the king, and heard its whisperings of self-congratulation. "While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar.
Today there is a Watchman taking cognizance of the children of men, and in a special sense of those who are to represent God by receiving his sacred truth into the heart and revealing it to the world. That Watcher is guarding the interests of all. Every individual is before him. There is not a thought of the heart that is unnoted. Nothing can be hidden from him. His ear hears the secret whisperings, and every secret thing is to be brought into judgment. All need to learn that the heavenly Watcher is acquainted with the children of men. If men forget this, there is danger of a spirit of selfishness and self exaltation entering their work. These principles practised are not only detrimental to all within the sphere of their action, but will lead to a development of character so objectionable that its possessor cannot find a place among the redeemed. He that sitteth in the heavens requires that a different spirit shall control his workers.
Whatever the position we are called to fill, our only safety is in walking humbly with God. The man who glories in his supposed capabilities, in his position of power, in his wisdom, in his property, or in anything else than Christ, will be taken in the net of the enemy. He who fails to walk humbly before God will find a spirit rising up within him, prompting the desire to rule others connected with him, and causing him to oppress others who are human and erring like himself. He appropriates to himself jurisdiction and control over other men,--an honor which belongs alone to God.
Under the rebuke of God the proud heart of Nebuchadnezzar was humbled. He acknowledged Jehovah as the living God. "At the end of the days," the record reads. "I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:....he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?. . . I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those who walk in pride he is able to abase." Thus the king of Babylon became a witness for God. He presented himself as a living epistle, giving his testimony, warm and eloquent, from a grateful heart that was partaking of the mercy and grace and righteousness and peace of the divine nature.
O that all who have had great light shining round them in rich abundance might become humble and faithful agents for God, and, like the king of Babylon, raise their voices in recognition of God! Then they might be made, in truth, guardians of sacred trusts. "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 15, 1896
September 15, 1896(Vol. 73, #37)
"The Keeping Power of God's Love" "Now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. . . . Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore I will give men for thee, and people for thy life. . . . I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him."
The Lord loves every one of those for whom he gave his Son, and he does not wish us to spend our days mourning over our sins. Everything that God could do he has done to manifest his great love and mercy to us. He "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Then rest in the assurance of the love of God. Open the door of your heart, and let the sunbeams of Christ's righteousness drive away the shadow of sadness and grief.
Not because we first loved him, does God love us; but "while we were yet sinners," Christ died for us, making full and abundant provision for our redemption. Although by our disobedience we have merited God's displeasure and condemnation, he has not forsaken us; he has not left us to grapple with the power of the enemy in our own finite strength. Heavenly angels fight our battles for us; and cooperating with them, we may be victorious over the powers of evil. Trusting in Christ as our personal Saviour, we may be "more than conquerors through him that loved us."
"Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles: to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." This precious assurance of God to Christ embraces all who receive Jesus Christ; for John says, "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." As we draw nigh to him by faith, he draws nigh to us, adopting us into his family, and making us sons and daughters of the Most High.
By disobeying the commands of God, man fell under the condemnation of his law. This fall called for the grace of God to appear in behalf of sinners. We should never have learned the meaning of this word "grace" had we not fallen. God loves the sinless angels, who do his service, and are obedient to all his commands; but he does not give them grace. These heavenly beings know naught of grace; they have never needed it; for they have never sinned. Grace is an attribute of God shown to undeserving human beings. We did not seek after it, but it was sent in search of us. God rejoices to bestow this grace upon every one who hungers for it. To every one he presents terms of mercy, not because we are worthy, but because we are so utterly unworthy. Our need is the qualification which gives us the assurance that we shall receive this gift.
But God does not use his grace to make his law of none effect, or to take the place of his law. "The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honorable." His law is truth. "He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law." God gave man a perfect law. An imperfect law would have perpetuated sin--made God the author of sin. Jesus came to condemn sin in the flesh, to bear the curse of sin for us; and he took the law from beneath the feet of those who were trampling upon it, and made it honorable. He kept his Father's commandments; and only by being a partaker of the divine nature, can man keep them.
God's grace and the law of his kingdom are in perfect harmony; they walk hand in hand. His grace makes it possible for us to draw nigh to him by faith. By receiving it, and letting it work in our lives, we testify to the validity of the law; we exalt the law and make it honorable by carrying out its living principles through the power of the grace of Christ; and by rendering pure, wholehearted obedience to God's law, we witness before the universe of heaven, and before an apostate world that is making void the law of God, to the power of redemption.
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour." Let no one try to carry his own sins, for they have been atoned for by the great Sin Bearer. The only begotten Son of God voluntarily met the claims of God's violated law. He was stricken of God and afflicted in our behalf. One with the Father, he was fully able to bear the penalty of our disobedience. By connecting his divinity with our humanity, Christ has exalted the human family. His divinity grasps the throne of the Infinite in behalf of man. As our substitute, he took our sins upon himself, and now he intercedes before the Father in our behalf. "In all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of his people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted."
It is impossible for us to save ourselves. Only by the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ can we be saved. He died on Calvary's cross for us, and we may be complete in him; for his sacrifice is all-sufficient. Why will you keep your eyes fastened on self, when your Saviour stands beside you, saying, "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"? "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Lay your sins on me.
Satan will come to you, saying, "You are a sinner;" but do not allow him to fill your mind with the thought that because you are sinful, God has cast you off. Say to him, Yes; I am a sinner, and for that very reason I need a Saviour. I need forgiveness and pardon, and Christ says that if I will come to him, I shall not perish. In his letter to me I read, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." When Satan tells you that you are lost, answer, Yes; but Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench." The greater my sin, the greater my need of a Saviour.
The moment you grasp God's promises by faith, saying, I am the lost sheep Jesus came to save, a new life will take possession of you, and you will receive strength to resist the tempter. But faith to grasp the promises does not come by feeling. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." You must not look for some great change to take place; you must not expect to feel some wonderful emotion. The Spirit of God alone can make a lasting impression on the mind.
Christ longs to see his people resist the adversary of souls; but only by looking away from self to Jesus can we do this. Cease to bemoan your helpless condition; for your Saviour is touched with the feeling of your infirmities, and today he says to you, Be not discouraged, but cast your burdens upon me. I will take them all, and will bring to pass that which is good for your soul. Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, we shall be inspired with hope and shall see the salvation of God; for he is able to keep us from falling. When we are tempted to mourn, let us force our lips to utter the praises of God; for he is worthy of praise. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." "Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength."
Never has a soul that trusts in Jesus been left to perish. "I, even I, am he," the Lord declares, "that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified." "I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain; I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. . . . Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else." Respond to the calls of God's love, and say, I will trust in the Lord, and be comforted; for he has loved me. I will praise the Lord, for his anger is turned away. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 22, 1896
September 22, 1896(Vol. 73, #38)
"Our Advocate and Our Adversary" "And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him." Zech. 3:1.
The third chapter of Zechariah contains truths that can be dwelt upon with benefit. There are lessons that are profitable for all. Here are represented the people of God, as it were a criminal on trial. Joshua, as high priest, is seeking for a blessing for the people, who are in great affliction. While he is thus pleading before God, Satan is standing at his right hand as his adversary. He is an accuser of the children of God, and is making the case of Israel appear as desperate as possible. He presents before the Lord their evil doings and defects. He shows their faults and failures, with the hope that they will appear of such a character in the eyes of Christ that he will render them no help in their great need. Joshua, as representative of God's people, stands under condemnation, clothed with filthy garments. Aware of the imperfections of Israel, he is weighed down with discouragement. Satan is pressing upon his soul a sense of guiltiness that makes him feel almost hopeless. Yet he stands there as a suppliant, with Satan arrayed against him.
But let us see what position Christ takes toward Joshua and the accuser: "And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord who hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?"
Satan would cover the people of God with blackness, and ruin them; but Jesus interposes. Although they had sinned, yet Jesus took the guilt of their sins upon his own soul. He snatched the race as a brand from the fire. With his long human arm he encircled humanity, while with his divine arm he grasped the throne of the infinite God. And thus man has strength given him that he may overcome Satan, and triumph in God. Help is brought within the reach of perishing souls; the adversary is rebuked.
"Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments." Then the angel with the authority of the Lord, made a solemn pledge to Joshua: "If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at."
Notwithstanding the defects of the people of God ever since the fall, Jesus will not turn away from the objects of his care. He has the power to change our raiment, to remove the filthy garments, to place upon the repenting, believing sinner his robe of righteousness, and write pardon against his name.
Satan commenced his work as an accuser in heaven. This has been his work ever since the fall, and it will be his work in a special sense as we approach nearer to the close of time. He is aroused when he sees a people on the earth, who, even in their weakness and sinfulness, have respect unto the law of Jehovah. He has no intention that they shall obey God. He delights in their unworthiness, and has devices prepared for every soul, that all may be ensnared and separated from God. He would accuse and condemn God, and all who strive to carry out his purposes in this world, in mercy and love, in compassion and forgiveness. Every manifestation of God's power for his people arouses the enmity of Satan against them. Every time God works in their behalf, Satan with his angels is aroused to work with relentless vigor to compass their ruin. He is jealous of every soul who makes Christ his strength. His object is to instigate evil, and when he has succeeded, throw all the blame upon the tempted one, presenting him before the Advocate, clothed in the black garments of sin, and endeavoring to secure to him the severest penalty. He would urge justice without mercy. Repentance he does not allow. The penalty, he argues, can never be remitted, and God be just.
The sinner cannot contradict or answer the charge of Satan against him, but our Advocate presents his wounded hands, and makes an effectual plea in behalf of the repenting one who has placed his case in the hands of Jesus. Our Saviour silences this bold accuser by the unanswerable argument of the cross. Jesus stands to plead his own blood in behalf of the sinner. He has unveiled the disguised tempter, and shown him in his true light, as a malignant enemy to Christ and man. The condemnation and murder of the Son of God were brought about by Satan's false accusations, and that against one who was pure, holy, and undefiled. This work has forever alienated from Satan the affections and sympathy of the heavenly world Not one thought of sympathy remained in their hearts for him who had been an exalted angel. This same work he is carrying on in the world today in the children of disobedience,--those whose minds are subject to his control. The cross of Calvary shows how far Satan will carry his work.
This counterfeit justice that Satan advocates, God abhors; it must not come into the experience of the sons and daughters of God. Satan's censuring must not be imitated by any one who is a partaker of the mercy and the love of God. Let not one of his professed children climb upon the judgment seat to accuse or condemn another. Guard your own soul; watch closely for the first jealous thought, the first suggestion to question or judge others. God has not set you to be a judge over your brethren; and while you do so, your own soul will be as destitute of the Spirit of God as were the hills of Gilboa of dew and rain. Those who are ready to accuse and find fault with others, commit sin against their own souls. Those who would bring others to justice, should be the embodiment of spotless purity themselves. Never disparage one soul for whom Christ has died; for when you accuse and condemn his followers, you accuse and condemn Christ. Be instruments in the Lord's hands of saving souls "with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." We must not be severe with the infirmities of others, but attend zealously to our own individual case.
Angels of God are watching the character you develop, they are weighing your words and actions; therefore take heed to your ways; examine closely your own heart, prove whether you are in the love of God. When Jesus is abiding in your heart by faith, when his love controls the heart, you will have love for your brethren and sisters. When you see, or think you discern a defect or error, you will not blaze it abroad; but tell him his fault between thee and him alone. By the blood of Christ he may be cleansed. It was this blood, the mighty argument of the cross of Calvary, that broke the power of Satan as an accuser.
Those who are connected with, and are laboring for, the church of God, stand in the same position as Joshua is represented as occupying. As God's servants see the defects of Israel, as they see the sins that are not put away, it calls forth from their sorrowful hearts the prayer, "Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach." But God is not pleased, he is not glorified by many who claim to believe the truth. He calls upon his church to arouse. Look not to the ministers to do your work; sleep not as did the foolish virgins, who had no oil in their lamps. Have your lamps supplied with the oil of the grace of Christ. Should every one in the church let his light shine forth to others as God designs he should, what a work would be done. A living church will be a working church. Bring your powers to Jesus; put them into exercise. Think, meditate, watch, and pray. A close connection with Jesus will increase your power of accomplishing good, your intellect will be strengthened. The time that will try men's souls is just before us. We shall then have no advocate to rebuke the devil, and plead in our behalf.
Every soul must resist the discouragement that Satan will surely suggest, that our sins are too many and too grievous to be pardoned. Sinner, Jesus loves you. He has thrust his own arm into the burning to rescue you. Then let faith take the place of doubt, hope and courage the place of fear and unbelief. Daily confess your sins, and hope for pardon. Let not the careless or indifferent attitude of any one dishearten you, or dull the life current flowing through your soul. If you see that those who ought to be wide awake, who ought to be ensamples to the flock, do not meet their high and holy responsibility, then feel to the depths of your soul that there is more need for you to meet the requirements of God and keep his charge. You must act like living men; work with fidelity.
The Lord proclaimed from Sinai, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." Do you keep the Sabbath according to the commandment? Do you command your children and your household after you, as did Abraham? Parents have not done their work with fidelity in their families. They have not felt a burden for souls, even for their own children. They have not restrained them, but have indulged them, neglected their eternal interests. The books of heaven testify against them. When you see your children out of the ark, without God, and without hope in the world, make haste; for the storm of God's wrath is coming upon the children of disobedience. God has committed to each sacred trusts. He has given talents to each to be improved, not buried; these talents he will demand of you ere long. Do not wait for some one to do your work. If our life is hid with Christ in God, Satan's miracle working power, already being manifested, will not deceive us.
But there is a more important feature in this lesson. Its full meaning will be experienced by those who shall be alive at the coming of the Lord. There are those who will keep God's charge to the very close of time. They will know the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. Satan's malignity will be intensified toward them, as he sees that his time is short. He knows that he is sure of those who are under his delusions, but those who will not be deceived by him, he will persecute until the final rebuke of God is put upon him. He will perform miracles to fasten the deception upon the already deceived, and to deceive others. I wish to impress upon you the necessity of a close and holy walk with God. To say that we believe on the Son of God is not enough. We must have Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith. "If" is the temptation that strikes against Jesus. In fullest confidence we must accept Jesus as our Saviour, and reveal him in our life and character. Thus may we stand amid the perils of the last days. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 29, 1896
September 29, 1896(Vol. 73, #39)
"The Uplifted Saviour" "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Christ, the spotless Son of God, honored humanity by taking upon himself fallen human nature. A suffering, tempted man, beset by Satan's devices, his divinity clothed with humanity, he so lived on this earth as to show, by his perfect obedience to his Father's will, what humanity could become by partaking of the divine nature.
In humility Christ began his mighty work for the uplifting of the fallen race. Passing by the cities and the renowned seats of learning, he made his home in the humble and obscure village of Nazareth. In this place, from which it was commonly supposed that no good could come, the world's Redeemer passed the greater part of his life, working at his trade as a carpenter. His home was among the poor; his family was not distinguished by learning, riches, or position. In the path which the poor, the neglected, the sorrowing, must tread, he walked while on earth, taking upon him all the woes which the afflicted must bear.
It was the proud boast of the Jews that the Messiah was to come as a king, conquering his enemies, and treading down the heathen in his wrath. But it was not the mission of Christ to exalt man by ministering to his pride. He, the humble Nazarene, might have poured contempt upon the world's pride, for he was commander in the heavenly courts; but he came in humility, showing that it is not riches, or position, or authority that the God of heaven respects, but that he honors a humble, contrite heart, made noble by the power of the grace of Christ.
Christ closed his life of toil and denial in our behalf by a crowning sacrifice for us. That the penalty of our transgressions might not fall upon our heads, that we might be saved from ruin and degradation, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. As the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, even so the Son of Man was lifted up on the cross, that by beholding him, we might be uplifted, elevated, and ennobled.
If there is anything in our world that should inspire enthusiasm, it is the cross of Calvary. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." Christ, made unto us "wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption," should be humbly and thankfully received by us. His sacrifice should inspire us with zeal to work in his service, calling upon others to behold in him "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
Christ's gracious presence is ever speaking to us in his word, pointing us to the One slain from the foundation of the world. To each one who will receive him he is the hope of glory. Looking to him, we reflect his image to all around us. He is the source of spiritual power, and if he abides in our hearts, the divine influence will flow forth in our words and actions to all within the sphere of our influence, begetting in them desires and aspirations for strength and purity, for holiness and peace, for a joy that brings no sorrow with it.
Christ is a living Saviour. Today he sits at the right hand of God as our advocate, making intercession for us; and he calls upon us to look unto him and be saved. But it has ever been the tempter's determined purpose to eclipse Jesus from the view, that men may be led to lean upon the arm of humanity for help and strength; and he has so well accomplished his purpose that men, turning their eyes from Jesus, in whom all hope of eternal life is centered, look to their fellow men for aid and guidance.
God saw the danger into which humanity would fall by making flesh its arm, and through his servants he has given directions and warnings. Christ is uplifted in the pages of the Bible, that all may see that in him alone there is "everlasting strength;" and unless the sinner makes it his lifework to behold the Saviour, and by faith accepts the merits which it is his privilege to claim, he can no more be saved than Peter could walk upon the water unless he kept his eyes fixed steadily upon Jesus. "He that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
As the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness by Moses, that all who had been bitten by the fiery serpents might look and live, so must the Son of Man be lifted up before the world by his servants. Christ and him crucified, is the message God would have his servants sound through the length and breadth of the world. The law and the gospel will then be presented as a perfect whole. Those who accept the salvation so freely offered, have more than a nominal faith, a theory of truth; they believe to a purpose, appropriating to themselves the richest gifts of God's love. With assurance they can say, "Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. . . . If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us . . . . And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." It is the perpetual life of all believers to love God supremely; and thus loving God, they will love others as themselves. Life and hope will spring up in the hearts of those who thus receive the message of Christ's love. The bright rays of the Sun of Righteousness will fill them with joy and gladness. Looking upon their great antitype, they can say, "It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
All power is given into the hands of Christ, in order that he may dispense rich blessings to men, and impart to them the priceless gifts of his own righteousness. But many, blinded by sin, have lost sight of Christ, and are groping in the dark shadows of discouragement. Go to them with a heart filled with love and tenderness, and tell them of the uplifted Saviour, who is the sacrifice for the whole world; invite them to receive the righteousness of Christ, to claim justification through faith in the divine surety; direct them to the all sufficient atonement made for their sins, to Christ's merits, and his changeless love for the human family.
As the high priest sprinkled the warm blood upon the mercy seat while the fragrant cloud of incense ascended before God, so, while we confess our sins and plead the efficacy of Christ's atoning blood, our prayers are to ascend to heaven, fragrant with the merits of our Saviour's character. Notwithstanding our unworthiness, we are to remember that there is One who can take away sin, and who is willing and anxious to save the sinner. With his own blood he paid the penalty for all wrongdoers. Every sin acknowledged before God with a contrite heart, he will remove. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, October 6, 1896
October 6, 1896(Vol. 73, #40)
"Whosoever Will, Let Him Come" "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." Here is brought to view the Christian's strength and efficiency, and I would that I had power to present the subject in its fulness. Christ is the root, and he sustains every branch by his divine power; but those who make finite man their dependence will certainly fall.
Christ is the root; his disciples are the branches. Great dishonor is done to Christ by those who profess to be his disciples, and are not. If men are not evidencing that they are branches in the divine root, if they are not partakers of the divine nature, they will not, they cannot, love those for whom Christ has given his life. His word declares: "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." But notwithstanding these positive utterances, there is but little expression given to that love which evidences that its possessors are sons and daughters of God.
Christ is the "bright and morning star." He is the Christian's light. "They that follow me," he says, "shall not walk in darkness." They are to receive their light from the morning star; and as they catch his bright beams, they are actively, interestedly, to transmit to others the light received.
"As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. . . . And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." Every sincerely converted soul has his work to do; he is to receive grace from Christ, and to give as freely as he has received. He is to let the light from the bright and morning star shine forth in self-denial, in self-sacrifice, as Christ has given the example in his own life and character.
Jesus would impress upon his church that they are his brethren. He would have them unite with him in one brotherhood, as laborers together with God. They are to constitute the light of the world. They are to be co-partners with Christ in the great work of saving souls. Their efforts will be determinedly opposed; but they are to remember that Jesus failed not nor was discouraged. His manner of labor must be the plan adopted by his followers. The Lord expects every man to do his duty, each uniting with each, and all with Christ, the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star.
When they are in unity with him, a living testimony goes forth, in words and actions, that the church have the spirit and mind of Christ. They love as brethren; they are the light of the world, the salt of the earth.
Jesus freely offers salvation. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Jesus says, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." This offer embraces all who accept Christ individually. The invitation "Come" is to be echoed by every soul who is a partaker of the divine nature. Christ was standing only a few steps from the heavenly throne when he gave his commission to his disciples. Including as missionaries all who should believe on his name, he said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." God's power was to go with them. If those who claimed to have a living experience in the things of God had done their appointed work as the Lord ordained, the whole world would have been warned ere this, and the Lord Jesus would have come in power and great glory. For God has appointed a day in the which he will judge the world. He tells us when that day shall come,--"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Jesus wants every minister to whom he has committed a trust, to be faithful, to remember his injunctions, to contemplate the vastness of the work, and upon how large a number the obligation rests. "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
God has organized his instrumentalities for drawing all men unto him. As the worker seeks to give to others the light God has given him, the Lord imparts increased light; and doing his best, with an eye single to the glory of God, he realizes the value of souls. As he visits from house to house, opening the Scriptures to those whose understanding is darkened, angels of God will be close beside him to impress the heart of the one who is athirst for the water of life.
When the latter rain is poured out, the church will be clothed with power for its work; but the church as a whole will never receive this until its members shall put away from among them, envy, evil surmisings, and evil speaking. Those who cherish these sins know not the blessed experience of love; they are not awake to the fact that the Lord is testing and proving their love for him by the attitude they assume toward one another. Christ says to us, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." When this commandment is obeyed, envy, evil speaking, evil surmising, and evil thinking will not be indulged; they will have no part in the formation of character.
This love means growth spiritually. Christ has given an example which his people are to follow. He binds them to one another and to himself by his own divine attributes. Their oneness with Jesus Christ makes them love one another, for this is the sure fruit. He makes their affection for one another the badge of their discipleship.
As the Saviour lifted his eyes to heaven, just before he descended to the greatest depths of his humiliation, offering up his life on the cross, he prayed that his disciples might all be one, "even as we are one: . . . that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."
God's people have battles to fight, close and severe, but not against their brethren. All dissension, all desire to hurt or weaken or destroy the influence or work of one of God's weakest workers, will be registered in the books of heaven as done unto Jesus. The warfare we must undertake is against the confederacy of evil; but woe unto those who shall turn their implements of warfare against their own brethren!
"But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" The love of Jesus in the heart will always be revealed in kindheartedness and tender compassion for those for whom he paid so dear a price. The beloved disciple continues: "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. . . . And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." We cannot be loveless Christians; the thing is simply impossible.
The education of the church has not been altogether what it should be. Satan has been working to blind the understanding, that the church shall not realize her weighty responsibilities. The ordained minister is depended upon to pray, and to open the Scriptures to the people who assemble for worship; but God would have every one do a work for the Master. Thousands might be at work who are not ordained to preach the gospel. It is humble men whom God will use,--those who will open their hearts to the voice and knock of Jesus, that he may come in and abide with them. And because they have neglected their God-given work, many have lost their first love. A hard, selfish spirit has taken possession of a large number of those who, if they had loved the souls for whom Christ has died, would work for them in a variety of ways as God's instrumentalities.
God reminds his army that they are to fight in unison with the angels of heaven, and that more than angels are engaged in the warfare. The Holy Spirit, Christ's representative, is in their ranks, arming the weakest with his might to press forward unto victory. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, October 13, 1896
October 13, 1896(Vol. 73, #41)
"The Spirit of Sacrifice" The plan of salvation was laid in a sacrifice so broad and deep and high that it is immeasurable. Christ did not send his angels to this fallen world, while he remained in heaven; but he himself went without the camp, bearing the reproach. He became a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; himself took our infirmities, and bore our weaknesses. And the absence of self-denial in his professed followers, God regards as a denial of the Christian name. Those who profess to be one with Christ, and indulge their selfish desires for rich and expensive clothing, furniture, and food, are Christians only in name. To be a Christian is to be Christlike.
And yet how true are the words of the apostle: "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Many Christians do not have works corresponding to the name they bear. They act as if they had never heard of the plan of redemption wrought out at an infinite cost. The majority aim to make a name for themselves in the world; they adopt its forms and ceremonies, and live for the indulgence of self. They follow out their own purposes as eagerly as do the world, and thus they cut off their power to help in establishing the kingdom of God.
These ease-loving, worldly men are Satan's most diligent and devoted servants. They will sacrifice to the idol self; and when its demands are satisfied, there is not much left for the cause of Christ. And yet how they magnify the little crosses, the privations and buffetings they meet in their daily life. How much they talk about them, and how grieved they become over them. They feel that heaven is certainly earned by the trials they have endured and the sacrifices they have made. But the apostle says, "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." All this, and a thousandfold more, Christ bore for us. Let us consider him who endured the contradiction of sinners against himself. Jesus died our sacrifice. How do our works compare with his?
In his teaching, Christ illustrated this condition of selfishness by a parable. He said: "There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table." Self is here represented by the rich man living in a mansion, clothed in purple and fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day, while the suffering cause of God is allowed to lie at the gate, fed from the crumbs which fall from the rich man's table.
The work of God, which should be going forward with tenfold its present strength and efficiency, is kept back, like a spring season held by the chilling blast of winter, because some of God's professed people are appropriating to themselves the means that should be dedicated to his service. Because Christ's self-sacrificing love is not interwoven in the life practises, the church is weak where it should be strong. By its own course it has put out its light, and robbed millions of the gospel of Christ.
Why is it that there are not more missionaries in the field today? Why are the calls that come in from every land for men to spread a knowledge of the truth, passed by unheeded?--It is because there are none to send. The laymen, though they have the precious light of truth, excuse themselves on the plea that they cannot preach. But this excuse will not avail. Laymen can minister. It is their privilege to lay hold of divine power with one hand, and with the other to reach forth to save humanity.
To defraud God is the greatest crime of which man can be guilty; and yet this sin is deep and widespread. Through the prophet Malachi, God says: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" These are the words of God, who speaks, and it is. Shall we not hear his voice? Shall we not change the order of things, and cooperate with Christ?
The Lord will not accept the gift that is presented grudgingly. He loves a cheerful giver. He is not dependent upon man for means to carry on his work. He says: "Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. . . .If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." Have you brought to God your gifts and offerings out of the abundance he has bestowed upon you? Have you given him that which he claims as his own? If not, it is not yet too late for you to make the wrong right. The Spirit of Jesus can melt the icy selfishness that pervades the soul.
O that men and women would arouse, and venture something for the truth's sake! Temporal matters must not be allowed to interpose between God and the soul. Heed the admonition of Christ: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Worldly treasure is a lodestone to hold the thoughts, to limit the plans, and to control the judgment according to the world's standard.
Everywhere men are tying up their money, and hiding it in the earth. They are seeking worldly treasure. They do not make the kingdom of God and his righteousness their first consideration. That must wait their time and pleasure, although thousands of souls are dying around them without the light, unready for eternity. God says to them, "Thou wicked and slothful servant,. . . thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury." These shortsighted men have no ability to measure the gift of eternal life, to realize the value of the eternal weight of glory. They have allowed the world to eclipse the divine attractions. They build upon the treacherous sand, and when the blasts of the tempest break upon them, their foundation will be swept away.
In a parable the Lord sets before us the results of this covetousness: "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
This is the object--to lay up treasure on earth--which the worldling sets before himself. The Lord blessed this man with rain from heaven; with sunshine, warming the earth, and causing vegetation to flourish. The Lord entrusted his means to him; but he managed it all for himself; he defrauded God of both interest and principal. Everything was used to minister to his own enjoyment. Christ denounces the covetousness which caused this man to rob God of his due. "Thou fool," he says, "this night thy soul shall be required of thee."
The love of Christ is broad and deep and full, and should awaken in the heart a response that will overbalance every worldly consideration. The cross of Calvary is a convincing proof of his interest in humanity. His plea in their behalf, before he ascended to the Father, was, "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."
How can those for whom Christ has sacrificed so much, continue to enjoy his gifts selfishly? His love and self-denial are without a parallel; and when this love enters into the experience of his followers, they will identify their interests with those of their Redeemer. Their work will be to build up the kingdom of Christ. They will consecrate themselves and their possessions to him, and use both as his cause may require.
This is nothing more than Jesus expects of his followers. No individual who has before him so great an object as the salvation of souls will be at a loss to devise ways and means for denying self. This will be an individual work. All that it is in our power to bestow will flow into the Lord's treasury, to be used for the proclamation of truth, that the message of Christ's soon coming and the claims of his law may be sounded to all parts of the world. Missionaries must be sent out to do this work.
The love of Jesus in the soul will be revealed in word and deed. The kingdom of Christ will be paramount. Self will be laid a willing sacrifice on the altar of God. Every one who is truly united with Christ will feel the same love for souls that caused the Son of God to leave his royal throne, his high command, and for our sake become poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, October 20, 1896
October 20, 1896(Vol. 73, #42)
"Laboring in the Spirit of Christ" "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand."
Here are presented souls that might have been saved if the watchman had spoken to them the words of life. But this he neglected to do. He chose his own course, was indolent and self-indulgent; and although brought into close contact with souls, he made no personal effort to save them. The work of the watchman is to speak as from the lips of God. By so doing he might save a soul from death; but, neglecting his God-given work, the soul is left to perish in his iniquity. But God declares, "His blood will I require at thine hand." It is not enough for the minister to preach; he is to be a watchman. The duty of a watchman is arduous; he is to show untiring vigilance. He is to be a discerning man, able to see the dangers and understand the peril of souls.
Many love to preach, but shun the labor that is required to lift souls out of sin. Men are dying all around us, and we have not made any special efforts to address them earnestly, interestedly, affectionately, as Christ would have done had he been on the earth. We are Christ's ambassadors, watchmen unto the house of Israel, to see the dangers that await souls, and give them warning. The pastor is a shepherd of the sheep, guarding them, feeding them, warning them, reproving them, or encouraging them, as the case may require. There is visiting to be done, not to have a pleasant chat, but to do the work required of a watchman. There should be earnest conversation and prayer with these souls. This is the kind of work that gains valuable experience in the upbuilding of Christ's kingdom.
But if this work is neglected, the wolves will find access to the flock. They will work for their master, as the watchman has failed to work for his. The sheep will be wounded and bruised, owing to the cold indifference and irresponsible course pursued toward them by the shepherd.
God has enjoined upon the watchmen to watch for souls as they that must give an account. Said the apostle Paul: "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."
Joseph felt the need of strength from God in his youth. He sought the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Although a lonely exile, his life was marked with fidelity. He sought to do others good, and the beauty of holiness, of faith and trust in God, manifested in his life, was a living illustration of a child of God, an heir of heaven.
Jesus, our precious Saviour, was the majesty of heaven. But what a life was his, marked with self-denial, with love, with tenderest compassion for the fallen race! He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. With his own special sorrows?--No; but with the griefs and sorrows of men. Jesus was a living illustration of what man must become. That which he experienced and exemplified in his life he expects us to practise in our lives. He made himself of no reputation; he was holy, harmless, undefiled; his life was glorified by the light that shines from the throne of God.
The kingdom of God must be our first consideration. There must be obedience to God's requirements. With sorrow for sin, and patient love, we must have that faith which works by love and purifies the soul; we must work as Christ worked. We shall have greater earnestness and zeal when we take in the plan of redemption, and what a great sacrifice has been made to save the fallen race. We must participate in that sacrifice. Ministers must arouse from their lethargy, and labor for the salvation of the souls for whom Christ has paid so infinite a price.
This work is done leisurely and indifferently. There must be more earnest and determined effort. John Welch, a faithful minister of Christ, felt so great a burden for souls that he often arose in the night, and sent up to God his earnest supplication for their salvation. His wife pleaded with him on one occasion to regard his health, and not venture on such exposure. Mark his answer: "O woman, I have the souls of three thousand to answer for, and I know not how it is with them." John Knox, when in an agony of prayer for his beloved land, cried out in the burden of his soul, "O God, give me Scotland, or I die!"
In a town in New England a well was being dug; and when the work was nearly finished, while one man was still at the bottom, the earth caved in and buried him beneath an avalanche of sand and gravel. Instantly the alarm went forth, and mechanics, farmers, merchants, lawyers, and ministers hurried breathlessly to the rescue. Ropes, ladders, spades, shovels--all that could be needed and used were soon brought by eager and willing hands. "Save him! O, save him!" was the cry. They worked with desperate energy, till the sweat glistened like beads upon their brows, and their arms trembled with exertion. At length a tin tube was thrust down, through which they shouted to the man to answer if he was still alive. The response came, "Alive, but make haste! It is fearful here." With a shout of joy they renewed their efforts, and at last he was reached and saved, and the joyful cheer went up that seemed to reach to the very heavens, "He is saved!" and the cry was taken up and echoed through every street and alley in the town.
Was this too great zeal and interest, too great enthusiasm, to save the life of one man? It surely was not; but what is the loss of one life in comparison with the loss of a soul? If the threatened loss of one life will create such intense excitement in human hearts, should not the loss of a soul create greater and deeper solicitude in the hearts of men who claim to realize their danger? Shall we not show as great zeal and perseverance in laboring for the eternal salvation of souls as were manifested for the life hanging in the balance, of that man buried beneath the sand and rubbish?
The Son of God, who was equal with the Father, gave his life to save the souls of men; and he has enjoined upon his followers that they love one another as he has loved them. Souls are perishing around us for the want of light. They are to be labored for, prayed for, attracted to God by the good works of those who profess the truth. Thus shall we follow the injunction, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." "Ye are the light of the world." Then let the light shine in true goodness, in the beauty of holiness, leaving a bright track heavenward. Reflect light, and it will be reflected back to God in thankful praise from men whose hearts are quickened, whose imagination is kindled, to grasp the glories that eye hath not seen and hear the melodies which ear hath not heard. Grasping the things that are unseen, let heaven's glory shine forth upon others.
A Presbyterian lady once made the remark: "O that we could have the pure gospel as it used to be preached from the pulpit! Our minister is a good man; but he does not take in the wants of the people. He clothes the cross of Calvary with beautiful flowers, which hide all its shame, conceal all its reproach. My soul is starving for the bread of life which came down from heaven. How refreshing it would be to hundreds of poor souls like me to listen to something simple, plain, and Scriptural, that would nourish our souls. The ministers do not have what we want. We want light, and peace, and holiness."
The cross of Calvary alone can reveal the worth of the soul. No man can correctly estimate its value unless he is able to comprehend the height and depth of the glory from which Christ descended that man might be saved and join in the glad song of triumph and everlasting praise to God and the Lamb. The price of man's ransom could be paid only by One equal with God, the spotless Son of the infinite Father. Unless this sacrifice had been made, souls would have perished.
The greatest blessing that God can give to man is the spirit of earnest prayer. All heaven is open before the man of prayer. The prayers offered in humble faith will be heard. "The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." The ambassadors of Christ will have power with the people after they have, with earnest supplication, come before God.
Jesus has a deep, earnest interest in every sinner. He withheld not himself. We see him constantly engaged in earnest labor. He did not excuse himself from bearing burdens. He toiled; he was often weary and hungry. The souls he came to save were of such value that he could not leave them in peril unwarned; and this is the way that his representatives must labor, coming close to their fellow men. Christ's true ambassadors will labor with the spirit of earnestness and zeal of which he has given an example in his life. They will labor not alone for time, but for eternity. They will look to Calvary, and present Christ and him crucified as the sinner's only hope.
Those who have the love of God in their hearts, will, in exact proportion to their love, feel a solicitude for souls. The love of Christ will be revealed in earnest efforts to bring sinners from darkness to the light of truth. Ministers who feel the burden of the work upon them will not hesitate at any sacrifice, at weariness or toil, that they may present those for whom they labor perfect in Christ Jesus. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, October 27, 1896
October 27, 1896(Vol. 73, #43)
"The Folly of Self-Pleasing" In these last days of the world's history, when self-indulgence and pleasure seem to be the objects for which men live, the followers of Christ must strive to become like him in character, that they may not be ashamed to meet their record in the books of heaven, when every man will be rewarded according to his deeds. "To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God."
There are a large number of professed Christians who would feel surprised and deeply injured if they were shown the light in which God regards them. They are spiritually dead, while professing to live. They are false lights--signs that point in the wrong direction. To these I would lift my voice in warning. Study your Bibles, analyze your motives and principles, before it is too late. When you repent and become converted, you will see and appreciate the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. The halfhearted, pleasure-loving professor of religion is the very best agent Satan has to allure souls away from the straight gate and from the narrow path. Such have proved the ruin of souls they might have saved had they walked in the footprints of the Light of life.
And yet these persons think that because they have a form of godliness, they are accepted of God. But God does not receive such as his sons and daughters. In that great day when he shall render to every man according as his works have been, they will realize the truth of the words, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
We are often solicited to give advice as to whether it is wrong for Christians to attend parties for amusement. I would remind all such inquirers of their privilege of seeking the Lord in prayer. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed."
He who truly desires to know the will of the Lord will not run any risk by venturing on unknown ground. He will bring to his Heavenly Father a humble, contrite heart, not a determination to have his own way. Nor will he come in doubt whether to receive the heavenly wisdom, and walk in wisdom's ways, or follow his own inclinations and desires; for of such God says, "Let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." God will not be mocked by his creatures. We are not to venture on an uncertain course for an hour's self-pleasing.
To those who desire to know how far they can go in indulgence and amusements, I would say, Just so far as you can keep the companionship of Christ. Look to Calvary, and as you behold Christ offering up his precious life for you, that you may have an opportunity to form a character for eternal life, ask yourself the question, How shall I occupy the time given me of God at an infinite cost? He "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Christ was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. Can you follow in his footsteps, and at the same time find your enjoyment in parties of pleasure? Those who have accepted Christ will need to watch and pray constantly, that they may not be deceived by any of Satan's devices. The person who is not cherishing in his heart the love of Jesus, will follow in the lead of those who are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.
The gaiety, the foolish nonsense, the lack of sobriety, that are current in pleasure parties and picnic gatherings, lead to grave evils. The youth are pleased with exciting pleasures, as was Herod when the daughter of Herodias danced before him. Satan with his angels was present at that feast of long ago. It was he who instigated the king to make the promise which led to the death of one of the greatest prophets the world has ever seen. But there is also another witness at these gatherings. Angels of heaven are present, taking note of every word and action. How little those present realize, when they join in the mirth and jest, that for "every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment."
The prophet saw this event. He says, "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." These words mean more than many suppose. To believe on his name means to receive Christ as our personal Saviour. All who receive him may come to the Father in his name. And as a son, the Father will receive the repenting sinner to his favor and his heart, to partake of the riches of his grace. He may ask what he will, and it will be done unto him. Those who have decided to do nothing in any line that will displease God, will know, after they present their case before him, just what course to pursue. With an eye single to the glory of God, they will do his will, even if it does not accord with their inclinations.
While living in close connection with God, we shall hear his voice in loving entreaties and warnings: "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time." "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."
Then whom shall we choose to serve? Shall we make Christ our personal Saviour; study his life and practise; go only where we are sure he leads the way, and where we can keep him by our side as an honored Friend and Counselor? Our heart's desire, breathed out in prayer to God, should be, Abide with me. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 3, 1896
November 3, 1896(Vol. 73, #44)
"The Missionary Spirit" When Moses pleaded with the Lord, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory," the Lord made him the promise, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." "And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation."
It is his righteous character that constitutes the glory of God; and it is this same glory that Christ prays may be given to his followers upon the earth. Hear the petition that he makes to his Father for them: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. . . . And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. . . . And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."
This request of Christ has no limit to its fulness. He desires that his followers shall reveal to the world his spirit of unity and love. But before this unity can exist among them, there must be a genuine renovation of every heart; there must be a vital connection with God; the character must be formed after the divine similitude.
Though each is charged with responsibility, and each has a part to act, "none of us liveth to himself." God has designed by the unity of his people to impress upon a sinful world, and also to reveal to the heavenly intelligences, the fact that Christ has not died in vain. "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." The pure and holy principle of love distinguishes the character and conduct of Christians from those of worldlings. Standing out from the world, we are to become representatives of the goodness, mercy, and love of God. Thus we may be spectacles unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
In the great plan of salvation it is the Lord's will that the members of his family on earth shall become workers together with him in fulfilling his purposes of love. He was called his followers to imitate his life of self-denial and self-sacrifice. Heaven's wonderful Gift, with his holy influence unites the family in heaven with the family on earth in this work, that they may cooperate in winning souls for Christ. God bids us with one hand, the hand of faith, take hold of his mighty arm, and with the other hand, that of love, reach perishing souls. Christ is the way, the truth, and the life; he desires us to walk even as he walked.
God calls for those who are at ease in Zion to be up and doing. Will they not listen to the Master's voice? He wants prayerful, faithful workers, who will sow beside all waters. Those who labor thus will be surprised to find how trials, resolutely borne in the name and strength of Jesus, will give firmness to the faith, and renew the courage. In the path of humble obedience are safety and power, comfort and hope; but the reward will finally be lost by those who are doing nothing for Jesus. Weak hands will be unable to cling to the Mighty One; feeble knees will fail to support in the day of adversity. It is the Christian worker who will receive the glorious prize and hear the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
We are children of God, dependent upon one another for happiness. We cannot be happy while we are wrapped up in our interest for ourselves. We should live in this world to win souls for the Saviour. If we injure others, we injure ourselves also. If we bless others, we also bless ourselves; for the influence of every good deed is reflected upon our own hearts. The tenderness and love that Jesus has revealed in his own life should be an example to us of the manner in which we should treat our fellow beings.
God holds us as his debtors, and also as debtors to our fellow men who have not the light of truth. He has given us light, not to hide under a bushel, but to set on a candlestick, that all around us may be benefited. The grace of God ruling in the heart, and bringing the mind and thoughts into subjection to Jesus, will make us strong to work for him.
Jesus pleaded, not for one only, but for all his disciples, "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am." That earnest prayer included not only his disciples then living, but all his followers to the close of time. "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word." Yes, that prayer embraces even us. We should be comforted by the thought that we have a great Intercessor in the heavens presenting our petitions before God. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." In the hour of greatest need, when discouragement would overwhelm the soul, it is then that the watchful eye of Jesus sees that we need his help. When all human support fails, if we call upon him, Jesus comes to our aid, and his presence scatters the darkness and lifts the cloud of gloom.
Missionaries of God are wanted to carry the light of truth to those who sit in the shadow of death. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life;" and this is the love his children are to manifest toward those that are without. Thousands who now reject the message of salvation would accept Christ if they could see the beauty of his character reflected in his followers.
Then can we be surprised that the enemy should put forth every effort in his power to create dissension, alienation, and strife in the church of God, that they may not reveal to the world the glory, the character, of Christ?
It is time that the people of God brought fervent love for one another into their daily experience. When the love of Jesus is abiding in the heart, it will be revealed in every action. Differences of opinion will disappear; for self will no longer seek the supremacy. Thus the church may become a bright and shining light, and Heaven, looking on, may see that there is a body with one spirit, one hope, drawing toward one great center--Christ. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 10, 1896
November 10, 1896(Vol. 73, #45)
"A Test of Gratitude and Loyalty" "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." This scripture teaches that God, as the giver of all our benefits, has a claim upon them all; that his claim should be our first consideration; and that a special blessing will attend all who honor this claim.
Herein is set forth a principle that is seen in all the dealings of God with men. The Lord placed our first parents in the garden of Eden. He surrounded them with everything that could minister to their happiness, and he bade them acknowledge him as the possessor of all things. In the garden he caused to grow every tree that was pleasant to the eye or good for food; but among them he made one reserve. Of all else, Adam and Eve might freely eat, but of this one tree God said, "Thou shalt not eat of it." Here was the test of their gratitude and their loyalty to God.
So the Lord has imparted to us heaven's richest treasure in giving us Jesus. With him he has given us all things richly to enjoy. The productions of the earth, the bountiful harvests, the treasures of gold and silver, are his gifts. Houses and lands, food and clothing, he has placed in the possession of men. He asks us to acknowledge him as the giver of all things, and for this reason he says, Of all your possessions I reserve a tenth for myself, besides gifts and offerings, which are to be brought into my storehouse. This is the provision God has made for carrying forward the work of the gospel.
It was by the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who gave his life for the life of the world, that this plan for systematic giving was devised. He who left the royal courts, who laid aside his honor as commander of the heavenly hosts, who clothed his divinity with humanity, in order to uplift the fallen race, who for our sake became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich, has spoken to men, and in his wisdom has told them his own plan for sustaining those who bear his message to the world.
The Lord has devised this plan because it is best for us. Satan is constantly working to foster in men worldliness, covetousness, and avarice, that he may ruin their souls and hinder the work of God. The Lord is seeking to cultivate in us gratitude and liberality. He desires to free us from selfishness, which is so offensive to him, because so contrary to his character. In carrying out God's plan, men may by his grace so relate themselves to him and to their fellow men that they will be registered in the books of heaven as colaborers with Christ in the plan of redemption.
Not only does the Lord claim the tithe as his own, but he tells us how it should be reserved for him. He says, "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of thine increase." This does not teach that we are to spend our means on ourselves, and bring to the Lord the remnant, even though it should be otherwise an honest tithe. Let God's portion be first set apart. The directions given by the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul, in regard to gifts, present a principle that applies also to tithing. "On the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him." Parents and children are here included. Not only the rich, but the poor are addressed. "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart [through the candid consideration of God's prescribed plan], so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." The gifts are to be made in consideration of the great goodness of God to us.
And what more appropriate time could be chosen for setting aside the tithe and presenting our offerings to God? On the Sabbath we have thought upon his goodness. We have beheld his work in creation as an evidence of his power in redemption. Our hearts are filled with thankfulness for his great love. And now, before the toil of the week begins, we return to him his own, and with it an offering to testify our gratitude. Thus our practise will be a weekly sermon, declaring that God is the possessor of all our property, and that he has made us stewards to use it to his glory. Every acknowledgment of our obligation to God will strengthen the sense of obligation. Gratitude deepens as we give it expression; and the joy it brings is life to soul and body.
The duty and privilege of systematic giving to the cause of God are matters that should by no means be neglected by our ministers. God has called them to watch for souls as they that must give an account. He has commissioned them to bear his message to the churches. They should see that none are left in ignorance concerning this subject. They should seek to impress the people with a sense of their entire dependence upon God, and their accountability to him for all his benefits.
God has given special direction as to the use to which the tithe should be devoted. He does not design that his work shall be crippled for want of means. That there may be no haphazard work and no error, he has made our duty on all these points very plain. The portion that God has reserved for himself is not to be diverted to any other purpose than that which he has specified. Let none feel at liberty to retain their tithe to use according to their own judgment. They are not to use it for themselves in any emergency, nor to apply it as they see fit, even in what they may regard as the Lord's work. God has shown honor to men in taking them into partnership with himself in the great work of redemption. He expects his agents to labor, not against him, but in unison with him, that his treasury may be supplied.
The minister should, by precept and example, teach the people to regard the tithe as sacred. He should not feel that he can retain and apply it according to his own judgment, because he is a minister. It is not his. He is not at liberty to devote to himself whatever he thinks is his due. Let him not give his influence to any plans for diverting from their legitimate use the tithes and offerings dedicated to God. Let them be placed in his treasury, and held sacred for God's service as he has appointed. The tithe is God's portion, not at all the property of man, and the Scripture declares that he who withholds it is guilty of robbery. Who, then, will stand with clean hands before the Lord?
As a people and as individuals we need to have a deeper sense of our duty to God and our responsibility to the world. There should be more earnest study of the Scriptures. I have been deeply impressed with the importance of studying the book of Daniel in connection with the smaller prophets, especially Malachi. And we need to give careful attention also to the lessons taught in the building of the tabernacle and the temple, and in the temple service. Through the prophets God has given a delineation of what will come to pass in the last days of this earth's history, and the Jewish economy is full of instruction for us.
The rivers of blood that flowed at the harvest thanksgiving, when the sacrifices were offered in such large numbers, were meant to teach a great truth. For even the productions of the earth, the bounties provided for man's sustenance, we are indebted to the offering of Christ upon the cross of Calvary. God teaches us that all we receive from him is the gift of redeeming love. From his instruction to Israel, he would have us learn that he has made ample provision for the poor to receive the comforts of this life, and also for the gospel to be carried to all those who are perishing in their sins. The whole sanctuary service was designed to impress the people with the fact that the things which God has set apart for himself are holy. They were ever to observe the distinction between the sacred and the common. Holy things must be kept holy.
When these things are studied and heeded as the message of God to every soul, we shall see the deep movings of his Spirit among us. Conscience will be aroused. The record of past days will make its disclosure of the vanity of human inventions, by which men have excused themselves for neglecting the claims of God. The Holy Spirit will reveal faults and defects of character that ought to have been discerned and corrected. It will show how, through the grace of Christ, the character might have been transformed. The Lord's servants will see how they should have had the joy of victory where they have known the sorrow of defeat.
The Lord will not only reveal himself as a God of longsuffering mercy, but by terrible things in righteousness he will make it manifest that he is not a man that he should lie. He will have no fellowship with false dealing. He will sanction no pretense. The time is near when the inner life will be fully revealed. All will behold, as if reflected in a mirror, the working of the hidden springs of motive. The Lord would have you now examine your own life, and see how stands your record with him.
The period of our probation is fast closing. The year 1896 will soon be as a tale that is told. Soon our opportunity to give the last message of mercy to the lost will be forever past. The help of every one that loves Jesus is needed now in the Lord's work. Let there be no idlers in the Master's vineyard. Let there be no robbery of God in tithes and offerings needed to sustain his cause.
"The liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand." "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." The promise to those who honor God with their substance still stands upon record upon the sacred page. If the Lord's people had faithfully obeyed his directions, the promise would have been fulfilled to them. But when men disregard the claims of God plainly set before them, the Lord permits them to follow their own way, and reap the fruit of their doings. Whoever appropriates to his own use the portion that God has reserved, is proving himself an unfaithful steward. He will lose not only that which he has withheld from God, but also that which was committed to him as his own.
The Lord is still testing us to see whether we will prove faithful servants. He is calling upon his people to consider his goodness, to respond to his mercy, and to give proof of their loyalty by bringing all the tithes into his storehouse. "Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 17, 1896
November 17, 1896(Vol. 73, #46)
"Love to God and Man" "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity [love], I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbals. . . . And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity [love], it profiteth me nothing."
In God's sight the life that is destitute of the grace of love is a failure. No good can be accomplished unless the Spirit of the God of love pervades every action. Zeal in religious lines cannot supply its place; nor can the talent of speech, used in this direction, profit anything unless love for God and the purchase of his blood prompts the words spoken. This spirit of love is to be brought into our daily lives, and exercised toward our fellow men. It was the love revealed in our Saviour's life that made his intercourse with humanity a savor of life unto life. He came to our world to manifest the character of God. His professed followers may make great achievements, may do works wonderful in the eyes of their fellow men; but in the eyes of God it profits nothing if love has not prompted the actions; if they have been tainted by selfishness, and mingled with unsanctified and unholy ambitions. While professing to be the children of God, their hearts are destitute of his love. Such are a misrepresentation of the character of God.
And what are some of the characteristics of this love? Let the word of God answer the question: "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth."
The soul who does not love God supremely and his neighbor as himself, allows self to stand in the way. He is virtually saying, Stand on one side; I am holier than thou. Your works can bear no comparison with mine. This the apostle calls being "puffed up." But love "doth not behave itself unseemly," is not self-centered. It can discern the value of others' virtues, and as a sure result, "is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth."
When fault is found in a brother, or misfortune befalls him, the one in whom true love dwells will not seek to make it public, saying: I told you how it would be; I told you he was not to be depended upon. I worked to disconnect him from that position of influence; for I knew he was not to be trusted. By thus dwelling upon his weakness, you cultivate a spirit of suspicion; you give to your brother no spiritual help, no tenderness, no love. That cold, self-tainted atmosphere is as a spiritual malaria; and the erring brother feels in his heart the sentiments that are cherished toward him. He in turn becomes discouraged, loses faith in his brethren, and grows careless and indifferent.
But this is not the way we are to treat those who are weak in the faith,--those who have not much strength of character. Our course of action is clearly marked out for us: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Those who have, through their own error of judgment, pursued such a course as to discourage one of the Lord's children, should go to the word of God for themselves; they should heed the admonitions given by the world's Redeemer,--he who took our human nature, and was in all points tempted like as we are, that he might be able to succor them that are tempted. In Matt. 18:1-14 is contained a lesson of the highest importance to those who are striving for the crown of eternal life. There we read, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Calling a little child to him, Jesus said: "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. . . . Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."
In Rev. 2:1-3, Christ presents many excellent qualities which the church at Ephesus possessed. He says: "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: . . . I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne,and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted."
But though there was much to commend, one thing was lacking. "Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen; and repent, and do the first works. . . . He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." It is evident that the Lord here has reference to the love that should be cherished in the hearts of the members of the family of God for one another. Something which they had they have lost, and the Lord calls upon them to repent without delay. He will not approve of work that is destitute of his Spirit and his love.
Christ taught this principle of love. On one occasion "a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Christ had been presenting to the people truths which, because they were true, were as cutting as a two-edged sword, and the priests and rulers could not gainsay them. With murder in their hearts, yet fearing to speak themselves, they urged the lawyer to tempt Jesus with this question. Jesus understood their motives; for he could read men's hearts, and he said to the lawyer: "What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." Jesus said unto him, "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live." These are the two great principles upon which hang all the law and the prophets.
Would it not be the safer plan, my brethren and sisters, to keep the commandments of God in the spirit and in the letter? Obedience to the first four, in which is enjoined supreme love for God, will lead us to love our neighbor as ourselves; "for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" It is because so many members of the church do not bring the commandments of God into the daily life that there is so little of the love of God manifested one toward another. And the absence of this love makes the church weak and inefficient.
The church militant is not the church triumphant. Satan is actively working; he is watching the character of each one, to find out whom he can most successfully tempt to dishonor God by departing from his holy commandments. Christ says: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him." The love here commended is not so clothed with selfishness that it is not discerned. "He that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth." Darkness has blinded his eyes; he is deceived by the enemy; and as a result the spirit of the archdeceiver actuates his works,--works of such a character as to hurt, misjudge, and destroy.
"Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father." What is the message we are to receive and practise? "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that ye should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." This cruel spirit will be manifested toward those who advocate the principles of Christ. But let not this spirit discourage those who have the truth for these last times.
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. . . . And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."
When the truth is enshrined in the heart, it will be manifested in the daily life. The truth of the psalmist's words will be realized: "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." "Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness." The home will be sweetened by its influence, and the business transactions will be entered upon as if in full view of the heavenly universe.
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." All the proud boasting of righteousness avails nothing. "He that doeth righteousness is righteous." "If a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." All the self-righteous claims of the professors of religion will have no weight with the man who possesses that wisdom which is from above; which is "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."
"The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy." How precious are these words from the Lord! They irradiate the pathway of the Christian amid all his toils and burdens. He has a heavenly Friend to whom he may turn for guidance and help in every time of need. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 17, 1896
November 17, 1896(Vol. 73, #46)
"A Letter from Sister White" Yesterday Sister Mcenterfer accompanied me to Ashfield. We were pleased to meet Brethren Farnsworth and Israel at the station. Brother and Sister Farnsworth have just ended their long voyage over the Pacific Ocean. They did not have a pleasant or enjoyable trip, and were glad to feel solid ground once more under their feet.
On Sabbath Brethren Israel and Farnsworth attended the morning meeting in the Paramatta church. At the same time a meeting was being held in Sydney, in a hall which is hired by the Sydney church. I spoke to the people in Ashfield. The service was held in their new church, and I felt grateful to our Heavenly Father for such a neat little chapel where we could worship God upon his holy Sabbath. Brother Semmens opened the meeting with prayer. The Lord gave me freedom to speak to those assembled. As I looked upon the earnest, interested faces of the children, my heart was touched, and I addressed myself to them, encouraging them to do service for God.
In their early years, children may be useful in God's work. They are the younger members of his family, and he will give them his grace and his Holy Spirit, that they may overcome impatience, fretfulness, and all sin. Jesus loves the children. He has blessings for them, and he loves to see them obedient to their parents. He desires them to be his little missionaries, denying their own inclinations and desires for selfish pleasure to do service for him; and this service is just as acceptable to God as is the service of grown-up children.
The Lord Jesus received the mothers who brought their children to him for his blessing. He appreciated their earnest desire that in their early childhood their children should be brought to him, that he might put his hands upon them and give them his blessing. What comfort and encouragement this should give parents to teach their children that Jesus loves them and will receive and bless them. Parents, teach your children that Jesus has given his own precious life, in order that they may come to him and receive his blessing.
Children should pray for grace to resist the temptations which will come to them,--temptations to have their own way and to do their own selfish pleasure. As they ask Christ to help them in their life-service to be truthful, kind, obedient, and to bear their responsibilities in the family circle, he will hear their simple prayer. When very young, children may be taught to be useful in the home life, to live to please Jesus, that they may become members of the family above. They may be missionaries in the home, relieving, as far as possible, the weary mother, who has so many cares and burdens to bear.
Parents, help your children to do the will of God by being faithful in the performance of the duties which really belong to them as members of the family. This will give them a most valuable experience. It will teach them that they are not to center their thoughts upon themselves, to do their own pleasure, or to amuse themselves. Patiently educate them to act their part in the family circle, to make a success of their efforts to share the burdens of father and mother and brothers and sisters. Thus they will have the satisfaction of knowing that they are really useful.
Let only pleasant words be spoken by parents to their children, and respectful words by children to their parents. Attention must be given to these things in the home life; for if, in their character building, children form right habits, it will be much easier for them to be taught by God and to be obedient to his requirements.
Children as well as those of older years are exposed to temptations; and the older members of the family should give them, by precept and example, lessons in courtesy, cheerfulness, affection, and in the faithful discharge of their daily duties. Children must be taught that they are a part of the home firm. They are fed, and clothed, and loved, and cared for; and they must respond to these many mercies by bringing all the happiness possible into the family of which they are members. Thus they become children of God, missionaries in the home circle.
If parents neglect the education of their children, they deprive them of that which is necessary for the development of a symmetrical, all sided character, which will be of the greatest blessing to them all through their life. If children are allowed to have their own way, they receive the idea that they must be waited upon, cared for, indulged, and amused. They think that their wishes and their will must be gratified. Educated in this way, they carry through all their religious experience the deficiencies of their home training.
God would have our families symbols of the family in heaven. Let parents and children bear this in mind every day, relating themselves to one another as members of the family of God. Then their lives will be of such a character as to give to the world an object lesson of what families who love God and keep his commandments may be. Christ will be glorified; his peace and grace and love will pervade the family circle like a precious perfume. A beautiful offering, in the child life of Christian missionaries, will be made to God. This will make the heart of Jesus glad, and will be regarded by him as the most precious offering he can receive.
May the Lord Jesus Christ be an object of worship in every family. If parents give their children the proper education, they themselves will be made happy by seeing the fruit of their careful training in the Christlike character of their children. They are doing God the highest service by presenting to the world, well-ordered, well-disciplined families, who not only fear the Lord, but honor and glorify him by their influence upon other families; and they will receive their reward. Mrs. E. G. White. Ashfield, Sydney, N. S. W., Sept. 4, 1896.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 24, 1896
November 24, 1896(Vol. 73, #47)
"The Right Use of God's Gifts" The love and benevolence of God and the merciful designs of his government are proclaimed in his word. "The eyes of all wait upon thee," writes the psalmist, "and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." To God we are indebted for life itself. In him "we live, and move, and have our being," receiving from him "life, and breath, and all things." The sun, which brings us light, and ripens that which the earth produces, is his gift. Were it not for his miracle working power, which by day and by night causes vegetation to flourish, there would be no harvest to gather. His blessings are new every morning, and his loving care is extended to all his creatures.
God crowned his love and benevolence by the wonderful gift of his Son. He "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The streams of salvation are poured into our hearts by the grace of Christ; every blessing, whether temporal or spiritual, comes to us as the purchase of his blood. And God desires that now, in the year 1896, our memories be freshened, and our hearts be filled with gratitude, as we connect our outward, worldly blessings with the great sacrifice, the wonderful atonement, made in our behalf.
Our indebtedness to God and our entire dependence upon him should lead us to acknowledge him as the giver of all our blessings, and by our offerings we acknowledge this. Of the bounties he has bestowed upon us, he requires that a portion be returned to him. By giving to the Lord his due, we declare to the world that all our mercies are from him, that all we possess belongs to him.
In every offering to God we are to acknowledge the one great Gift; that alone can make our service acceptable to him. When Abel offered the firstling of the flock, he acknowledged God, not only as the giver of his temporal blessings, but also as the giver of the Saviour. Abel's gift was the very choicest he could bring; for it was the Lord's specified claim. But Cain brought only of the fruit of the ground, and his offering was not accepted by the Lord. It did not express faith in Christ. All our offerings must be sprinkled with the blood of the atonement. As the purchased possession of the Son of God, we are to give the Lord our own individual lives.
Right and appropriate was the festal anthem of the Jewish nation, "Hosanna; . . . blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." When the Jews held their services of thanksgiving, after the ingathering of nature's treasure, they offered sacrifices to God. To us it might seem strange that sacrificial offerings should have formed so important a part of the universal rejoicing; and to outward appearance, it was a strange combination to mingle the sacrifice of beasts with the expressions of joy. But this was built upon the true foundation; for Christ himself was the object of these ceremonial services. When, in these festal gatherings, blood was shed, and offerings were made to God, the people were not only thanking him for his present mercies, but they were thanking him for the promise of a Saviour, and by this expressing the truth that without the shedding of the blood of the Son of God, there could be no forgiveness of sins. These celebrations were right and acceptable in the sight of God. Christ is to be regarded and appreciated as the source whence all our blessings flow.
But when the Jewish people departed from God, they lost sight of the true significance of these festal celebrations. Christ, with his divinity clothed with humanity, stood among them, witnessing their jubilant festivities and solemn services, but he was unrecognized. He was the foundation and antitype of these services, but he was not honored by those who were celebrating them. His eye looked upon the leafy encampments, his ear heard the words of song and understood their deep import; but the actors knew not the deep meaning of the words they uttered. Thousands of voices shouted, "Hosanna; . . . blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord;" thousands of voices prayed for the coming of Him who even then stood among them, and whom they would not receive. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not."
Thus by precept and example the Jews tore down what they were trying to maintain by outward ceremonies. So enveloped were they in darkness and unbelief, that the influence of their words and offerings of thanksgiving were destroyed by their example. The principles represented were not accepted by God. Their offerings did not bear the divine credentials; for they were neutralized by a wrong practise. While they praised God with their lips, they pledged themselves with the same mind to murder his Son. Their hearts were devoid of the spirit of true worship, and were filled with wicked purposes, hypocrisy, and all manner of corruption.
"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." Beware lest, like the Jews, you thank God with your lips only. He will not accept this offering. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit," a heart filled with thanksgiving to him, and willing to prove the sincerity of its devotion by acts of ready obedience.
The Lord has committed talents to men, that they may be better fitted to honor and glorify him. To some he has entrusted means; to others, special qualifications for service; to others, tact and influence. Some have five talents, others two, and others one. From the highest to the lowliest, each has been entrusted with some gift. These talents are not our own. They belong to God. He has given them to us for conscientious use, and he will one day ask for an account of them.
The great lesson we are daily to learn is that we are stewards of God's gifts,--stewards of money, of reason, of intellect, of influence. As stewards of the Lord's gifts, we are to trade upon these talents, however small they may be. Many neglect this work because they think their talent too small to honor God. But you should not thus estimate the talents God has given you. Because you do not seem to be so highly favored as some others, you should not underrate your entrusted gifts, hiding them in the earth. We cannot place an accurate estimate upon our powers. However small your talent may appear, use it in God's service, for he has need of it. If it is wisely used, you may bring to God one soul who also will dedicate his powers to the Master's service. That soul may win other souls and thus one talent, faithfully used, may gain many talents.
God has bestowed gifts upon every man according to his several ability. Each one is to work in God's great moral vineyard. He bids you use your entrusted gifts, large or small, in whatever sphere you may be called to act, employing every capability, and improving the smallest gift for him. Many have left the one and the two and the five talents out of their reckoning; but by so doing, they rob God. He expects all to do their best, and he will require the interest in proportion to the amount of entrusted capital. It is our privilege, on the great reckoning day, to bring our talents to the Lord, saying, "Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained beside them five talents more."
God would have us realize that he has a right to mind, soul, body, and spirit,--to all that we possess. We are his by creation and by redemption. As our Creator, he claims our entire service. As our Redeemer, he has a claim of love as well as of right,--of love without a parallel. This claim we should realize every moment of our existence.
Before believers and unbelievers we must constantly recognize our dependence upon God. Our bodies, our souls, our lives, are his, not only because they are his free gift, but because he constantly supplies us with his benefits, and gives us strength to use our faculties. By returning to him his own, by willingly laboring for him, we show that we recognize our dependence upon him.
Jesus asks us to consecrate ourselves to him. He has placed signal honor upon the human race; for he says, "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Shall we not, then, give to Christ that which he has died to redeem? If you will do this, he will quicken your conscience, renew your heart, sanctify your affections, purify your thoughts, and set all your powers at work for him. Every motive and every thought will be brought into captivity to Jesus Christ.
Those who are sons of God will represent Christ in character. Their works will be perfumed by the infinite tenderness, compassion, love, and purity of the Son of God. And the more completely mind and body are yielded to the Holy Spirit, the greater will be the fragrance of our offering to him.
If the spirit of self-denial and self-sacrifice imbued the hearts of all who claim to be children of God, every one would represent Jesus to the world. It is because of self-seeking on the part of his professed followers that the gospel of Christ is, to so great a degree, robbed of its power. If our hearts were free from all selfishness, the water of life, flowing from Christ to the world,--the gift of righteousness and immortality, brought to light through the gospel,--would be imparted to those who are ready to perish. By our unselfish devotion, other souls would be won to Christ.
God has ordained that men and women and children should be educated by his word to become colaborers with Christ in the great work of dispensing his gifts to the world. But those who do this work must be like Christ. They must bear his image, and live his pure, unselfish life. By too many the incarnation and work of the Son of God are but dimly comprehended. He was the Majesty of heaven, the King of Glory; "yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." He pleased not himself, but cheerfully gave his life to ransom the world. He went about doing good, and this we must do if we would cooperate with him. Selfishness, self-pleasing, self-serving, can find no place in the life of the true Christian.
The life of Christ is an example of what a Christian can do with the powers given him of God. Do not become discouraged because your gift is not so large as that of someone else. Cheerfully give what you have, and God will bless your efforts. As you press close to the bleeding side of Christ, you will be actuated by his Spirit, and your heart will respond to his call. You will work as he worked, revealing his loving, unselfish spirit. Your faith will be strong, working by love and purifying your soul. Strengthened by power from above, you will be enabled to meet the Lord's requirements, applying yourself resolutely to irksome tasks and self-sacrificing deeds for the Master's sake. By Mrs. E. G. White. (Concluded next week.)
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 1, 1896
December 1, 1896(Vol. 73, #48)
"The Right Use of God's Gifts [Concluded]" The talents that God has given to each one of his children are to be used to honor and glorify him. They are the instrumentalities with which we are to work, and our final reward will depend upon the piety, the earnestness, and the unselfishness, which now characterize our lives. Day by day, hour by hour, in the use we make of these gifts, we are deciding our eternal destiny, determining what decisions shall be made in the Judgment. Day by day we are making our mark for eternity. Our whole lifework is bound up with the solemn period of the Judgment.
Our eternal interests are involved in the use we make of our property, our time, our strength, our capabilities. The whole value of our lifework is measured by the employment of our entrusted talents. God will one day reckon with his servants, that he may know how much each one has gained by trading; and the rewards bestowed will be proportionate to the work done. "Behold," said Christ, "I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Please read the third chapter of Malachi. The subject is there presented in a striking and decided manner. It is not traced by human pen; the voice of God is speaking for the benefit of all who live upon the face of the earth.
The property we possess is given us by God, and it is to be used in his service. It is not to be regarded as our own, to be used as our fancy shall dictate; but is to be employed in doing the will of God in behalf of truth and righteousness. The Lord has need of this talent; and rich and poor should awake to their God-given responsibility in this matter, and work to the utmost of their ability to honor and glorify God.
Those who allow a covetous spirit to take possession of them cherish and develop those traits of character which will place their names on the record books of heaven as idolaters. All such are classed with thieves, revilers, and extortioners, none of whom, the word of God declares, shall inherit the kingdom of God. "The wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth." Covetous attributes are ever opposed to the exercise of Christian beneficence. The fruits of selfishness always reveal themselves in a neglect of duty, and in a failure to use God's entrusted gifts for the advancement of his work.
"They that will be rich,"--those who are fully determined to obtain riches and to enjoy the pleasures of this world,--"fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts." For a time Satan holds out before them many worldly attractions and opportunities, but that which the word of God declares to be the sure result must come upon them. Their end is destruction and perdition. "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
As Christians, we are to follow our Leader step by step in the heavenward way. His gifts are not to be absorbed in worldly pursuits. He has enjoined upon us, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." By this sign the children of God and the children of the enemy are distinguished. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."
Life is a gift of God. Our bodies have been given us to use in God's service, and he desires that we shall care for and appreciate them. We are possessed of physical as well as mental faculties. Our impulses and passions have their seat in the body, and therefore we must do nothing that would defile this entrusted possession. Our bodies must be kept in the best possible condition physically, and under the most spiritual influences, in order that we may make the best use of our talents. "Know ye not," asks Paul, "that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
A misuse of the body shortens that period of time which God designs shall be used in his service. By allowing ourselves to form wrong habits, by keeping late hours, by gratifying appetite at the expense of health, we lay the foundation for feebleness. By neglecting to take physical exercise, by overworking mind or body, we unbalance the nervous system. Those who thus shorten their lives by disregarding nature's laws, are guilty of robbery toward God. We have no right to neglect or misuse the body, the mind, or the strength which should be used to offer God consecrated service.
All should have an intelligent knowledge of the human frame, that they may keep their bodies in the condition necessary to do the work of the Lord. Those who form habits that weaken the nerve power and lessen the vigor of mind or body, make themselves inefficient for the work God has given them to do. On the other hand, a pure, healthy life is most favorable for the perfection of Christian character and for the development of the powers of mind and body.
The law of temperance must control the life of every Christian. God is to be in all our thoughts; his glory is ever to be kept in view. We must break away from every influence that would captivate our thoughts and lead us from God. We are under sacred obligations to God so to govern our bodies and rule our appetites and passions that they will not lead us away from purity and holiness, or take our minds from the work God requires us to do. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
The uncertainty of life should teach us the necessity of working to the utmost of our ability to serve God and to be a blessing to our fellowmen. No one is sure of a day. Accident, sickness, or death may come to us at any moment. None of us know how long our life will last; and while we have it in our possession, it should be most precious in our estimation. We are not our own; this life is not ours; and as the property of God, it is our duty, as far as possible, to keep our bodies free from disease. We are Christ's purchased possession, and we read in God's word, "His servants shall serve him." Then let us devote our lives to his service.
Our influence is given us by God. In whatever sphere of life we may be placed, it is our duty to use this gift for him, and to strengthen it. The first great secret to learn is that whatever degree of influence we possess, be it great or small, it will increase only by being used.
We are God's servants, and individually we must yield ourselves to him; for he knows just what he would have us do, and just what position we can acceptably fill. As we act the part assigned us, he supplies, by his own power, the qualities essential for the place he wishes us to fill. The life that is dedicated to God will not be left to become the sport of Satan's temptations, or to be used as natural inclination may choose; for God cooperates with the one who strives to do his will.
We must not attempt to shape circumstances for ourselves. Everything that has an evident tendency to dampen our zeal or devotion in the cause of God, must be avoided. Selfishness must be put away; for the love of God cannot dwell in the heart where self is enshrined. The inclinations which war against the holy principles of purity and godliness must be wholly given up.
In our work for God, we often create many of our worries and trials by endeavoring to reach the world's standard. God would have us fix our eyes upon Jesus, and study his will. Christ calls to us: "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." The true believer is brought into close contact with the Redeemer. And if we preserve the meekness and lowliness of Christ, if we walk humbly by the side of the great Burden Bearer, we receive his individuality, and work in his lines, and by the influence that we exert, others are drawn to him.
God is personally dealing with each one of us. Some may be given credit for natural energy of character, but God is the source whence all our capabilities spring. He has given us knowledge and endowments and opportunities, that by diligent use we may be better qualified to do the duties and bear the responsibilities that are required of us as his servants. We are to make the best use of the gifts he has bestowed upon us. They must not be allowed to weaken and decay through misuse or indolence on our part. The words of inspiration exhort us, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." As we use our endowments in God's service, we become one with Christ. Our responsibility is then his, and he strengthens us for service.
We may add to our talents by improving those we already have. The Lord expects us to gain knowledge, to increase our ability, and to improve our talents; but we can never do this if we allow our minds to be molded by worldly surroundings. Only by obedience to God's plans can we fulfil his design for us. "Giving all diligence," writes the apostle Peter, "add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
As we work on the plan of addition, we shall find that God is working for us on the still broader plan of multiplication; for he says, "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue."
All are to stand as minutemen, ready for service at a moment's warning. From hour to hour, in your varied life, opportunities to serve God will open before you. These opportunities will constantly come and go. Be ever ready to make the most of them. The opportunity to speak in the hearing of some needy soul the word of life may never offer itself again; therefore let no one venture to say, "I pray thee have me excused." Lose no opportunity that offers itself to hold forth the word of life, to make known to others "the unsearchable riches of Christ;" for opportunities neglected may soon be forever beyond recall.
Every true Christian will be ready for instant action, not depending on his own ability, but trusting in God. He will be instant in season and out of season. At all times and in all places he will be ready to speak, to pray, or to sing to the praise of God. He will use his influence only for the Master. His sanctified energies and endowments will be employed in exalting the Lord Jesus, in magnifying the truth, and in extending the interests of the kingdom of God. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 1, 1896-Supplement
December 1, 1896-Supplement(Vol. 73, #48)
"Honesty Toward Men and Toward God" "Harken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness [which is his holy law, the transcript of his character] shall not be abolished. Harken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but my righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation to generation." The whole of the fifty-first chapter of Isaiah is worthy of close, earnest study, and we would do well to commit it to memory. It has a special application to those who are living in the last days.
"And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of Hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart." "The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy. . . . Turn ye not unto idols. . . . I am the Lord your God."
The Lord requires of all who claim to be his people far more than they give him. He demands that all who claim to believe on Christ shall reveal to the world, in their lives, that Christianity which was exemplified in his life and character. If the word of God is enshrined in their hearts, they will make manifest the power and purity of the gospel. A practical example of the power of the gospel in the daily life is of much more value to the world than sermons or professions of godliness that are not accompanied by good works. Let all who name the name of Christ remember that, individually, they are making an impression, favorable or unfavorable to Bible religion, on the minds of all with whom they come in contact.
Christ declared: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind. . . . This do, and thou shalt live." This commandment, which he gave when enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, he again lays down as the condition of eternal life.
In Leviticus 19 are recorded words given by Christ to Moses to speak to the children of Israel. Read what the people of God in ancient times were commanded to do, and what not to do; for these are the principles contained in the royal law: "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor." Personal preferences and partiality are not to appear in the life practise of the Christian.
"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord." "The stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt. Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the Lord." "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you." "And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine." "Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess."
Here is shown the work of the minister of righteousness: "The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips; he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts." But a solemn charge is made by the God of Israel: "Ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of Hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law. Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah hath dealt treacherously and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. The Lord will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of Hosts. And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with goodwill at your hand. . . . Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them: or, Where is the God of judgment?"
The words of the Lord in Mal. 3:1-3 lay down the work essential to be done in the church of God: "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." A message which is as a two-edged sword must be given to the people, to clear away the evils that are seen among them. A living testimony that will awaken the paralyzed conscience is to be borne.
"And I will come near to you to judgment: and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts." All the sins here specified have been coming in among the people who claim to be the people of God; and it is high time that there was a reformation, a transformation, of character. Who among us, who are called commandment keepers, have been "partial in the law," neglecting the living principles which are a transcript of the character of God? Has not the imperfect example of those who have departed from the law of God caused many to stumble at the law? "Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law."
The Lord commands his people, "Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him." Here faithful dealing with the sins of those who claim to be children of God is enjoined. Be they men in the most humble condition, or men entrusted with power and responsibility, no partiality is to be shown to those in the wrong, no hypocrisy is to be practised in dealing with them. If a man's position involves sacred interests, God's watchmen are to be the more earnest and faithful in dealing with him. Not one evil principle will pass uncorrected. If those in the wrong refuse to repent, and to correct their errors, let them be separated from the Lord's work; for the corrupting principles of evil will leaven all with whom they are connected.
The Jews claimed to obey the law of God, and they appeared to be very strict in observing some portions of the law; but the precepts that interfered with their personal interests were unheeded. The people offended God by lightly esteeming the requirements that touched their earthly treasures. Beware, brethren, lest while professing to honor the law of God, you fall into the same error as did the Jews; beware lest the love of earthly treasure shall draw your hearts from God.
No man can make an offering to the Lord in righteousness until practical right-doing is brought into the daily life. When does the Lord say that the offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant unto him as in the former years? When "he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."
"Then I turned," writes Zechariah, "and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth; for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of Hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof."
In our dealings with our fellow men, as well as in our relations with God, we are to show strict justice and honesty. Every human being is to be estimated according to the price that Christ has paid for his redemption. Our fellow men are of as much value as we are, and God calls upon us to treat them as we would be treated. He wants no sharpers connected with his work. He wants no man to take advantage of others, in order to bring means into his treasury. He will sanction no man in appropriating to himself more than he has justly earned. The Lord will not sustain men in his service who are self-indulgent, and who do not represent the character and work of Christ.
Those who indulge in any sort of unfair dealing, either with God or with their fellow men, are sowing the seed for a very bitter harvest. The Lord requires those who claim to be his servants to reveal the principles of heaven in all their work. They are to show kindness to all men, cherishing patience, longsuffering, forbearance, generosity. This is living the gospel, and only to those who thus serve him will God say: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
God has revealed his interest in fallen men by giving them a Saviour. He covenanted not to stir up his wrath against the perversity of his children, not to censure them in his hot displeasure, until every advantage had been given them through all their period of probation. And even when they shall refuse his warnings, his messages of invitation, the presentation of his righteousness; when they continue to sin in the face of light and evidence, still he will not break forth upon them in his great anger. He leaves all judgment to his Son, whom he gave as a sin offering for the world.
God has a yearning desire to save the purchase of the blood of Christ from the sure result of a wrong course of action; for sin, if persisted in, will bring upon them the wrath of the rejected Lamb. Mercy, rich and free, is presented in the gift of Christ's righteousness. Those who scorn this precious gift, who despise and reject the Saviour, who refuse the invitation, "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me," reject the offer of the attributes of character which will constitute them sons and daughters of God. For "as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name [What name?--Immanuel, the Son of God]: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth."
The Word is our instructor. All who will be doers of the word, in sincerity and truth, will behold his glory,--"the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Then there is indeed a new birth, a transformation of character. "Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." This makes us living epistles, "known and read of all men." "He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness." "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts."
This is the message which must be proclaimed; "Return unto me, and I will return unto you." "But ye said, Wherein shall we return?" God gives his people reproofs, warnings, and instruction, because there is a manifest neglect of righteous principles. He sends messengers to bear to the churches his reproofs and warnings, that their wrongs may be corrected. He gives the invitation, "Return unto me, and I will return unto you," and yet self-vindication is shown in the words, "Wherein shall we return?"
The reproof and warning and promise of the Lord are given in definite language in Mal. 3:8; "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?" The Lord answers, "In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation." The Lord of heaven challenges those whom he has supplied with his bounties to prove him. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
This message has lost none of its force. It is just as fresh in its importance as God's gifts are fresh and continual. There is no difficulty in understanding our duty in the light of this message, given through God's holy prophet. We are not left to stumble along in darkness and disobedience. The truth is plainly stated, and it can be clearly understood by all who wish to be honest in the sight of God. A tithe of all our income is the Lord's. He lays his hand upon that portion which he has specified that we shall return to him, and says, I allow you to use my bounties after you have laid aside the tenth, and have come before me with gifts and offerings.
The Lord calls for his tithe to be given in to his treasury. Strictly, honestly, and faithfully, let this portion be returned to him. Besides this, he calls for your gifts and offerings. No one is compelled to present his tithe or his gifts and offerings to the Lord. But just as surely as God's word is given to us, just so surely will he require his own with usury at the hand of every human being. If men are unfaithful in rendering to God his own, if they disregard God's charge to his stewards, they will not long have the blessing of that which the Lord has entrusted to them.
"Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, it is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully [in black] before the Lord of Hosts?" God does not require his people to do this. Christ is the light of the world, and he says, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." But the mournful complaint continues: "And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered." This is the language of a soul in darkness. The condition here revealed is the sure result of disobedience. Those who make the complaint are neglecting their obligation to give to the Lord his own. It is because so little heed is given to the Lord's special injunctions that darkness and temptation and trial are brought upon the church.
The tithe is set apart for a special use. It is not to be regarded as a poor fund. It is to be especially devoted to the support of those who are bearing God's message to the world; and it should not be diverted from this purpose.
The great object of our work is to carry the light to those who are in darkness. Our work is worldwide. God's delegated messengers are not to hover about the people who have been long in the truth. Altogether too much labor is devoted to the churches. God's people are not to depend on others to do their work for them. Let the Lord's messengers carry the triumphs of the cross into the regions beyond, calling upon the members of the church to send their prayers as sharp sickles into the harvest field. Let the church appoint pastors or elders who are devoted to the Lord Jesus, and let these men see that officers are chosen who will attend faithfully to the work of gathering in the tithe. If the pastors show that they are not fitted for their charge, if they fail to set before the church the importance of returning to God his own, if they do not see to it that the officers under them are faithful, and that the tithe is brought in, they are in peril. They are neglecting a matter which involves a blessing or a curse to the church. They should be relieved of their responsibility, and other men should be tested and tried.
The Lord's messengers should see that his requirements are faithfully discharged by the members of the churches. God says that there should be meat in his house, and if the money in the treasury is tampered with, if it is regarded as right for individuals to make what use they please of the tithe, the Lord cannot bless He cannot sustain those who think that they can do as they please with that which is his.
The Lord has given to every man his work. His servants are to act in partnership with him. If they choose, men may refuse to connect themselves with their Maker; they may refuse to give themselves to his service, and trade upon his entrusted goods; they may fail to exercise frugality and self-denial, and may forget that the Lord requires a return of what he has given them. All such are unfaithful stewards. A faithful steward will do all he possibly can in the service of God; the one object before him will be the great need of the world. He will realize that the message of truth is to be given, not only in his own neighborhood, but in the regions beyond. When men cherish this spirit, the love of the truth and the sanctification they will receive through the truth, will banish avarice, overreaching, and every species of dishonesty.
It will not be long before probation will close. If you do not now serve the Lord with fidelity, how will you meet the record of your unfaithful dealing? Not long hence, a call will be made for a settlement of accounts, and you will be asked, How much owest thou unto my Lord?" If you have refused to deal honestly with God, I beseech you to think of your deficiency, and if possible to make restitution. If this cannot be done, in humble penitence pray that God for Christ's sake will pardon your great debt. Begin now to act like Christians. Make no excuse for failing to give the Lord his own. Now, while mercy's sweet voice is still heard, while it is not yet too late for wrongs to be righted, while it is called today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
God calls for fathers, mothers, and children to become partners with him in the great work of rescuing their own souls from Satan's power. Let them unite with Christ, and strive with heart and mind and strength to save themselves through faith. When through the grace of Christ you have been converted, God calls upon you to wear his yoke, and labor in his lines to save other souls who are bound up with Satan, and who do not realize their peril. Hear me, for Christ's sake, hear me. The season of God's mercy will soon be ended. The call for sinners to repent and be converted will soon be heard no more. That God whose invitation you have refused, that Saviour whose Spirit you have grieved and insulted, will soon rise in his anger to punish transgressors. Dare we think what the wrath of the Lamb means?
Every day you remain in sin you are grieving God by your impenitence. Will you not remember that the time is just upon you when the last day of mercy will come? Then God will rise up out of his place to punish the world for its iniquity. Then the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. The clouds of wrath which have been gathering will burst with pitiless fury upon the world. I beg of you who shall read these words to hear for your soul's sake. Venture not one step further in your impenitence. "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 1, 1896-Supplement
December 1, 1896-Supplement(Vol. 73, #48)
"An Appeal for the South" I appeal to families who understand the truth. What are you doing? You can be God's ministers, taking up the work in this neglected field that needs to be plowed, and to be sowed with the gospel seed of truth. Who for Christ's sake will give themselves to this work? You could have had missionaries in this hard field many years ago. God has called you to labor in his vineyard: but the most miserable, unpromising portions of the vineyard have been passed by. Human beings, who are the Lord's by creation and by redemption, have been left for wolves to devour, while you have lived at ease, eating from the abundant supply which God gave you to share with those in need.
In the past, some attempts have been made to present the truth to the colored people, but those among the white people who claim to believe the truth, have wanted to build up a high partition between themselves and the colored race. We have one Saviour, who has died for the black man as well as for the white man; and those who possess the Spirit of Christ will have love and pity for all who know not the precious Saviour. They will labor to the utmost of their ability to wipe away the reproach of ignorance from black and white alike.
From the light God has given men, the blood of souls will surely be found upon the garments of those who, like the priest and Levite, are passing by on the other side. This is just what our people are doing. They have been eating of the large loaf, and have left the suffering, distressed people of the Southern regions starving for education, starving for spiritual advantages. While feeding from a well-supplied table, they have not allowed even the crumbs that fall from the table to be bestowed upon the colored people. By their actions they have said, Am I my brother's keeper? Where are those who have had so much light, so much food, that they have lost their appetite, and do not appreciate the bread of life? These rich treasures if imparted to others, would be life and hope and salvation to them.
It is not merely the white people in the Southern field that are to receive the message of truth. Methods and plans must be devised to reach the colored people. Divine illumination must come to them. This kind of work calls for laborers, and the duty rests upon our responsible men to set men to work in that field, and to sustain the work with a portion of the means supplied by tithes and offerings from the believers in all parts of our world. The Bible, the precious Bible, is not to be chained to any one place. It is to go to all parts of the world; its sacred truth is to be everywhere studied.
You cannot send laborers into the Southern field, and merely say to one, You may work there, or to another, You may work here. Facilities must be provided, and workmen sent who can plan for these States. I beseech you, brethren, do not take the work out of the hands of those who would work, every chance they may have, to obtain means to work in the Southern States. It is not your privilege to grasp every tittle to dispose of as you see fit. God has been teaching me, and I will not rest, I dare not hold my peace. I urge you to supply the people of this long-neglected field with food out of your abundance.-- Unpublished M. S. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 8, 1896
December 8, 1896(Vol. 73, #48)
"God's Claim Upon Us" God has a claim on us and all that we have. His claim is paramount to every other. And in acknowledgment of this claim, he bids us render to him a fixed proportion of all that he gives us. The tithe is this specified portion. By the Lord's direction it was consecrated to him in the earliest times. The Scriptures mention tithing in connection with the history of Abraham. The father of the faithful paid tithes to Melchisedec, "priest of the Most High God." Jacob also recognized the obligation of tithing. When, fleeing from his brother's wrath, he saw in his dream the ladder connecting heaven and earth, the gratitude of his heart found expression in the vow to God: "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee."
When God delivered Israel from Egypt to be a special treasure unto himself, he taught them to devote a tithe of their possessions to the service of the tabernacle. This was a special offering, for a special work. All that remained of their property was God's, and was to be used to his glory. But the tithe was set apart for the support of those who ministered in the sanctuary. It was to be given from the firstfruits of all the increase, and, with gifts and offerings, it provided ample means for supporting the ministry of the gospel for that time.
God requires no less of us than he required of his people anciently. His gifts to us are not less, but greater, than they were to Israel of old. His service requires, and ever will require, means. The great missionary work for the salvation of souls is to be carried forward. In the tithe, with gifts and offerings, God has made ample provision for this work. He intends that the ministry of the gospel shall be fully sustained. He claims the tithe as his own, and it should ever be regarded as a sacred reserve, to be placed in his treasury for the benefit of his cause, for the advancement of his work, for sending his messengers into "regions beyond," even to the uttermost parts of the earth.
God has laid his hand upon all things, both man and his possessions; for all belong to him. He says, I am the owner of the world; the universe is mine, and I require you to consecrate to my service the firstfruits of all that I, through my blessing, have caused to come into your hands. God's word declares, "Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits." "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase." This tribute he demands as a token of our loyalty to him.
We belong to God; we are his sons and daughters,--his by creation, and his by the gift of his only begotten Son for our redemption. "Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." The mind, the heart, the will, and the affections belong to God; the money that we handle is the Lord's. Every good that we receive and enjoy is the result of divine benevolence. God is the bountiful giver of all good, and he desires that there shall be an acknowledgment, on the part of the receiver, of these gifts that provide for every necessity of the body and the soul. God demands only his own. The primary portion is the Lord's, and must be used as his entrusted treasure. The heart that is divested of selfishness will awaken to a sense of God's goodness and love, and be moved to a hearty acknowledgment of his righteous requirements.
God gives to us, that we may give. He desires us to be laborers together with him. In heaven he is carrying forward the great work of redemption. That work engages the divine councils. It requires the ministry of angels upon the earth; and it requires also our cooperation. In the natural world, man must do his part in the work of the earth. He must till and prepare the soil. And God, working through nature, giving sunshine and showers, quickens the seed sown, and causes vegetation to flourish. Thus the sowing is rewarded in the reaping of earth's treasures in bountiful harvests. The lesson is true in spiritual as in temporal things. Man must work under the guidance of the divine hand; for unless God cooperates with him, there will be no increase. Human power cannot cause the seed sown to spring into life. But there can be no reaping unless the human hand acts its part in the sowing of the seed.
The reaping will testify of what the sowing has been. God, through the inspired apostle, has said: "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity," feeling compelled to do so because of the pressure brought to bear upon him, when his heart is not in the work; "for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work (as it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth forever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness); being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; and by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." Here the matter is plainly laid out, specifying the privilege and duty of every believer. Let this ninth chapter of II Corinthians be read and reread. How could language express more than is here given? The inspired pen traces the advantages reaped by every soul who will become a laborer together with God in his work of beneficence.
Many who profess to be Christians provide abundantly for themselves, supplying all their imaginary wants, while they give no heed to the wants of the Lord's cause. They have thought it gain to rob God by retaining all, or a selfish proportion, of his gifts as their own. But they meet with loss instead of gain. Their course results in the withdrawal of mercies and blessings. By their selfish, avaricious spirit, men have lost much. If they had fully and freely acknowledged God's requirements and met his claims, his blessing would have been manifest in increasing the productions of the earth. The harvests would have been greater. The wants of all would have been abundantly supplied. The more we give, the more we shall receive.
This subject of the use of the means entrusted to us should be carefully considered; for the Lord will require his own with usury. While in poverty, many regard systematic giving as a Bible requirement; but when they come into possession of money or property, they do not acknowledge God's claim upon them. They look upon their means as their own. But not so did King David regard his possessions. He understood that God is the great proprietor of all things, and that he himself was highly honored in that he had been taken into partnership with God. His heart was filled with gratitude for the favor and mercy of God, and in his prayer when presenting offerings for the building of the temple, he said, "Of thine own have we given thee."
The cause of God is ever demanding. Industry is therefore required on the part of all, high and low, rich and poor, in order that due returns may be made to God, that there may be "meat" in his house, and that the servants whom he has called to do the work of communicating the truth to a perishing world may be supported.
Not only does God require the tithe, but he requires that all we have be used to his glory. There must be no spendthrift habits; it is God's property that we are handling. Not one dollar or one shilling is our own. The squandering of money in luxuries deprives the poor of the means necessary to supply them with food and clothing. That which is spent for the gratification of pride in dress, in buildings, in furniture, and in decorations, would relieve the distress of many wretched, suffering families. God's stewards are to minister to the needy. This is the fruit of pure and undefiled religion. The Lord condemns men for their selfish indulgence while their fellow beings are suffering for the want of food and clothing.
God's money is needed. It is hoarded and buried in the world, while multitudes are starving for temporal food and spiritual knowledge. It is spent in foolish amusements, in dissipating games and sports and idolatrous practises. God says, "Shall I not visit for these things?" Already he is sending his judgments upon the earth. Terrible plagues are visiting our world, in famines, in floods, in calamities by sea and land, in earthquakes in divers places. And because of men's wickedness the Lord does not restrain the destroying power.
Professed Christians reject the Lord's plan of raising means for his work; and to what do they resort to supply the lack? God sees the wickedness of the methods they adopt. Places of worship are defiled by all manner of idolatrous dissipation, that a little money may be won from selfish pleasure-lovers to pay church debts or to sustain the work of the church. Many of these persons would not of their own accord pay one shilling for religious purposes. Where, in God's directions for the support of his work, do we find any mention of bazaars, concerts, fancy fairs, and similar entertainments? Must the Lord's cause be dependent upon the very things he has forbidden in his word--upon those things that turn the mind away from God, from sobriety, from piety and holiness? And what impression is made upon the minds of unbelievers? The holy standard of the word of God is lowered into the dust. Contempt is cast upon God and upon the Christian name. The most corrupt principles are strengthened by this unscriptural way of raising means. And this is as Satan would have it. Men are repeating the sin of Nadab and Abihu. They are using common instead of sacred fire in the service of God. The Lord accepts no such offerings. All these methods for bringing money into his treasury are an abomination to him. It is a spurious devotion that prompts all such devising. O what blindness, what infatuation, is upon many who claim to be Christians! Church members are doing as did the inhabitants of the world in the days of Noah, when the imagination of their hearts was only evil continually. All who fear God will abhor such practises as a misrepresentation of the religion of Jesus Christ.
There is sin, enormous sin, charged against many who profess to be Christians. The great Pleader says, My claims upon the human heart have been ignored. God calls for repentance, for reformation.
The Lord calls upon every one of his children to let heaven's light--the light of his own unselfish love--shine out amid the darkness of this degenerate age. If he sees you acknowledge him as the possessor of yourself and all your possessions, if he sees you use your entrusted means as a faithful steward, he will register your name in the books of heaven as a laborer together with him, a partner in his great firm, to work in behalf of your fellow men. And joy will be yours in the final day, as it is seen that the means wisely used in helping others has caused through you thanksgiving to God.
The Lord declares that what a man sows he shall also reap. Shall we not, then, by our good works, seek to sow the very best quality of seed? In the last days of the old year shall we not make our account right with God by bringing all the tithes into his storehouse? Will any venture longer to rob God in tithes and offerings? In the coming holidays, let our gifts be not to one another, but to the house of God, "that there may," he says, "be meat in mine house." In place of spending our time and means in getting up something to surprise and gratify our friends, shall we not turn all our offerings into God's treasury? Shall we not make a thank offering to the Lord? Will those who profess to be Christians see this matter in its true bearing? Will they awake to a sense of their obligation to God, and render to him his own?" Every man as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 15, 1896
December 15, 1896(Vol. 73, #50)
"The Importance of Obedience" Obedience or disobedience decides every man's destiny. Those who obey God are counted worthy to share his throne, while those who disobey will be forever lost. But sin has weakened our powers of obedience, and in our own strength we can never obey God. Knowing this, God sent Jesus to our world to live his law. Only the mind that is trained to obedience to God can do justice to his divine claims, and God gave Christ up to humiliation and suffering, to be afflicted with all the temptations wherewith humanity is afflicted, that in his strength we might be enabled to keep his law. It was for the recovery of man that Christ came into the world, and it is to the will of man that he appeals. The knowledge of God through Jesus Christ brings every thought into obedience to his will. The heart that was defiled by disobedience to God's requirements, and which in its fall dragged down the faculties of the whole being, is renewed by this knowledge.
All may study with profit the experience of the first Adam in contrast with that of the second Adam. The first Adam possessed beautiful Eden, a gift from God to the beings he had created. The sinless pair were very happy in their possession; for nothing that was needed to sustain them, or to please the senses, was withheld. Only one test was made,--they were not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; and death was the penalty of the transgression of this command.
But Satan came to them, and told them that if they ate of the forbidden fruit, they would immediately become as gods, knowing good and evil. God wished them to know only good. Will they listen to the strange voice, which charges God with selfishness and injustice for making such an arrangement? Will they disobey God by listening to the insinuations of the enemy, because addressed to them in flattering words? Can it be that they will do this terrible thing?
They did do it. Adam fell from his loyalty because he did not obey the "Thou shalt not" of God's word; and by his sin the floodgates of woe were opened upon our world. If faithful to God's requirements, he would have had perfect descendants, as pure and uncorrupted as he himself was when he came from the hand of God. As father of the human race, he could have imparted the pure higher education, which he himself had received direct from God. But by his disobedience he spoiled God's plan for himself and for his posterity.
After Adam had sinned, the only means of salvation for the human race was for the Son of the infinite God to give his life that they might have another trial of obedience. What love the Father manifested in behalf of man, erring and disobedient though he was! He "so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God was in the world, represented by Christ.
Christ, the second Adam, came to a world polluted and marred, to live a life of perfect obedience. The race, weakened in moral power, was unable to cope with Satan, who ruled his subjects with cruel authority. Christ came to stand on the field of battle in warfare against all the satanic forces. By representing in his life the character of God, he sought to win man back to his allegiance.
Clad in the vestments of humanity, the Son of God came down to the level of those he wished to save. In him was no guile or sinfulness; he was ever pure and undefiled; yet he took upon him our sinful nature. Clothing his divinity with humanity, that he might associate with fallen humanity, he sought to regain for man that which, by disobedience, Adam had lost for himself and for the world. In his own character he displayed to the world the character of God. He pleased not himself, but went about doing good. His whole history, for more than thirty years, was one of pure, disinterested benevolence. By his words, his influence, and his example, he made men feel that it was possible for them to return to their loyalty and be reinstated in God's favor. He led them to see that if they repented, if their characters were transformed after the divine similitude, they would win immortality.
Can we wonder that men were astonished at his teaching? "He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." The teaching of the scribes and Pharisees was a continuous repetition of fables and childish traditions. Their opinions and ceremonies rested on ancient maxims and rabbinical sayings which were frivolous and worthless. With what astonishment did the people listen to the words that fell from the lips of the divine Teacher! Christ did not dwell on weak, insipid sayings and theories of men. As one possessing the highest authority, he addressed his hearers, presenting before them momentous subjects; and his appeals carried conviction to their hearts. The opinion of all, expressed by many who were not able to keep silent, was, "Never man spake like this Man."
God desires that the beings made in his image shall render obedience to him. He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." For this he gave his only begotten Son to this world, that in his strength men might have power to obey. He has "blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." In order that sinners may hear the message of salvation, he calls upon those who claim to be his servants to cooperate with the heavenly intelligences in carrying forward his work. He has plainly stated the way in which the ministry of his word is to be sustained. Each one is to act his part. No one is excused from cheerfully doing his part to keep the treasury of God supplied with means. These offerings are to be used in his work, drawn from the treasury as the cause demands, to extend his work in regions beyond. God waits to see if we, who have been purchased by the life of the Son of God, through whom all our temporal blessings flow, will render obedience to him in this matter. Shall we disobey God by withholding from him our tithes and offerings? Other souls, as precious in his sight as we are, must have the light of truth brought to them. Then shall we not follow the example of our Saviour, and work to save others?
The Bible teaches the whole will of God concerning us. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." The teaching of this word is exactly that needed in all circumstances in which we may be placed. It is a sufficient rule of faith and practise; for it is the voice of God speaking to the soul, giving the members of his family directions for keeping the heart with all diligence. If this word is studied,--not merely read, but studied,--it furnishes us with a storehouse of knowledge which enables us to improve every God-given endowment. It teaches us our obligation to use the faculties given us. Guided by its precepts, we may render obedience to God's requirements.
All who will come to the word of God for guidance, with humble, inquiring minds, determined to know the terms of salvation, will understand what saith the Scriptures. But those who bring to the investigation of the word a spirit which it does not approve, will take away from the search a spirit which it has not imparted. The Lord will not speak to a mind that is unconcerned. He wastes not his instruction on one who is willingly irreverent or polluted. But the tempter educates every mind that yields itself to his suggestions, and is willing to make of none effect God's holy law.
We need to humble our hearts, and with sincerity and reverence search the word of life; for that mind alone that is humble and contrite can see light. The heart, the mind, the soul, must be prepared to receive light. There must be silence in the soul. The thoughts must be brought into captivity to Jesus Christ. The boastful self-knowledge and self-sufficiency must stand rebuked in the presence of the word of God.
The Lord speaks to the heart that humbles itself before him. At the altar of prayer, as the throne of grace is touched by faith, we receive from the hand of God that celestial torch which enlightens our darkness, and convinces us of our spiritual necessity. The Holy Spirit takes of the things of God, and reveals them to the one who is sincerely seeking for the heavenly treasure. If we yield to his guidance, he leads us into all light. As we behold the glory of Christ, we become changed into his image. We have that faith which works by love, and purifies the soul. Our hearts are renewed, and we are made willing to obey God in all things.
Stirring times are before us, and it is fatal to be careless and indifferent. "Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." We cannot afford to be disobedient to God's requirements. The wrath which the impenitent are now treasuring up against that day when the judgment shall sit, and every case shall be judged and awarded according to the things written in the books of heaven, will soon break upon them. Then the voice of mercy will no longer plead in behalf of the sinner. The word will be, "Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone."
But the voice of entreaty is still heard. Mercy lingers; it is not yet too late for wrongs to be repented of and righted. "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Now is the time to receive the word of truth and life and salvation. Now is the time for those who know the truth to say to those who are in darkness, "Come." In the place of calling the messenger of God to your aid, to labor for you, for the sake of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who came to our world to call sinners to repentance, let all who claim to be Christians say by precept and example to those who are out of the fold, "Come; for all things are now ready."
I would call upon all to be wide-awake. The time in which we are now living is the only probation we shall have. The perils of the last days are upon us. Erelong the opportunity to gain eternal life by obedience to God's commandments will be forever gone. If the invitations given now are refused, if we persist in disobedience, we shall have no second probation. "Choose you this day whom ye will serve,"--God or Mammon. Now, while it is called today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, lest it be the last invitation of mercy. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 22, 1896
December 22, 1896(Vol. 73, #51)
"A Lesson From the Sanctuary" "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke."
As the prophet Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, he was amazed, and, overwhelmed with a sense of his own weakness and unworthiness, he cried, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts."
Isaiah had denounced the sin of others; but now he sees himself exposed to the same condemnation he had pronounced upon them. He had been satisfied with a cold, lifeless ceremony in his worship of God. He had not known this until the vision was given him of the Lord. How little now appeared his wisdom and talents as he looked upon the sacredness and majesty of the sanctuary. How unworthy he was! how unfitted for sacred service! His view of himself might be expressed in the language of the apostle Paul, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
But relief was sent to Isaiah in his distress. He says: "Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."
In the previous chapter Isaiah had pronounced a woe upon the people who had separated themselves from God: "Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope." Men may seek to strengthen their forces by confederating together, making, as they suppose, strong societies to carry out the plans they have formed. They may lift up their souls in pride and self-sufficiency; but the One mighty in counsel does not plan with them. Their unbelief in his purposes and work, and their confidence in man will not permit them to receive the messages he sends. They say: "Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!" But God says: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him."
The class here represented, in order to exalt their own opinions, employ a reasoning which is not authorized by the word of God. They walk in the sparks of their own kindling. By their specious reasoning, they confuse the distinction that God desires to have drawn between good and evil. The sacred is brought down on a level with common things. Avarice and selfishness are called by false names; they are called prudence. Their rising up in independence and rebellion, their revenge and stubbornness, in their eyes are proofs of dignity, evidences of a noble mind. They act as though ignorance of divine things were not dangerous and even fatal to the soul; and they prefer their own reasoning to divine revelation, their own plans and human wisdom to the admonitions and commands of God. The piety and conscientiousness of others are called, fanaticism, and those who practice truth and holiness are watched and criticized. They deride those who teach and believe the mystery of godliness, "Christ in you the hope of glory." The principles underlying these things are not discerned by them; and they go on in wrongdoing, leaving the bars open for Satan to find ready access to the soul.
All self-exaltation and self-admiration are the result of ignorance of God and of Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. How quickly will self-esteem die, and pride be humbled in the dust, when we view the matchless charms of the character of Christ! The holiness of his character is reflected by all who serve him in spirit and in truth. If our lips have need of cleansing, if we realize our destitution, and come to God in contrition of heart, the Lord will remove the uncleanness. He will say to his angel, "Take away the filthy garments," and clothe him with "change of raiment."
Let every soul who claims to be a son or a daughter of God examine himself in the light of heaven; let him consider the polluted lips that make him "undone." They are the medium of communication. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." Then let them not be used in bringing from the treasure of the heart words that will dishonor God and discourage those around you, but use them for the praise and glory of God, who has formed them for this purpose. When the cleansing coal is applied from the glowing altar, the conscience will be purged from dead works to serve the living God; and when the love of Jesus is the theme of contemplation, the words coming from human lips will be full of praise and thanksgiving to God and to the Lamb.
How many words are spoken in lightness and foolishness, in jesting and joking! This would not be so did the followers of Christ realize the truth of the words, "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
Harsh and unkind words, words of censure and criticism of God's work and his messengers, are indulged in by those who profess to be his children. When these careless souls discern the greatness of God's character, they will not mingle their spirit and attributes with his service. When our eyes look by faith into the sanctuary, and take in the reality, the importance and holiness, of the work there being done, everything of a selfish nature will be abhorred by us. Sin will appear as it is,--the transgression of God's holy law. The atonement will be better understood; and by living, active faith, we shall see that whatever of virtue humanity possesses, it exists only in Jesus Christ, the world's Redeemer.
The seraphim before the throne are so filled with reverential awe in beholding the glory of God that they do not for an instant look upon themselves with self-complacency, or in admiration of themselves or one another. Their praise and glory are for the Lord of Hosts, who is high and lifted up, and the glory of whose train fills the temple. As they see the future, when the whole earth shall be filled with his glory, the triumphant song of praise is echoed from one to another in melodious chant, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts." They are fully satisfied to glorify God; and in his presence, beneath his smile of approbation, they wish for nothing more. In bearing his image, in doing his service and worshiping him, their highest ambition is fully reached.
The vision given to Isaiah represents the condition of God's people in the last days. They are privileged to see by faith the work that is going forward in the heavenly sanctuary. "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament." As they look by faith into the holy of holies, and see the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, they perceive that they are a people of unclean lips,--a people whose lips have often spoken vanity, and whose talents have not been sanctified and employed to the glory of God. Well may they despair as they contrast their own weakness and unworthiness with the purity and loveliness of the glorious character of Christ. But if they, like Isaiah, will receive the impression the Lord designs shall be made upon the heart, if they will humble their souls before God, there is hope for them. The bow of promise is above the throne, and the work done for Isaiah will be performed in them. God will respond to the petitions coming from the contrite heart.
The object of this great and solemn work of God is to gather together the sheaves for the heavenly garner; for the earth is to be filled with the glory of the Lord. Then let none be dismayed as they see the prevailing wickedness and hear the language coming from unclean lips. When the powers of darkness set themselves in array against the people of God; when Satan shall muster his forces for the last great conflict, and his power seems to be great and almost overwhelming, the clear view of the divine glory, the throne high and lifted up, arched with the bow of promise, will give comfort, assurance, and peace. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 29, 1896
December 29, 1896(Vol. 73, #52)
"True Worth" In his word the Lord has shown what man may become if connected with the Source of all wisdom. The soul of every one is precious. All heaven is interested in the plan of salvation, and its power is waiting our demand. We may choose wisely, and through Christ become more precious in the sight of God than the golden wedge of Ophir, or we may become as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal; but if we do choose to degenerate, we shall become wholly worthless, and lose heaven with all its riches.
Character cannot be bought with gold; it does not come to us by accident. Character is earned by individual effort through the merits and grace of Christ. It is formed by hard, stern battles with self. Conflict after conflict must be urged against hereditary tendencies. We shall have to criticize ourselves closely, and allow not one unfavorable trait to remain uncorrected, unreformed.
If the character is left to be molded as chance may direct, it will become deformed and unlovely. There are in every one weak points that need to be strengthened; for Satan will take advantage of every unguarded spot. The question to be settled is, Will you follow the light God has given? If you would do so, close the door against your own suggestions, desires, and doubts. Temptations will thicken about your pathway; but the Lord will be nigh to you if you call upon him in sincerity. Stand fast in the strength of Jesus. Swerve not from the right to gain any one's friendship or to avoid difficulty. Christians can afford to be straight-forward, and firm as a rock to principle. All the excellence of character we attain will be gained in moving in this straight line. Be kind and considerate to others; but at the same time be frank and sincere; for the Lord despises dissembling. Never allow the gold of character to be dimmed with the dross of earthly, corruptible metal. The standard of the world is not the criterion for the Christian. Reputation, property, everything earthly, may be sacrificed; for this will not lessen our value in the heavenly records; but principle must be preserved.
Truthfulness and frankness should be ever cherished by all who claim to be followers of Christ. God and the right should be the motto. Deal honestly and righteously in this present evil world. Some will be honest when they see that honesty will not endanger their worldly interests; but all who act from this principle will have their names blotted out of the book of life.
Strict honesty must be cultivated. We can go through the world but once; we cannot come back to rectify any mistakes; therefore every move made should be with godly fear and careful consideration. Honesty and policy will not harmonize; either policy will be subdued, and truth and honesty hold the lines of control, or policy will take the lines, and honesty cease to direct. Both cannot act together; they can never be in agreement. When God makes up his jewels, the true, the frank, the honest, will be his chosen ones, his treasures. Angels are preparing crowns for such; and light from the throne of God will be reflected in its splendor from these star-gemmed diadems.
These things will bear thoughtful consideration,--close, critical examination. With your Bible in your hand, study its claims with earnest prayer that you may never be self-deceived. We are now living in an age when the question is asked, "When the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" In this age of degeneracy, where we are surrounded with moral pollution, God's people are to form characters for heaven. This work is to go on daily.
We are in the investigative judgment; and the work for the time is solemn heart-searching. The duty devolves upon every one to consider, to watch, and to pray. You are not bidden by the Lord to examine your neighbor's heart. Let your investigative powers be put to work to discover what evil is lurking in your own heart, what defects are in your character; what work needs to be done in your own home. Parents are responsible for the souls of their children; they are accountable for the mold of character they give them. They will, if they realize their duty, work most earnestly for their own salvation and for the salvation of their children. When parents are careless in their own ways, and in regard to the character and deportment of their children, they lose the favor of God. But every family that will seek God with humiliation and prayer will be doing the work that is essential for eternal salvation.
Satan is working diligently and most successfully to put his selfish stamp upon the characters of even professed Christians, and many are becoming narrow in their ideas of duty and obligation. They are degenerating, and receiving a stamp of character which is offensive to God. Self-love and unholy passions occupy the citadel of the soul. To those who are professedly keeping the law of God, but are daily transgressing its holy principles, let me say, Search, O search and see how little reverence you have for eternal things, how little love for devotion.
The proving time has come, and angels are watching the development of character. How many, since they have professed Christ, have changed for the better? My brother, my sister, are you becoming more and more like Jesus, who is pure, holy, undefiled? Can your associates see in you the likeness of Christ? Can they see that you maintain in your dress, in your conversation, your daily life, the simplicity of your Master?
Many know so little about their Bibles that they are unsettled in the faith. They remove the old landmarks, and fallacies and winds of doctrine blow them hither and thither. Science, falsely so-called, is wearing away the foundation of Christian principle; and those who once were in the faith drift away from the Bible landmarks, and divorce themselves from God, while still claiming to be his children. But are they?--No; no. The relation they sustain to God is truly represented in Matt. 7:22, 23: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Christ is our Pattern. Separated from God, leaning to their own understanding, men become fools; and yet in their own estimation, and in the estimation of others, they are often the wisest of men. Their sayings are eagerly caught up, repeated, extolled, and adopted, while the utterances of the living God, who made heaven and earth, are disregarded because not in harmony with their ideas of science. Could these once see themselves as God views them, how soon their attitude would change, how soon the godless prating would cease, how ashamed they would be of their boasting and their vanity; how their vain imaginations would change. Their corrupt hearts, roving on the enemy's ground, can find no happiness, no peace. We are not safe in trusting in ourselves. Unless divested of the robes of our own wisdom and self-righteousness, and clothed with Christ's robe of spotless purity, we shall be in infinite peril. We shall not appear of half the value in our own estimation when we view Jesus in his matchless charms.
The ambition of every soul should be to make straight his paths, that the feet of others may not be led astray. But the care and anxiety with many is to shape their course to be admired by men. The highest effort of their mental powers is directed to this end. They speak and act that they may float upon the tide of popularity. There is no dependence to be placed upon this class; for they will betray sacred trusts, if by so doing they can serve their own interests. They study their own purposes so intently that they have no time for the study of God's word. The day of retributive judgment is coming on apace, and it will find them unprepared.
What value can Christians place on the praise and flattery of men who have no reverence for God nor love for his truth? The honor of such persons is of no worth. We should not aim to receive the applause of the world, but to render honor to Him who is worthy of the heart's best and holiest affections. This is a worthy ambition, and it brings the highest reward; for God has promised, "Them that honor me I will honor."
O how much the Spirit of Christ is needed by every one who has any interest or acts any part in the work of God! God would have every one make the most of his own talents and opportunities. Brethren, show your appreciation of the gifts of God by putting them to a wise use, with an eye single to his glory. Self must not gain the mastery. Hide yourself in Jesus, and let the precious Redeemer appear as the One altogether lovely, the chiefest among ten thousand. You must become a partaker of the divine nature if you would escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.
There are many men of noble qualities whom God would use in his cause; but the bewitching power of Satan has been cast over them like a spell. Science, falsely so-called, would lead them to reason away the very foundation of true religion. It has so confused their senses that the testimony of the Spirit and word of God is questioned. Doubts are entertained because they cannot harmonize these with their views of science and natural principles. Thus they enter the wilderness of unbelief, and make shipwreck of their faith. The truth as it is in Jesus, in its simplicity, would have proved an anchor to them; but they have broken away from the stronghold, and drifted about, beaten by the winds and waves of unbelief.
It is the duty and privilege of all to use reason as far as man's finite faculties can go; but there is a boundary where man's resources must cease. There are many things that can never be reasoned out by the strongest intellect, or discerned by the most penetrating mind. Philosophy cannot determine the ways and works of God; the human mind cannot measure infinity. Jehovah is the fountain of all wisdom, of all truth, of all knowledge. There are high attainments that man can reach in this life through the wisdom that God imparts; but there is an infinity beyond that will be the study and the joy of the saints throughout eternal ages. Man can now only linger upon the borders of that vast expanse, and let imagination take its flight. Finite man cannot fathom the deep things of God; for spiritual things are spiritually discerned. The human mind cannot comprehend the wisdom and power of God. By Mrs. E. G. White.