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Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, January 3, 1893
(Vol. 70, #1)
“Let Both Grow Together”
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”
The Lord does not leave the work of judging to finite man; for unless the Holy Spirit sanctifies the soul, man cannot be a cautious, safe judge. In the parable of the wheat and the tares, the Lord gave special directions to warn his disciples against uprooting those from the church who they supposed were spurious Christians. He had said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” This lesson has been strangely neglected by those who profess to be doers of the words of Christ; for if a brother erred, and did not meet their ideas, they manifested hardheartedness, a cold, critical spirit, and rashly followed their impulses, and turned the offender adrift.
The Lord sums up the whole duty of man in the following words: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” “But I say unto you, that 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.” “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
There are many who are treated as tares and hopeless subjects, whom Christ is drawing to himself. Men judge from the outward appearance, and think they discern the true measurement of a man’s character; but they make many blunders in their judgments. They put a high estimate upon a man whose appearance is as an angel of light, when in thought and heart he is corrupt and unworthy. On another whose appearance is not so favorable, they pass criticism, make him an offender for a word, and would separate him from the church because of his supposed defective character, when it may be that He who reads the heart, sees true moral worth in the man. Human judgment does not decide any case; for the Lord’s thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are his ways our ways. He whom we would separate from the church as altogether unworthy, is the object of the Lord’s solicitude and love. All heaven is engaged in doing the appointed work of drawing souls to God, and the Lord has said concerning his word, “It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
Then since the Lord is working through his own divine agency upon the hearts of those whom we would term hopeless subjects, let not man be officious, let him stand out of the way of God’s work; for his word that goeth forth from his mouth, will accomplish its appointed work, and prosper in the thing whereunto it is sent. Let not man set himself up as judge of his brethren; for God “hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” “And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.” “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. . . . For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”
Jesus clothed his divinity with humanity in order that he might reach humanity. The apostle says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same. . . . For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore 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 the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” Jesus is the only one that has ever walked in the flesh who is able to judge righteously. Looking at outward acts, men may condemn and root up that which they think to be tares; but they may greatly mistake. Both ministers and laymen should be Bible students, and understand how to act in regard to the erring. They are not to move rashly, to be actuated by prejudices or partiality, to be ready with an unfeeling heart, to uproot one and tear down another; for this is most solemn work. In criticising and condemning their brethren, the accusers wound and bruise the souls for whom Christ has died. Christ has purchased them with his own precious blood; and although men, judging from outward appearances, pronounce sentence against them, their judgment in the courts of heaven is more favorable than that of their accusers. Before any of you speak against your brethren, or act decidedly to cut them off from church fellowship, follow the injunction of the apostle: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
Let those who would dispose of their brethren, look well to the character of their own thoughts, their motives, their impulses, purposes, and deeds. Compare your experience with the law of God, and see whether you are an example in character, in conversation, in purity. Said Christ, “I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified.” Before condemning others, let us ask ourselves, “Am I an example to my brethren in bearing fruit unto holiness? Do the fruits of the Spirit,–love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, appear in my life? Have I that charity which suffereth long, and is kind; that thinketh no evil? Do I reveal the fact to others that I am in the faith?” If upon careful, prayerful examination of ourselves, we discover that we are not able to bear the test of human investigation, then how shall we endure the test of the eyes of God, if we set ourselves up as judges of others?
Before judging others, our first work is to watch and pray, to institute a warfare against the evils of our own hearts through the grace of Christ. We are to stand under the shadow of the cross of Calvary, humbling our hearts, confessing our sins, and entreating the Lord to pardon our defects of character, and strengthen our love for our brethren. If we neglect this heart searching in the light of divine truth, self-love will blind our eyes, and we shall have a much better opinion of ourselves than God has of us. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. And it is written, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.”
The reason is plain why Christ has said, “Judge not;” for it is natural for man to exalt his own goodness, to shun a candid examination of his own heart, and depreciate others. If we looked upon things in the right light, we should see that we need mercy from Christ every moment, and should render the same to our brethren. Jesus has not placed man upon the judgment seat; for he knew human nature too well to give man the power to judge and condemn others. He knew that in their fallible judgment, they would root up some as tares, who were worthy of their sympathy and confidence, and would pass by others who deserved to be dealt with in a decided manner. When there are cases in the church which need to be dealt with decidedly, let the rule of the Bible be carried out. If the influence of erring members has an influence that corrupts others, they should be disfellowshiped; and heaven will ratify the action. It is the work of the enemy to sow tares among the wheat; and there will be men found in the church whose influence, as far as we can discern from outward appearance, is no blessing to the church. But even in cases of this character we are to move cautiously; for Christ and heavenly agencies are at work to purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
While Christ is at work to preserve a pure church in the earth, Satan ever seeks to counteract his agency and work. Spurious Christians are found in the church of God; for we find men, while professing the name of Christ, more firmly united to Satan than they are united with pure and holy influences. They gather darkness and unbelief from Satan, and they communicate it to the church. They profess to have the power of discernment, and discover spots and stains in the character of their brethren, and are not slow to communicate their suspicions to other members of the church. They distribute the leaven of distrust, of malice and accusation. And as a result, alienation and estrangement come in between brethren. All these false accusers, though their names are on the church records, are under the control of Satan, and work as his agents to weaken and confuse the church, and divide the brethren of Christ on earth. When this has been accomplished, Satan exults over the divided state of the church, and points the world to the professed followers of Christ, thus bringing the name of Christ into dishonor before the world, and intrenching men in their unbelief and rebellion against God. By Mrs. E. G. White. (Concluded next week.)
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, January 10, 1893
(Vol. 70, #2)
“Let Both Grow Together (Concluded)”
“Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
We have great need to search the Scriptures that we may be representatives of Christ, and act our part as laborers together with God to build up the church in the most holy faith. There is not enough careful, prayerful, painstaking investigation in accepting members into the church. We cannot follow the example of the world, or allow their criticisms to sway us from the path of duty. They will blame us if we refuse to admit certain persons into church fellowship, and on the other hand, they condemn the church for its unworthy members. They will say, The church is no better than the world; for its members deceive and cheat and bear false witness; so the world’s say so in this matter of who shall be admitted into church fellowship, should have no weight with us. There is one thing that we have no right to do, and that is to judge another man’s heart or impugn his motives. But when a person presents himself as a candidate for church membership, we are to examine the fruit of his life, and leave the responsibility of his motive with himself. But great care should be exercised in accepting members into the church; for Satan has his specious devices through which he purposes to crowd false brethren into the church, through whom he can work more successfully to weaken the cause of God.
It should be the earnest desire of every heart to keep the church pure, and individually we are to keep our hearts in the love of God, and practice the truth daily, that this may be accomplished. The question is asked in regard to the tares, “Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.” We are not required to criticise, to condemn, or root out all that we suppose to be tares, lest we root out also the wheat. The church will not be free from those whose influence is out of harmony with that which should characterize the servants of Christ. The children of God will be stirred in spirit by the doings of these unworthy members, and they will desire to do something to cleanse the church, that its members may be a light to shine in the world; but even under these circumstances, let them be careful to heed the words of the great Teacher: “Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.” There is such a thing as zeal not according to knowledge; and could all the circumstances be opened which surround these souls, the zealous church members might have their ideas modified, and be led to pursue an entirely different course. They would see that a work devolved upon them to seek and save instead of to destroy, to manifest longsuffering, gentleness, patience, and love, to those whose character and life are below the standard. To cut them off from the church would, perhaps, extinguish their last hope. And who can determine how God looks upon these manifestly erring ones? In many cases it is evident that those who are most zealous to see the church without blemish, have serious defects of character which they do not discern. Because of their own mistakes and failings, unconsciously to themselves, they may be doing greater harm than the one they judge unworthy to remain in fellowship with the church.
Many a church trial is the result of personal likes and dislikes. Evil surmisings have led to evil speaking and accusing. Because of some mistake in business dealing, men have become suspicious of their brethren. Instead of going to their brethren privately, and speaking plainly to them of their errors, thus manifesting true love, and removing the cloud of difficulty, they have brought about a church trial, and would have the questions which vex them settled by the church by digging up the supposed tares. Many have been severed from the church because of these personal spites, and have been thrown upon the enemy’s battleground, where they have become discouraged, and through manifold temptations, have fallen into the very sins of which they were accused.
Let the words of Christ be carefully studied, “Let both grow together till the harvest.” Let there be no triumphing over a brother that has stumbled, but rather let there be a following of the Scripture injunction: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
The scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman whom they accused as guilty of breaking the seventh commandment. They said to him, “Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.” Curiosity led them to draw near, and read what was written on the ground. There they saw their own sins plainly stated,–sins of a far more aggravated character than that into which she had been betrayed; for her accusers had induced her to sin, that they might lay a snare for Christ. And they which heard the words of Christ, “being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last.”
Those who are most guilty of wrong, are the first to see wrong; therefore let every church member see to it that his own heart is pure before God, that his name is not only written on the church books, but registered in the Lamb’s book of life. Then he will not be a judge of his brethren, he will not be a despiser of those whom he considers defective. He will remember the words of the apostle, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. . . . And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
The spirit that instigates accusation and condemnation in the church which results in uprooting those that are looked upon as evildoers, has manifested itself in seeking to correct wrongs through the civil power. This is Satan’s own method for bringing the world under his dominion; but the Lord Jesus Christ has given us no such example for thus dealing with the erring. God has been misrepresented through the church by this very way of dealing with heretics; he has been represented as the one who empowered the church to do these wicked things.
Those who have differed from the established doctrines have been imprisoned, put to torture and to death, because the dignitaries of the church could not endure those who dissented from ideas which these leaders deemed to be true. Satan himself is the sower of tares; but even though he he is the sower of them, they are not to be rooted up, lest by chance the wheat be rooted up with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and the harvest is the end of probationary time. Fiendish zeal has been manifested in excluding dissenters from the fellowship of the church, and passing upon them the sentence of excommunication by which the Roman Church asserted its power of excluding them from all possibility of entering heaven.
How does heaven look upon such things? With what amazement do angels hear men judging and condemning their brethren, causing them most cruel suffering of body and mind, and claiming that they do it under the sanction of God? Instead of being under the leadership of Christ, they are following the leadership of Satan. Paul at one time pursued this course, actually believing that he was doing God service; but Jesus spoke to him, and told him that in persecuting his saints he was persecuting him. All persecution, all force employed to compel conscience, is after Satan’s own order; and those who carry out these designs are his agents to execute his hellish purpose. In following Satan’s cruel proposals, in becoming his agents, men become the enemies of God and his church, and will be judged in that great day by that man whom God hath ordained; for he hath committed all judgment into the hands of his Son.
The time is at hand when the judgment will sit, and the books will be opened, and everyone will be judged according to the deeds that have been done in the body. What an hour that will be! What human depravity will come to light even among those who claim to be Christians, but whose practical life has testified that they had not a saving knowledge of Christ! Today many of these are members of the church, and are fellowshiped as Christians; but they are self-deceived, as was the young man who came to Christ asking what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, which? Jesus said: Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up, what lack I yet?” Jesus looked upon the young man, and loved him, knowing that he was sincere, and had no knowledge of his own defects. This young man had preserved an unblemished outward character; for he had not been tried by circumstances to bring out the selfishness of his heart. And he verily thought his life perfect, as he asked, “What lack I yet?” Then Jesus touched the plague spot of his heart, saying, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”
The words of Jesus tried his heart; for he had an idol there,–the world was his god. He professed to have kept the commandments, but he revealed the fact that he did not love God supremely, or his neighbor as himself. This want meant the want of everything that would qualify him to enter the kingdom of heaven. Love of self and worldly gain controlled his modes of thought and modes of life. And he was registered in the books of heaven as wanting, although Christ saw in him lovable traits of character. But genuine Christlikeness cannot be manifested in the character until Christ is received by faith, and formed within, the hope of glory. Jesus looked upon the young man, and longed after his soul, desiring that every intrusted talent might be recognized as the gift of God, might be sanctified to his use, and employed to his glory. Jesus desired to see the young man seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that he might be a light to the world, imparting to others the knowledge of Christ, by precept and example.
The young man wanted eternal life; but he could not accept the conditions upon which Christ offered it to him, and he turned away from Christ with a sorrowful heart. And yet Christ was not asking of him a sacrifice which he had not made himself, for he had left his glory, his riches, his honor, and for our sake had become poor, and of no reputation, that he might win for us eternal riches and immortal glory. He enlightened this young man in regard to his own heart, showing him that he could not hoard up his treasures for personal gratification, and yet possess a Christian character. Christ says, “Sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” But the young man was not ready to follow the Prince of life, to become poor that he might make others rich.
The love of the world disqualifies a man for the service of God. Those who would be servants of God must give their best energies to the work, planning ways and means by which the cause of truth may be made successful. If a man’s best thought is concentrated in devising ways and means to gather in earthly treasure, his heart is with his treasure, and he minds earthly things. Those who consecrate themselves to God, and constantly seek wisdom from on high, know that they cannot engage in business where their whole energies are devoted to the world, and still be the servants of God; for everything they do must be to his glory. Spiritual advancement in no wise disqualifies men for engaging in worldly business; for where Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, they can do their business as in the sight of the Lord and for his honor.
But the servants of Christ cannot bind themselves up with the world; they cannot belong to secret societies, without binding themselves in with the tares. He who has placed himself under the banner of Christ, has pledged himself to follow no pursuit, to engage in no enterprise, that shall interfere with his service to the Lord of heaven. Christ is to be his all, and in all.
Christ requires personal faithfulness of his servants, and we are to show that we have no fellowship with the secret, hidden things of darkness. The wheat is not to sow itself among the tares; for although we may not practice the works of some of the members of the secret orders, in joining them we are registered in heaven as partakers of their evil deeds, responsible for their works of evil, and bound up in bundles with them as tares. Thank God, it is not too late for Christians to sever themselves from all unholy connections, and come fully unto the side of Christ. But while the church is to separate itself from evildoers, to come out from among them, and be separate, and touch not the unclean, the Lord would not have his people judge and condemn others. The tares are permitted to grow among the wheat, to have all the advantage of sun and shower; but in the time of the harvest, “shall ye return, and discern between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not;” for then every soul will be revealed in his true character. The tares will be bound into bundles to be burned, the wheat gathered into the heavenly garner. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, January 17, 1893
(Vol. 70, #3)
“The Church Must Be Quickened”
“Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” This is a time when every member of the church should be waiting, watching, and working. Through faith in Jesus Christ we should be alive unto God; and every man, woman, and child, who has a knowledge of truth, should be able to discern the signs of the times. The weakness and inefficiency of the church must pass away. Creative power from above must impart life to the human agents whom God would use, that they may be able to cooperate with divine intelligences. The church to whom God has imparted his endowment of heavenly truth must not remain dead in trespasses and sins.
The True Witness, the Spirit of the living God. is inspecting the assembly of those who have had great spiritual light and advantages, and the testimony is that in the church of God there is great waste in energy misapplied, in talents perverted to wrong uses, in strength unemployed; and the abilities that God has bestowed on his people are degenerating, because they are not used for the seeking and the saving of those who are lost. The world around us is stirred from beneath with earnest activity in evil works, but apparently dead to all that pertains to their eternal interests. But although this seems to be the condition of those around us, and there is little to encourage us to hope for the conversion of souls, God requires those to whom he has committed his truth for these last days, to present the word to the fallen children of Adam, both in the world and among the churches. As Christ’s witnesses, our commission is clear, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” We are to be waiting, watching, working. It is most inconsistent for the church to whom has been opened the treasures of truth, to be dull, worldly, and indifferent. Casting away all unbelief, we should by faith put every capability and every power into exercise.
The command of God is addressed to all the members of the church to use their powers in his service. Though the instrument may be weak, it is the power of God that will accomplish the work. A Paul may plant, and Apollos may water, but it is God that giveth the increase. There is a great work to do, and the Spirit of the living God must enter into the living messenger, that the truth may go with power. The people of God must be aroused from their moral deadness. They must be quickened with power from above. The Lord has promised, “I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for an only son.”
There is great danger that those whom God would use in his work shall become discouraged as they see the world’s degeneracy, and their own weakness and inability to do so great a work as must be accomplished. But the Lord would not have required us to go forth as agents through whom his light may shine to those who are in darkness, if he had not provided for our needs, and did not see in the world souls who are responding to the drawing of Christ, who have excellent capabilities intrusted to them for his service.
The Lord God of heaven would have the entire church devising ways and means whereby high and low, rich and poor, may hear the message of truth. The Lord Jesus, the mighty Saviour, has died for these souls. He can arouse them from their indifference, he can awaken their sympathies, he can soften their hearts, he can reveal to their souls the beauty and power of the truth. The Master Worker is God, and not finite man; and yet he calls upon men to be the agents through whom he can impart light to those in darkness. God has jewels in all the churches, and it is not for us to make sweeping denunciation of the professed religious world, but in humility and love, present to all the truth as it is in Jesus. Let men see piety and devotion, let them behold Christlikeness of character, and they will be drawn to the truth. He who loves God supremely and his neighbor as himself, will be a light in the world. Those who have a knowledge of the truth are to communicate the same. They are to lift up Jesus, the world’s Redeemer; they are to hold forth the word of life.
The souls of those whom we desire to save are like the representation which Ezekiel saw in vision,–a valley of dry bones. They are dead in trespasses and sins, but God would have us deal with them as though they were living. Were the question put to us. “Son of man, can these bones live.” our answer would be only the confession of ignorance. “O Lord, thou knowest.” To all appearance there is nothing to lead us to hope for their restoration. Yet nevertheless the word of the prophecy must be spoken even to those who are like the dry bones in the valley. We are in no wise to be deterred from fulfilling our commission by the listlessness, the dullness, the lack of spiritual perception, in those upon whom the word of God is brought to bear. We are to preach the word of life to those whom we may judge to be as hopeless subjects as though they were in their graves. Though they may seem unwilling to hear or to receive the light of truth, without questioning or wavering we are to do our part. We are to repeat to them the message. “Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”
It is not the human agent that is to inspire with life. The Lord God of Israel will do that part, quickening the lifeless spiritual nature into activity. The breath of the Lord of hosts must enter into the lifeless bodies. In the judgment, when all secrets are laid bare, it will be known that the voice of God spoke through the human agent, and aroused the torpid conscience, and stirred the lifeless faculties, and moved sinners to repentance and contrition, and forsaking of sins. It will then be clearly seen that through the human agent faith in Jesus Christ was imparted to the soul, and spiritual life from heaven was breathed upon one who was dead in trespasses and sins, and he was quickened with spiritual life.
But not only does this simile of the dry bones apply to the world, but also to those who have been blessed with great light; for they also are like the skeletons of the valley. They have the form of men, the framework of the body; but they have not spiritual life. But the parable does not leave the dry bones merely knit together into the forms of men; for it is not enough that there is symmetry of limb and feature. The breath of life must vivify the bodies, that they may stand upright, and spring into activity. These bones represent the house of Israel, the church of God, and the hope of the church is the vivifying influence of the Holy Spirit. The Lord must breathe upon the dry bones, that they may live.
The Spirit of God, with its vivifying power, must be in every human agent, that every spiritual muscle and sinew may be in exercise. Without the Holy Spirit, without the breath of God, there is torpidity of conscience, loss of spiritual life. Many who are without spiritual life have their names on the church records, but they are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. They may be joined to the church, but they are not united to the Lord. They may be diligent in the performance of a certain set of duties, and may be regarded as living men; but many are among those who “have a name that thou livest, and art dead.” Unless there is genuine conversion of the soul to God; unless the vital breath of God quickens the soul to spiritual life; unless the professors of truth are actuated by heaven-born principle, they are not born of the incorruptible seed which liveth and abideth forever. Unless they trust in the righteousness of Christ as their only security; unless they copy his character, labor in his spirit, they are naked, they have not on the robe of his righteousness. The dead are often made to pass for the living; for those who are working out what they term salvation after their own ideas, have not God working in them to will and to do of his good pleasure.
This class is well represented by the valley of dry bones Ezekiel saw in vision. Those who have had committed to them the treasures of truth, and yet who are dead in trespasses and sin, need to be created anew in Christ Jesus. There is so little real vitality in the church at the present time, that it takes constant labor to give men the appearance of life to the professed people of God. When the converting power of God comes upon the people, it will be made manifest by activity. They will become workers, and will esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the world. They will have respect unto the crown of life, the immortal inheritance. They will not be dependent upon their ministers for their life and experience, but will realize that Christ is the Chief Shepherd of the flock. They will not think that their ministers are appointed of God to do their work for them. They will understand that they must work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God that worketh in them to will and to do of his good pleasure.
From the time that converts come together in church capacity, they should be educated to take up such lines of work as will not only benefit their own souls, but the souls of others. “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” The Lord has given to his followers talents of intellect and energy and means. Those who are known to be men of well-balanced minds, who have the love and fear of God before them, should be appointed as elders and deacons; and through the exercise of the ability God has given them, they may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They may plan wisely, and educate the individual members of the church to act their part in trading with their Lord’s talents. By a right use of their talents they may increase their efficiency in the cause of God. The church may be visited only occasionally by a minister, and yet be a growing church; for Jesus is our minister, and we are never to think that we are left alone. Jesus never forsakes the flock of his pasture. “This man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.”
The human minister may do his best to help you in all your difficulties; but he is only a mortal man, and can render no service that will be of benefit except to point you to the true Minister. He must do all his work in utter dependence upon God, as you must do your work. You have the same Source from which to receive light and strength as he has, and in every time of need you may come boldly to the throne of grace. Of the Minister above it is written. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. . . . For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated forevermore.” “Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”
The enemy of God and man has worked with every conceivable device to insnare souls; and when he can lead the members of the church to pour their trials into the ears of the minister, the confederacy of evil rejoices. Through this very trust, ministers fall under temptation, and fail to look to Jesus every moment. Christ has said, “Without me ye can do nothing” that is acceptable to God. But when the agent thinks that he is something, when he is nothing; for he frequently has no living connection with God, he is only a broken reed to those who lean upon him. But it is the privilege of every child of God to look to Him who is the author and finisher of their faith. Every child of God must learn the lesson of entire trust in Jesus. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? 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. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor light, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Ministers are men of like passions with ourselves; and the Lord would have his people learn to come to him with full assurance of faith. You may tell Jesus everything, and he will never take advantage of your weakness. He ever liveth to make intercession for you. “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore 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 the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
With these promises shall not every child of God come to Jesus in full assurance of faith? Shall not the church be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might? Will the people of God understand that though they may be deprived of the continuous labors of a minister, they may have the ministration of Jesus in their behalf? They may go to him, and become strong in his strength. The reason why there are so many weak ones in the church is that they do not come to Jesus in faith. They do not engage in his service. They do not have root in themselves, because Christ is not abiding in their hearts by faith.
O that the converting power of God may come upon the church, and make its members living branches of the True Vine, that they may bring forth much fruit, because they draw sap and nourishment from the Vine. O that the praises of God may be upon their lips! There is but one whom they can safely praise; but it is appropriate to praise him in the loftiest strains. Then let the people of God sound forth their adoration in the words of the psalmist. “The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.” By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 4, 1893
(Vol. 70, #14)
“Address to the Church”
Christ, the true witness, addresses the church at Ephesus, saying, “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; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” What effect have these words had upon the church? Have the professed people of God understood the import of the words, “I will come unto thee quickly [when you are at ease, careless, filled with spiritual negligence], and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” When warnings come no more to the people of God, when tender admonitions from the Spirit of God are silent, when the candle of heavenly illumination shines no longer upon their pathway, they will be left to kindle their own fire, and to walk in the sparks of their own kindling.
Many sermons are preached that are Christless as was the offerings of Cain, and heavenly intelligences look with amazement and sorrow upon the self-tainted, worthless offering. Could men realize how their services are regarded by heaven, they would humble themselves before God. Many workers have educated themselves as debaters and critics; but have they the example of Christ for dealing with souls in this way?–No, and unless this class of workers shall humble their hearts before God, they cannot sit with Christ upon his throne. Only those who have the Spirit of a little child will enter into the kingdom of heaven. Should Christ come to our world as he came at his first advent, many who imagine themselves to be children of God, would criticise him. Those who think they are keen, smart men, who are wise in their own conceit, need to know Jesus and him crucified. They need to understand the power of his grace. All our hope is founded and sustained by Christ, then when our ministers fall on the Rock and are broken, they will say, “More of Christ and less of theories.”
O how few know the day of their visitation! How few, even among those who claim to believe in present truth, understand the signs of the times, or what they are to experience before the end. We are under divine forbearance today; but how long will the angels of God continue to hold the winds, that they shall not blow? We are convinced that among the people of God there is blindness of mind and hardness of heart, although God has manifested inexpressible mercy toward us. How few there are who are truly humble, devoted, God-fearing servants in the cause of Christ, whose hearts are full of gratitude and thanksgiving because they are called to act a part in the work of God, being co-laborers with Jesus Christ, partakers with Christ of his sufferings! How few there are who can say from the heart, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Today there are few who are heartily serving God. The most of those who compose our congregations are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. They come and go like the door upon its hinges. For years they have complacently listened to the most solemn, soul-stirring truths, but they have not practiced them. They are less and less sensible of the preciousness and value of truth, because they neglect the practice of those things which are pleasing in the sight of God. The stirring testimonies of reproof and warning do not arouse them. The sweetest melodies that come from God through human lips–justification by faith, and the righteousness of Christ–do not bring forth from them a response of love and gratitude. Though the heavenly merchantman displays before them the richest jewels of faith and love, though his voice invites them to buy of him “gold tried in the fire,” and “white raiment that they may be clothed,” and “eyesalve that they may see,” they steel their hearts against him, and fail to exchange their lukewarmness for love and zeal; but fold their hands in complacency, make a profession, but deny the power of true godliness. If they continue in this state, God will reject them with abhorrence. To praise the world and God at the same time, is in no way acceptable to God. Awake, awake, before it is everlastingly too late.
Brethren and sisters who have long claimed to believe the truth, I would ask you, Have your practices been in harmony with your light, with your privileges, with the opportunities granted of heaven? This is a serious question. Why is it there is so little faith, so little spiritual power? Why are there so few who bear the yoke and carry the burden of Christ? Why do persons have to be urged to take up their work for the Master? Why are there so few who can unveil the mysteries of redemption? Why is it that the imputed righteousness of Christ does not shine through his professed followers as a light to the world?
The people of God are called “the light of the world, a city set upon a hill that cannot be hid.” “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.” “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.” The Sun of Righteousness has risen upon the church, and it is the duty of the church to shine. Those who are connected with Christ will grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, to the full stature of men and women. It is the privilege of every soul to make advancement. No one is to be an idler in the vineyard. If all who claim to believe the truth had made the most of their opportunities and ability to learn all that they were privileged to learn, they would have become strong in Christ. No matter what may have been their occupation, if farmers, mechanics, teachers, or pastors, if they had wholly consecrated themselves to God, they would have been efficient agents to work for the heavenly Master. They would have fulfilled the injunction of the apostle: “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.”
If Christ is not abiding in the soul, another spirit rules and controls; but Christ, the precious Saviour, is to be the Christian’s all in all. Every holy thought, every pure desire, every godlike purpose is from him who is the light, the truth, and the way. Christ is to live in his representatives by the spirit of truth. Jesus said, “Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.” The events of the future will be discerned by prophecy, and will be understood. “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.” Christ is to live in the human instrument. Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
The privileges, the blessings of the child of God are represented by the apostle in the following language: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” When we realize that our hope of glory is Christ, that we are complete in him, we shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. The apostle further says, that he ceased not to pray “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, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.”
O, if we as a people had improved our opportunities to gain a knowledge of the word, to obtain a vital experience in the things of God, we would have fulfilled the word, “Ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life. We can impart only that which we first receive. Those who are united to the church should be living, working agents to impart light to those who are in darkness. They should declare the truth of God, revealing his love and faithfulness. When men use their powers as God directs them to, their talents will increase, their ability will enlarge, and they will have heavenly wisdom in seeking to save those who are lost. But while the church members are listless, and neglectful of their God-given responsibility, how can they expect to receive the treasure of heaven to impart to others? When professed Christians feel no burden to enlighten the minds of those who are in darkness; when they fail to make use of the rich grace of Christ, and cease to impart the knowledge they have received, they become selfish, narrow, bigoted, and their capacity to receive more and more heavenly illumination decreases rather than increases. They become less discerning, lose their appreciation of the richness of the heavenly endowment, and failing to value it themselves, they fail to present it to others. It is only as God sees his professed people eager to be laborers together with him, that he can impart to them light and grace; for then they will make every interest secondary to the interest of his work and cause. With such workers the heavenly intelligences will cooperate. Jesus says, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me.” It is the union of the Holy Spirit and the testimony of the living witness that is to warn the world. The worker for God is the agent through which the heavenly communication is given, and the Holy Spirit gives divine authority to the word of truth. By Mrs. E. G. White. (To be continued.)
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 11, 1893
(Vol. 70, #15)
“Address to the Church (Continued)”
What more can I say than I have said to impress upon our churches, and especially upon the church at Battle Creek, the eternal loss they are liable to in not arousing and putting to use the executive ability that God has given them? If the members of the churches would but put to work the powers of mind that they have, in well directed efforts, in well matured plans, they might do a hundredfold more for Christ than they are now doing. If they went forth with earnest prayer, with meekness and lowliness of heart, seeking personally to impart to others the knowledge of salvation, the message might reach the inhabitants of the earth. How many more messages of reproof and warning must the Lord send to his chosen people before they will obey? I tell you in the name of the Lord Jesus, who gave his life for the life of the world, that as a people we are behind our privileges and opportunities. What rich feasts have been provided for the people of Battle Creek! What opportunities have been given them! The people have been convinced that they should be laborers together with God, but have they been converted to the idea? The dangers of their course, the duties required at their hands, have all been presented; earnest appeals have been made to their understanding and to their conscience, and light has been given them so that they are without excuse. They can have no cloak for their sinful neglect, but the Lord does not urge men and women to the work by presenting to them flattering inducements. They can work for him only as they work willingly, giving hearty cooperation.
The truth for this time has been presented from the holy oracles, and has been witnessed by the power of the Holy Spirit. It has been clearly shown that in the righteousness of Christ is our only hope of gaining access to the Father. How simple, how plain has the way of life been made to those who have a disposition to walk therein. Would greater evidence, more powerful manifestations, break down the barriers that have been interposed between the truth and the soul?–No. I have been shown that sufficient evidence has been given. Those who reject the evidence already presented would not be convinced by more abundant proof. They are like the Jews to whom Christ said, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” The greatest miracles performed before them would not sweep away their caviling and unbelief. They have sown stubbornness, and it has borne fruit according to the design of Satan. Unless the transforming grace of Christ cleanses and purifies the soul, they will go on from darkness to greater darkness.
If we would see light in God’s light, we must abide in Christ. The soul must receive strength and nourishment from the living Vine. The apostle says, “Know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” But stubbornness effectually bars the way to the entrance of the Spirit of God. Stubbornness does not profit; it is the fruit of selfishness, and the only cure for it is to cut it up from the heart by the roots. Often the outward manifestation of selfishness is done away for a time, but its hateful fruit will again appear as do the leaves of tree that has been cut down, but whose root remains. If a fiber of selfishness is left, it will spring forth again, and bear a harvest after its kind.
The Spirit of God cannot work effectually in any heart where pride and self-esteem exist. But without the aid of the Spirit of God the soul cannot be renewed, a new heart cannot be created within. The Lord is at work seeking to purify his people, and this great work is retarded by unbelief and stubbornness. Many think that had they lived in Christ’s day, they would have been among his believing followers; but if all the miracles of Christ were presented before those whose hearts are not subdued by the Spirit of God, their convictions would not be followed, nor their faith increased. Light has been shining upon the church of God, but many have said by their indifferent attitude, “We want not thy way, O Lord, but our own way.” The kingdom of heaven has come very near, and they have caught glimpses of the Father and the Son, but they have barred the door of the heart, and have not received the heavenly guests; for as yet they know not the love of God.
Think how great was the light that was given to the Jews, and yet they rejected the Lord of life and glory. Jesus says, “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin. . . . If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.” The light became brighter and brighter, until there was no escaping the conclusion that Christ was no ordinary teacher; but when conviction is disregarded, when evidence is rejected, men are forced to take a position of active opposition and stubborn resistance. The Spirit of God followed the impenitent, with warnings and entreaties, the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness illuminated the mind; but many refuse the compassion of a loving Saviour, and would not permit their hearts to break and melt under the beams of his love. They refused the message of mercy, refused to do what God required in the way that God required, and their offerings were as devoid of merit as were the offerings of Cain; for they mingled not with them the virtue of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour.
It is beyond the power of man to please God apart from Christ. We may make resolutions and promises, but the carnal heart overpowers all our good intentions. We may control our outward conduct, but we cannot change the heart. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint, and yet the sinner will brace himself in pride, and set up his will against the will of God. Though Christ is working upon human hearts, men utterly annul the work the Lord would do. If they resist, question, and cavil, they will place themselves in a position where it will not be easy to yield to the persuasion of the Spirit of God. There is a bewitching power that holds them under deception; for the father of lies works with the unsanctified heart. Over these deceived souls the cry is raised, O that thou hadst known “in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace.” And shall the irrevocable sentence be passed, “But now they are hid from thine eyes”?
There is less excuse in our day for stubbornness and unbelief than there was for the Jews in the days of Christ. They did not have before them the example of a nation that had suffered retribution of their unbelief and disobedience. But we have before us the history of the chosen people of God, who separated themselves from him, and rejected the Prince of life. Though they could not convict him of sin, though they could not fail to see their own hypocrisy, they hated the Prince of life because he laid bare their evil ways. In our day greater light and greater evidence is given. We have also their example, the warnings and reproofs that were presented to them, and our sin and its retribution will be the greater, if we refuse to walk in the light. Many say, “If I had only lived in the days of Christ, I would not have wrested his words, or falsely interpreted his instruction. I would not have rejected and crucified him as did the Jews;” but that will be proved by the way in which you deal with his message and his messengers today. The Lord is testing the people of today as much as he tested the Jews in their day. When he sends his messages of mercy, the light of his truth, he is sending the spirit of truth to you, and if you accept the message, you accept of Jesus. Those who declare that if they had lived in the days of Christ, they would not do as did the rejectors of his mercy, will today be tested. Those who live in this day are not accountable for the deeds of those who crucified the Son of God; but if with all the light that shone upon his ancient people, delineated before us, we travel over the same ground, cherish the same spirit, refuse to receive reproof and warning, then our guilt will be greatly augmented, and the condemnation that fell upon them will fall upon us, only it will be as much greater as our light is greater in this age than was their light in their age. By Mrs. E. G. White. (Concluded next week.)
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 18, 1893
(Vol. 70, #16)
“Address to the Church (Concluded)”
Jesus identifies his interest with his chosen and tried people. He represents himself as personally affected with all that concerns them. He reproved the errors and actions of the Jews with the indignant sensibility of one who felt himself personally misrepresented, accused, and dishonored. Every wrong done to his followers, or to the weakest of humanity, is regarded by him with intense interest. After presenting his relation to his people in various lights, he finally declares that in the great day he will judge of every action as if it had been done unto himself. His sympathy with his people is without a parallel. He will not simply remain a spectator, indifferent to what his people may suffer, but identifies himself with their interests and sorrows. If his people are wronged, maligned, treated with contempt, their sufferings are registered in the books of heaven as done unto him.
He says, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” But now the irrevocable sentence must be passed, “Your house is left unto you desolate.” Past opportunities, privileges, and blessings rise up before him. He could see Jerusalem as she might have been,–holiness unto the Lord. For ages Judah had been the repository of sacred truth. Here the knowledge of Jehovah had been cherished and preserved, when God had not been acknowledged among the nations, and his worship was lost in the earth. The streets of Jerusalem had been trodden by angel feet, and its very soil had been sacred to God. From its temple prayer and praise had ascended to God. From its altar the bleeding sacrifice had testified to human guilt, pointing to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. The Lord had sent them messages of warning and reproof, of consolation and promise, by his prophets, rising up early and sending them, but they had beaten one and stoned another, and it could not be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem. Finally God had sent his Son, and from the highest bough to the lowest he had searched for fruit, and had found none. For their sakes he had clothed his divinity with humanity, made himself of no reputation, fled before the feet of his accusers and haters, and yet carried a rebellious people upon his heart. He had done all that could be done, but they turned from him, demanding still more evidence. His life was one continual miracle, but they knew it not, and demanded that he should show them a miracle. But in the face of their utter rejection of his love, their unbelief in his mission and divinity, when he knew that the representative men of the nation were plotting for his destruction, he wept over the city of his love. His prophetic eye read the history of the past, and the woe and the guilt of the future, and his heart was breaking with agony because the people of God knew not the time of their visitation. Hell moved by a power from beneath, that the guilty inhabitants of Jerusalem might carry out the will of the prince of darkness. Stirred with enmity they would yield themselves to the control of the malignant foe, and make the Prince of life their victim. Clouds of wrath were gathering over the doomed city; for they called down upon themselves judgment, crying, “His blood be on us and upon our children.” That blood by virtue of which the repentant sinner might be forgiven–that blood by which a guilty world might be saved, by which the Jewish nation might be saved and purified, which was paid a ransom for the sins of the world, was to them the final guilt in the cup of their iniquity. Jesus knew that his chosen people were to put him, the Prince of life and glory, to an ignominious death. He knew what was to be their doom. With prophetic glance he saw the Roman legions, he heard the tramp of armies, saw the city encompassed and in flames, and the temple a smoking ruin. The miseries of the people whom he longed to save, rose up before him. He beholds their guilt and agony, but they are as unrelenting as was Satan in his rebellion against God.
The heart of Jesus was pierced with agony, and from his pale lips came forth the words, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” In their blind unbelief they would not know the Prince of life; if they had known him, they would not have crucified him.
In the Jewish nation we behold a chosen nation divorced from God because of unbelief. Jesus, the lover of humanity, was called upon to pronounce sentence against the people for whom he had lived and labored, but from whom he had borne insult, mockery, and rejection. He had borne everything from them, he had done all that was possible that he might save them from ruin. He knew the history of sin. He had watched its unfoldings from the beginning. He had seen the heavenly angels bewitched by its evil power until they were led to sympathize and to join with Satan in his rebellion against God. He had passed through the terrible scenes when there was war in heaven, when Satan had been expelled from the abode of bliss, and before his vision were all the consequences of sin. O if he could but do one act of mercy by which they might be led to abandon their rebellion, and come to him that he might save; but he had exhausted the resources of infinite love. The last arrow had been drawn from his quiver; he could do no more. The salvation of the Jews would have been the joy of Christ, the rejoicing of the angels, but they would not. No man will be saved against his will.
Will those who profess to believe the truth listen to the words of Jesus? He has said, “I am come that ye might have life, and that ye might have it more abundantly.” “I am the bread of life.” “I am the good Shepherd, and I lay down my life for the sheep.” Will those who are called by his name believe that the children of God are very precious in his sight? Let us consider what the lord has done for us. Shall not the love manifested toward us be appreciated, shall it not be permitted to melt our hearts, to humble our pride to the dust? Such was the breadth and length and height and depth of the Saviour’s love, that he willingly laid aside his honor, his high command in heaven, and clothed his divinity with humanity, in order that he might become man’s substitute and surety. .
“He took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore 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 the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.”
Under the mighty impulse of his love, he took our place in the universe, and invited the ruler of all things to treat him as representative of the human family. He identified himself with our interests, bared his breast for the stroke of death, took man’s guilt and its penalty, and offered in man’s behalf a complete sacrifice to God. By virtue of this atonement, he has power to offer to man perfect righteousness and full salvation. Whosoever shall believe on him as a personal Saviour shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
Those who in sincerity and truth believe the words of Christ sent to them through his ambassadors, will understand what is the import of those words; but those who have intrenched themselves in unbelief, will be as were the Jews, blinded to the light. By rejection of evidence, they lost their spiritual eyesight, and could not discern between good and evil, between truth and error, light and darkness. Those who are filled with unbelief can discern the least thing that has an objectionable appearance, and by beholding the objectionable feature, they can lose sight of all the evidence that God has given in manifesting his abundant grace and power, in revealing precious gems of truth from the inexhaustible mine of his word. They can hold the objectionable atom under the magnifying glasses of their imagination until the atom looks like a world, and shuts out from their view the precious light of heaven. But instead of placing that which appears objectionable beneath the eyes, why not bring before the soul the precious things of God? Why make the things of priceless value of little esteem, while the worthless things are made much of? Why take so much account of that which may appear to you as objectionable in the messenger, and sweep away all the evidences that God has given to balance the mind in regard to the truth?
With the history of the children of Israel before us, let us take heed, and not be found committing the same sins, following in the same way of unbelief and rebellion.
“Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.”
“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. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry, I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.” By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 22, 1893
(Vol. 70, #34)
“The Remnant Church Not Babylon”
I have been made very sad in reading the pamphlet that has been issued by brother Stanton and by those associated with him in the work he has been doing. Without my consent, they have made selections from the Testimonies, and have inserted them in the pamphlet they have published, to make it appear that my writings sustain and approve the position they advocate. In doing this, they have done that which is not justice or righteousness. Through taking unwarrantable liberties, they have presented to the people a theory that is of a character to deceive and destroy. In times past many others have done this same thing, and have made it appear that the Testimonies sustained positions that were untenable and false.
I have had light to the effect that the position taken by brother Stanton and his sympathizers, is not true, but one of the “lo heres” and “lo theres,” that will characterize the days in which we are living. As a sample of the way in which brother Stanton has compiled this pamphlet, I will give the following instance: I wrote a private letter to one of our ministers, and in kindness, thinking that it might be a help to brother Stanton, this brother sent a copy of it to him; but instead of regarding it as a matter for his personal help, he prints portions of it in the pamphlet, as an unpublished Testimony, to sustain the position he had taken. Is this honorable? There was nothing in the Testimony to sustain the position brother Stanton holds; but he misapplied it, as many do the Scriptures, to the injury of his own soul and to the souls of others. God will judge those who take unwarrantable liberties, and make use of dishonorable means in order to give character and influence to what they regard as truth. In the use of a private letter sent to another, brother Stanton has abused the kindly efforts of one who desired to help him. The parties publishing the pamphlet on the “Loud Cry,” and the fall of all the churches, give evidence that the Holy Spirit of God is not working with them. “By their fruits ye shall know them.”
Those who receive the pamphlets advocating these false positions, will receive the impression that I sustain these positions, and am united with these workers in proclaiming what they term the “new light.” I know that their message is mingled with truth, but the truth is misapplied and wrested by its connection with error. I would say to the brother who sent to these men a copy of a letter I had written him, that I have not one thought of censuring you, and no one should cast the least blame upon you concerning the matter. If I should misjudge and censure you, when your motives and intentions were good, I should incur the displeasure of God. If the brother you desired to help, has taken liberties, and has betrayed your confidence, do not blame yourself, and grieve over the results of his unfaithfulness.
There are matters in the Testimonies that are written, not for the world at large, but for the believing children of God, and it is not appropriate to make instruction, warning, reproof, or counsel of this character public to the world. The world’s Redeemer, the Sent of God, the greatest Teacher the children of men ever knew, presented some matters of instructions, not to the world, but to his disciples alone. While he had communications designed for the multitudes that thronged his steps, he also had some special light and instruction to impart to his followers, which he did not impart to the great congregation, as it would neither be understood nor appreciated by them. He sent his disciples forth to preach, and when they returned from their first missionary labor, and had various experiences to relate concerning their success in preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, he said unto them, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile.” In a place of seclusion, Jesus imparted to his followers such instruction, counsel, cautions, and corrections as he saw were needed in their manner of work; but the instruction he then gave was not to be thrown broadcast to the promiscuous company; for his words were designed for his disciples only.
On several occasions when the Lord had wrought works of healing, he charged those whom he had blessed, to tell his deed to no one. They ought to have heeded his injunctions, and realized that Christ had not lightly required silence on their part, but had a reason for his command, and they should in no wise have disregarded his expressed desire. It ought to have been sufficient for them to know that he desired them to keep their own counsel, and had good reasons for his urgent request. The Lord knew that in healing the sick, in working miracles for the restoring of sight to the blind, and for the cleansing of the leper, he was endangering his own life; for if the priests and rulers would not receive the evidences he gave them of his divine mission, they would misconstrue, falsify, and make charges against him. It is true that he did many miracles openly, yet in some instances he requested that those whom he had blessed should tell no man what he had done for them. When prejudice was aroused, envy and jealousy cherished, and his way hedged up, he left the cities, and went in search of those who would listen to and appreciate the truth he came to impart.
The Lord Jesus thought it necessary to make many things clear to his disciples, which he did not open to the multitudes. He plainly revealed to them the reason of the hatred manifested toward him by the scribes, Pharisees, and priests, and told them of his suffering, betrayal, and death; but to the world he did not make these matters so plain. He had warnings to give to his followers, and he unfolded to them the sorrowful developments that would take place, and what they were to expect. He gave to his followers precious instruction that even they did not comprehend until after his death, resurrection, and ascension. When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them, all things were brought to their remembrance, whatsoever he had said unto them.
It was a betrayal of sacred trust to take that which Jesus designed should be kept secret, and publish it to others, and bringing upon the cause of truth reproach and injury. The Lord has given to his people appropriate messages of warning, reproof, counsel, and instruction, but it is not appropriate to take these messages out of their connection, and place them where they will seem to give force to messages of error. In the pamphlet published by brother Stanton and his associates, he accuses the church of God of being Babylon, and would urge a separation from the church. This is a work that is neither honorable nor righteous. In compiling this work, they have used my name and writings for the support of that which I disapprove and denounce as error. The people to whom this pamphlet will come, will charge the responsibility of this false position upon me, when it is utterly contrary to the teaching of my writings, and the light which God has given me. I have no hesitancy in saying that those who are urging on this work are greatly deceived.
For years I have borne my testimony to the effect that when anyone arises claiming to have great light, and yet advocating the tearing down of that which the Lord through his human agents has been building up, they are greatly deceived, and are not working along the lines where Christ is working. Those who assert that the Seventh-day Adventist churches constitute Babylon, or any part of Babylon, might better stay at home. Let them stop and consider what is the message to be proclaimed at this time. In place of working with divine agencies to prepare a people to stand in the day of the Lord, they have taken their stand with him who is an accuser of the brethren, who accuses them before God day and night. Satanic agencies have been moved from beneath, and they have inspired men to unite in a confederacy of evil, that they may perplex, harass, and cause the people of God great distress. The whole world is to be stirred with enmity against Seventh-day Adventists, because they will not yield homage to the papacy, by honoring Sunday, the institution of this anti-Christian power. It is the purpose of Satan to cause them to be blotted from the earth, in order that his supremacy of the world may not be disputed.
The scene of Satan’s accusation was presented before the prophet. He says, “He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.” Jesus is our great High Priest in heaven. And what is he doing?–He is making intercession and atonement for his people who believe in him. Through his imputed righteousness, they are accepted of God, as those who are manifesting to the world that they acknowledge allegiance to God, keeping all his commandments. Satan is full of malignant hatred against them, and manifests to them the same spirit that he manifested to Jesus Christ when he was upon earth. When Jesus was before Pilate, the Roman ruler sought to release him, and desired that the people should choose to release Jesus from the ordeal through which he was about to pass. He presented before the clamoring multitude the Son of God and the criminal Barabbas, and inquired, “Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?” “They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.”
The world was stirred by the enmity of Satan, and when asked to choose between the Son of God and the criminal Barabbas, they chose a robber and murderer rather than Jesus. The ignorant multitudes were led, by the deceptive reasonings of those in high position, to reject the Son of God, and choose a robber and murderer in his stead. Let us all remember that we are still in a world where Jesus, the Son of God, was rejected and crucified, where the guilt of despising Christ, and preferring a robber rather than the spotless Lamb of God, still rests. Unless we individually repent toward God because of transgression of his law, and exercise faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, whom the world has rejected, we shall lie under the full condemnation that the action of choosing Barabbas instead of Christ, merited. The whole world stands charged today with the deliberate rejection and murder of the Son of God. The word bears record that Jews and Gentiles, kings, governors, ministers, priests, and people,–all classes and sects who reveal the same spirit of envy, hatred, prejudice, and unbelief manifested by those who put to death the Son of God,–would act the same part were the opportunity granted, as did the Jews and people of the time of Christ. They would be partakers of the same spirit that demanded the death of the Son of God. By Mrs. E. G. White. (To be continued.)
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 29, 1893
(Vol. 70, #35)
“The Remnant Church Not Babylon (Continued)”
In the scene representing the work of Christ for us, and the determined accusation of Satan against us, Joshua stands as the high priest, and makes request in behalf of God’s commandment-keeping people. At the time, Satan represents the people of God as great sinners, and presents before God the list of sins he has tempted them to commit through their lifetime, and urges that because of their transgressions, they be given into his hands to destroy. He urges that they should not be protected by ministering angels against the confederacy of evil. He is full of anger because he cannot bind the people of God into bundles with the world, to render to him complete allegiance. Kings, and rulers, and governors have placed upon themselves the brand of antichrist, and are represented as the dragon who goes to make war with the saints,–with those who keep the commandments of God, and who have the faith of Jesus. In their enmity against the people of God, they show themselves guilty also of the choice of Barabbas instead of Christ.
God has a controversy with the world. When the judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened, he has an awful account to settle, which would now make the world fear and tremble, were men not blinded and bewitched by Satanic delusions and deceptions. God will call the world to account for the death of his only begotten Son, whom to all intents and purposes the world has crucified afresh, and put to open shame in the persecution of his people. The world has rejected Christ in the person of his saints, has refused his messages in the refusal of the messages of prophets, apostles, and messengers. They have rejected those who have been co-laborers with Christ, and for this they will have to render an account.
Satan stands at the head of all the accusers of the brethren; but when he presents the sins of the people of God, what does the Lord answer? He says, “The Lord rebuke [not Joshua, who is a representative of the tried and chosen people of God, but] thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.” Satan had represented the chosen and loyal people of God as being full of defilement and sin. He could depict the particular sins of which they had been guilty. Had he not set the whole confederacy of evil at work to lead them, through his seductive arts, into these very sins? But they had repented, they had accepted the righteousness of Christ. They were therefore standing before God clothed with the garments of Christ’s righteousness, 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 a change of raiment.” Every sin of which they had been guilty was forgiven, and they stood before God as chosen and true, as innocent, as perfect, as though they had never sinned.
“And I said, Let them set a fair miter upon his head. So they [the angels of God] set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by [Jesus their Redeemer]. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; if thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou will 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.” I wish that all who claim to believe present truth, would think seriously of the wonderful things presented in this chapter. However weak and compassed with infirmity the people of God may be, those who turn from disloyalty to God in this wicked and perverse generation, and come back to their allegiance, standing to vindicate the holy law of God, making up the breach made by the man of sin under the direction of Satan, will be accounted the children of God, and through the righteousness of Christ will stand perfect before God. Truth will not always lie in the dust to be trampled under foot of men. It will be magnified and made honorable; it will yet arise and shine forth in all its natural luster, and will stand fast forever and ever.
God has a people in which all heaven is interested, and they are the one object on earth dear to the heart of God. Let everyone who reads these words give them thorough consideration; for in the name of Jesus I would press them home upon every soul. When anyone arises, either among us or outside of us, who is burdened with a message which declares that the people of God are numbered with Babylon, and claims that the loud cry is a call to come out of her, you may know that he is not bearing the message of truth. Receive him not, nor bid him Godspeed; for God has not spoken by him, neither has he given a message to him, but he has run before he was sent. The message contained in the pamphlet called the “Loud Cry,” is a deception. Such messages will come, and it will be claimed for them that they are sent of God, but the claim will be false; for they are not filled with light, but with darkness. There will be messages of accusation against the people of God, similar to the work done by Satan in accusing God’s people, and these messages will be sounding at the very time when God is saying to his people, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.”
It will be found that those who bear false messages will not have a high sense of honor and integrity. They will deceive the people, and mix up with their error the Testimonies of sister White, and use her name to give influence to their work. They make such selections from the Testimonies as they think they can twist to support their positions, and place them in a setting of falsehood, so that their error may have weight, and be accepted by the people. They misinterpret and misapply that which God has given to the church to warn, counsel, reprove, comfort, and encourage those who shall make up the remnant people of God. Those who receive the Testimonies as the message of God, will be helped and blessed thereby; but those who take them in parts, simply to support some theory or idea of their own, to vindicate themselves in a course of error, will not be blessed and benefited by what they teach. To claim that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, is to make the same claim as does Satan, who is an accuser of the brethren, who accuses them before God night and day. By this misusing of the Testimonies, souls are placed in perplexity, because they cannot understand the relation of the Testimonies to such a position as is taken by those in error; for God intended that the Testimonies should always have a setting in the framework of truth.
Those who advocate error, will say, “The Lord saith, when the Lord hath not spoken.” They testify to falsehood, and not to truth. If those who have been proclaiming the message that the church is Babylon, had used the money expended in publishing and circulating this error, in building up, instead of tearing down, they would have made it evident that they were with the people whom God is leading. There is a great work to be done in the world, a great work to be done in foreign lands. Schools must be established in order that youth, children, and those of more mature age may be educated as rapidly as possible to enter the missionary field. There is need not only of ministers for foreign fields, but of wise, judicious laborers of all kinds. The Macedonian cry is sounding from all parts of the world, “Come over and help us.” With all the responsibility upon us to go and preach the gospel to every creature, there is great need of men and means, and Satan is at work in every conceivable way to tie up means, and to hinder men from engaging in the very work that they should be doing. The money that should be used in doing the good work of building houses of worship, of establishing schools for the purpose of educating laborers for the missionary field, of drilling young men and women so that they may go forth and labor patiently, intelligently, and with all perseverance, that they may be agents through whom a people may be prepared to stand in the great day of God, is diverted from a channel of usefulness and blessing, into a channel of evil and cursing. The great day of God is upon us, and hasteth greatly, and there is a great work to be done, and it must be done speedily. But we find that amid the work that is to be done, there are those professing to believe the present truth, who know not how to expend the means intrusted to them, and because of a lack of meekness and lowliness of heart, they do not see how great is the work to be done. All those who learn of Jesus, will be laborers together with God. But those who go forth to proclaim error, expending time and money in a vain work, lay upon the true workers in new fields increased burden; for instead of devoting their time to advocating truth, they are obliged to counteract the work of those who are proclaiming falsehood, and claiming that they have the message from heaven. If those who have done this kind of work, had felt the necessity of answering the prayer of Christ that he offered to his Father just previous to his crucifixion,–that the disciples of Christ might be one as he was one with the Father,–they would not be wasting the means intrusted to them, and so greatly needed to advance the truth. They would not be wasting precious time and ability in disseminating error, and thus necessitate the devoting of the laborer’s time to counteracting and quenching its influence. A work of this character is inspired not from above, but from beneath.
“Who is he 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. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.” The message that has been borne by those who have proclaimed the church to be Babylon, has made the impression that God has no church upon earth.
Has God no living church? He has a church, but it is the church militant, not the church triumphant. We are sorry that there are defective members, that there are tares amid the wheat. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. . . . So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” By Mrs. E. G. White. (To be continued.)
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 5, 1893
(Vol. 70, #36)
“The Remnant Church Not Babylon (Continued)”
In the parable of the wheat and the tares, we see the reason why the tares were not to be plucked up; it was lest the wheat be rooted up with the tares. Human opinion and judgment would make grave mistakes. But rather than have a mistake made, and one single blade of wheat rooted up, the Master says, “Let both grow together until the harvest;” then the angels will gather out the tares, which will be appointed to destruction. Although in our churches, that claim to believe advanced truth, there are those who are faulty and erring, as tares among the wheat, God is longsuffering and patient. He reproves and warns the erring, but he does not destroy those who are long in learning the lesson he would teach them; he does not uproot the tares from the wheat. Tares and wheat are to grow together till the harvest; when the wheat comes to its full growth and development, and because of its character when ripened, it will be fully distinguished from the tares. The church of Christ on earth will be imperfect, but God does not destroy his church because of its imperfection. There have been and will be those who are filled with zeal not according to knowledge, who would purify the church, and uproot the tares from the midst of the wheat. But Christ has given special light as to how to deal with those who are erring, and with those who are unconverted in the church. There is to be no spasmodic, zealous, hasty action taken by church members in cutting off those they may think defective in character. Tares will appear among the wheat; but it would do more harm to weed out the tares, unless in God’s appointed way, than to leave them alone. While the Lord brings into the church those who are truly converted, Satan at the same time brings persons who are not converted into its fellowship. While Christ is sowing the good seed, Satan is sowing the tares. There are two opposing influences continually exerted on the members of the church. One influence is working for the purification of the church, and the other for the corrupting of the people of God.
Jesus knew that Judas was defective in character, but notwithstanding this, he accepted him as one of the disciples, and gave him the same opportunities and privileges that he gave to the others whom he had chosen. Judas was left without excuse in the evil course he afterward pursued. Judas might have become a doer of the word, as were eventually Peter and James and John and the other disciples. Jesus gave precious lessons of instruction, so that those who were associated with him might have been converted, and have no need of clinging to the defects that marred their characters.
Some people seem to think that upon entering the church they will have their expectations fulfilled, and meet only with those who are pure and perfect. They are zealous in their faith, and when they see faults in church members, they say, “We left the world in order to have no association with evil characters, but the evil is here also;” and they ask, as did the servants in the parable, “From whence then hath it tares?” But we need not be thus disappointed, for the Lord has not warranted us in coming to the conclusion that the church is perfect; and all our zeal will not be successful in making the church militant as pure as the church triumphant. The Lord forbids us to proceed in any violent way against those whom we think erring, and we are not to deal out excommunications and denunciations to those who are faulty.
Finite man is likely to misjudge character, but God does not leave the work of judgment and pronouncing upon character to those who are not fitted for it. We are not to say what constitutes the wheat, and what the tares. The time of the harvest will fully determine the character of the two classes specified under the figure of the tares and the wheat. The work of separation is given to the angels of God, and not committed into the hands of any man. False doctrine is one of the Satanic influences that work in the church, and brings into it those who are unconverted in heart. Men do not obey the words of Jesus Christ, and thus seek for unity in faith, spirit, and doctrine. They do not labor for the unity of spirit for which Christ prayed, which would make the testimony of Christ’s disciples effective in convincing the world that God had sent his Son into the world, “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” If the unity for which Christ prayed, existed among the people of God, they would bear living testimony, would send forth a bright light to shine amid the moral darkness of the world.
Instead of the unity which should exist among believers there is disunion; for Satan is permitted to come in, and through his specious deceptions and delusions he leads those who are not learning of Christ meekness and lowliness of heart, to take a different line from the church, and break up, if possible, the unity of the church. Men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. They claim that God has given them great light; but how do they act under its influence? Do they pursue the course that the two disciples pursued on their journey to Emmaus? When they received light, they returned and found those whom God had led and was still leading, and told them how they had seen Jesus and had talked with him. Have the men who have claimed to have light concerning the church, pursued this course? Have they gone to those who are chosen of God to bear a living testimony, and given them evidence that this light would better qualify them to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God? Have they sought counsel of those who have been and are still bearing the truth, and giving to the world the last message of warning? Have they counseled with those who have had a deep experience in the things of God? Why were these men so full of zeal for the cause, not present at the General Conference held at Battle Creek, as were the devout men at Jerusalem at the time of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? At the great heart of the work, men opened their treasures of light, and while the Lord was pouring out his Spirit upon the people, did these men receive of the heavenly anointing? While the deep movings of the Spirit of God were made manifest among the people, and souls were being converted, and hard hearts broken, there were those who were listening to the suggestions of Satan, and they were inspired with zeal from beneath to go forth and proclaim that the very people receiving of the Holy Spirit, who are to receive the latter rain and the glory that is to lighten the whole earth, were Babylon. Did the Lord give these messengers their message?-No; for it was not a message of truth.
Although there are evils existing in the church, and will be until the end of the world, the church in these last days is to be the light of the world, that is polluted and demoralized by sin. The church, enfeebled and defective, needing to be reproved, warned, and counseled, is the only object upon earth upon which Christ bestows his supreme regard. The world is a workshop in which, through the cooperation of human and divine agencies, Jesus is making experiments by his grace and divine mercy upon human hearts. Angels are amazed as they behold the transformation of character brought about in those who yield themselves to God, and they express their joy in songs of rapturous praise to God and to the Lamb. They see those who are by nature the children of wrath, converted, and becoming laborers together with Christ in drawing souls to God. They see those who were in darkness becoming lights to shine amid the moral night of this crooked and perverse generation. They see them becoming prepared by a Christlike experience to suffer with their Lord, and afterward to be partakers with him in his glory in heaven above.
God has a church on earth who are lifting up the down-trodden law, and presenting to the world the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. The church is the depositary of the wealth of the riches of the grace of Christ, and through the church eventually will be made manifest the final and full display of the love of God to the world that is to be lightened with its glory. The prayer of Christ that his church may be one as he was one with his Father, will finally be answered. The rich dowry of the Holy Spirit will be given, and through its constant supply to the people of God, they will become witnesses in the world of the power of God unto salvation.
There is but one church in the world who are at the present time standing in the breach, and making up the hedge, building up the old waste places; and for any man to call the attention of the world and other churches to this church, denouncing her as Babylon, is to do a work in harmony with him who is the accuser of the brethren. Is it possible that men will arise from among us, who speak perverse things, and give voice to the very sentiments that Satan would have disseminated in the world in regard to those who keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus? Is there not work enough to satisfy your zeal in presenting the truth to those who are in the darkness of error? As those who have been made stewards of means and ability, you have been misapplying your Lord’s goods in disseminating error. The whole world is filled with hatred of those who proclaim the binding claims of the law of God, and the church who are loyal to Jehovah must engage in no ordinary conflict. “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.” Those who have any realization of what this warfare means, will not turn their weapons against the church militant, but with all their powers will wrestle with the people of God against the confederacy of evil.
Those who start up to proclaim a message on their own individual responsibility, who while claiming to be taught and led of God, still make it their special work to tear down that which God has been for years building up, are not doing the will of God. Be it known that these men are on the side of the great deceiver. Believe them not. They are allying themselves with the enemies of God and the truth. They will deride the order of the ministry as a system of priestcraft. From such turn away, have no fellowship with their message, however much they may quote the testimonies and seek to intrench themselves behind them. Receive them not; for God has not given them this work to do. The result of such work will be unbelief in the testimonies, and as far as possible, they will make of none effect the work that I have for years been doing. Almost my whole lifetime has been devoted to this work, but my burden has often been made heavier by the arising of men who went forth to proclaim a message that God had not given them. This class of evil workers have selected portions of the testimonies, and have placed them in the framework of error, in order by this setting to give influence to their false testimonies. When it is made manifest that their message is error, then the testimonies brought into the companionship of error, share the same condemnation; and people of the world, who do not know that the testimonies quoted are extracts from private letters, used without my consent, present these matters as evidence that my work is not of God, or of truth, but falsehood. Those who thus bring the work of God into disrepute will have to answer before God for the work they are doing. By Mrs. E. G. White. (Concluded next week.)
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 12, 1893
(Vol. 70, #37)
“The Remnant Church Not Babylon (Concluded)”
God has a church, and she has a divinely appointed ministry. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”
The Lord has his appointed agencies, and a church that has lived through persecution, conflict, and darkness. Jesus loved the church, and gave himself for it, and he will replenish, refine, ennoble, and elevate it, so that it shall stand fast amid the corrupting influences of this world. Men appointed of God have been chosen to watch with jealous care, with vigilant perseverance, that the church may not be overthrown by the evil devices of Satan, but that she shall stand in the world to promote the glory of God among men. There will ever be fierce conflict between the church and the world. Mind will come into contact with mind, principle with principle, truth with error; but in the crisis soon to culminate, which has already begun, the men of experience are to do their God-appointed work, and watch for souls, as they that must give an account.
Those who are carrying this message of error, denouncing the church as Babylon, are neglecting their God-appointed work, are in opposition to organization, in opposition to the plain command of God spoken by Malachi in regard to bringing all the tithes into the treasury of God’s house, and imagine that they have a work to do in warning those whom God has chosen to forward his message of truth. These workers are not bringing greater efficiency to the cause and kingdom of God, but are engaged in a work similar to that in which the enemy of all righteousness is engaged. Let these men who are rising up against the ways and means ordained of God to forward his work in these days of peril, divest themselves of all unscriptural views concerning the nature, office, and power of God’s appointed agencies. Let all understand the words that I now write. Those who are laborers together with God, are but his instruments, and they in themselves possess no essential grace or holiness. It is only when they are cooperating with heavenly intelligences that they are successful. They are but the earthen vessels, the depositaries in which God places the treasure of his truth. Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but it is God alone that gives the increase.
God speaks through his appointed agencies, and let no man, or confederacy of men, insult the Spirit of God by refusing to hear the message of God’s word from the lips of his chosen messengers. By refusing to hear the message of God, men close themselves in a chamber of darkness. They shut their own souls away from vast blessings, and rob Christ of the glory that should come to him, by showing disrespect to his appointed agencies.
God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. But Satan is a vigilant, unsleeping foe, ever at work upon human minds, seeking a soil in which he can sow his tares. If he finds any whom he can press into his service, he will suggest ideas and false theories, and make them zealous in advocating error. The truth not only converts, but works the purification of its receiver. Jesus has warned us to beware of false teachers. From the beginning of our work, men have arisen from time to time, advocating theories that were new and startling. But if those who claim to believe the truth, would go to those who have had experience, would go to the word of God in a teachable, humble spirit, and examine their theories in the light of truth, and with the aid of the brethren who have been diligent Bible students, and at the same time make supplication unto God, asking, Is this the way of the Lord, or is it a false path in which Satan would lead me? they would receive light, and would escape out of the net of the fowler.
Let all our brethren and sisters beware of anyone who would set a time for the Lord to fulfil his word in regard to his coming, or in regard to any other promise he has made of special significance. “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” False teachers may appear to be very zealous for the work of God, and may expend means to bring their theories before the world and the church; but as they mingle error with truth, their message is one of deception, and will lead souls into false paths. They are to be met, and opposed, not because they are bad men, but because they are teachers of falsehood, and are endeavoring to put upon falsehood the stamp of truth. What a pity it is that men will go to such pains to discover some theory of error, when there is a whole storehouse of precious gems of truth by which the people might be enriched in the most holy faith. Instead of teaching truth, they let their imagination dwell upon that which is new and strange, and throw themselves out of harmony with those whom God is using to bring the people up upon the platform of truth. They cast aside all that has been said in regard to unity of sentiment and feeling, and trample upon the prayer of Christ as though the unity for which he prayed was unessential, that there is no necessity for his followers to be one, even as he is one with the Father. They go off on a tangent, and Jehu-like, call to their brethren to follow their example of zeal for the Lord. If their zeal led them to work in the same lines in which their brethren who have carried the heat and burden of the day, are working; if they were as persevering to overcome discouragements and obstacles as their brethren have been, they might well be imitated, and God would accept them. But men are to be condemned who start out with a proclamation of wonderful light, and yet draw away from the agents whom God is leading. This was the way in which Korah, Dathan, and Abiram did, and their action is recorded as a warning to all others. We are not to do as they have done,–accuse and condemn those upon whom God has laid the burden of the work.
Those who have proclaimed the Seventh-day Adventist Church as Babylon, have made use of the testimonies in giving their position a seeming support; but why is it that they did not present that which for years has been the burden of my message,–the unity of the church? Why did they not quote the words of the angel, “Press together, Press together, Press together”? Why did they not repeat the admonition and state the principle, that “in union there is strength, in division there is weakness?” It is such messages as these men have borne, that divide the church, and put us to shame before the enemies of truth, and in such messages is plainly revealed the specious working of the great deceiver, who would hinder the church from attaining unto perfection in unity. These teachers follow the sparks of their own kindling, move according to their own independent judgment, and cumber the truth with false notions and theories. They refuse the counsel of their brethren, and press on in their own way, until they become just what Satan would desire to have them,–unbalanced in mind.
I warn my brethren to guard against the working of Satan in every form. The great adversary of God and man is exulting today that he has succeeded in deceiving souls, and in diverting their means and ability into harmful channels. Their money might have been used to advance present truth, but instead of this, it has been expended in the presenting notions that have no foundation in truth.
In 1845 a man by the name of Curtis did a similar work in the State of Massachusetts. He presented a false doctrine, and wove into his theories sentences and selections from the testimonies, and published his theories in the Day Star, and in sheet form. For years these productions bore their baleful fruit, and brought reproach upon the testimonies, that, as a whole, in no way supported his work. My husband wrote to him, and asked him what he meant by presenting the testimonies interwoven with his own words, in support of that which we were opposed to, and requested him to correct the impression that his work had given. He flatly refused to do so, saying that his theories were truth, and that the visions ought to have corroborated his views, and that they virtually did support them, but that I had forgotten to write out the matters that made his theories plain.
Ever since the beginning of the work, one after another has risen up to do this kind of work, and I have had to go to the trouble and incur the expense of contradicting these falsehoods. They have published their theories, and have deceived many souls, but may God guard the sheep of his pasture.
I urge those who claim to believe the truth, to walk in unity with their brethren. Do not seek to give to the world occasion to say that we are extremists, that we are disunited, that one teaches one thing, and one another. Avoid dissension. Let everyone be on guard, and be careful to be found standing in the gap to make up the breach, in place of standing at the wall seeking to make a breach. Let all be careful not to make an outcry against the only people who are fulfilling the description given of the remnant people, who keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus, who are exalting the standard of righteousness in these last days. God has a distinct people, a church on earth, second to none, but superior to all in their facilities to teach the truth, to vindicate the law of God. God has divinely appointed agencies,–men whom he is leading, who have borne the heat and burden of the day, who are cooperating with heavenly instrumentalities to advance the kingdom of Christ in our world. Let all unite with these chosen agents, and be found at last among those who have the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus.
The following is the letter sent to brother Stanton:–
“Napier, New Zealand, March 23, 1893. “Dear Brother Stanton: I address to you a few lines. I am not in harmony with the position that you have taken; for I have been shown by the Lord that just such positions will be taken by those who are in error. Paul has given us warning to this effect: ‘Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.’
“My brother, I learn that you are taking the position that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, and that all that would be saved must come out of her. You are not the only man whom the enemy has deceived in this matter. For the last forty years, one man after another has arisen, claiming that the Lord has sent him with the same message; but let me tell you, as I have told them, that this message you are proclaiming, is one of the Satanic delusions designed to create confusion among the churches. My brother, you are certainly off the track. The second angel’s message was to go to Babylon [the churches] proclaiming her downfall, and calling the people to come out of her. This same message is to be proclaimed the second time. ‘And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.’
“My brother, if you are teaching that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, you are wrong. God has not given you any such message to bear. Satan will use every mind to which he can attain access, inspiring men to originate false theories, or go off on some wrong tangent, that he may create a false excitement, and thus divert souls from the true issue for this time. I presume that some may be deceived by your message, because they are full of curiosity and desire for some new thing.
“It makes me feel sad indeed that you should be deceived in any way by the suggestions of the enemy; for I know the theory that you are advocating is not truth. In advancing the ideas you do, you will do great injury to yourself and to others. Do not seek to misinterpret, and twist, and pervert, the testimonies to substantiate any such message of error. Many have passed over this ground, and have done great harm. As others have started up full of zeal to proclaim this message, again and again, I have been shown that it was not truth.
“I understand that you are also proclaiming that we should not pay tithe. My brother, take off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon you are standing is holy ground. The Lord has spoken in regard to paying tithes. He has said, ‘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.’ But while he pronounces a blessing upon those who bring in their tithes, he pronounces a curse upon those who withhold them. Very recently I have had direct light from the Lord upon this question, that many Seventh-day Adventists were robbing God in tithes and offerings, and it was plainly revealed to me that Malachi has stated the case as it really is. Then how dare any man even think in his heart that a suggestion to withhold tithes and offerings is from the Lord? Where, my brother, have you stepped out of the path? O get your feet back in the strait path again. We are near the end, but if you or any other man shall be seduced by the enemy, and led on to set the time for Christ’s coming, he will be doing the same evil work which has wrought the ruin of the souls of those who have done it in the past.
“If you are wearing the yoke of Christ, if you are lifting his burden, you will see that there is plenty to do in the same lines wherein the servants of God are laboring,–in preaching Christ and him crucified. But any one who shall start up to proclaim a message to announce the hour, day, or year of Christ’s appearing, has taken up a yoke and is proclaiming a message that the Lord has never given him.
“God has a church upon the earth, who are his chosen people, who keep his commandments. He is leading, not stray off-shoots, not one here and one there, but a people. The truth is a sanctifying power; but the church militant is not the church triumphant. There are tares among the wheat. ‘Wilt thou then that we gather them up?’ was the question of the servant; but the master answered, ‘Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.’ The gospel net draws not only good fish, but bad ones as well, and the Lord only knows who are his.
“It is our individual duty to walk humbly with God. We are not to seek any strange, new message. We are not to think that the chosen ones of God who are trying to walk in the light, compose Babylon. The fallen denominational churches are Babylon. Babylon has been fostering poisonous doctrines, the wine of error. This wine of error is made up of false doctrines, such as the natural immortality of the soul, the eternal torment of the wicked, the denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to his birth in Bethlehem, and advocating and exalting the first day of the week above God’s holy, sanctified day. These and kindred errors are presented to the world by the various, churches, and thus the Scriptures are fulfilled that say, ‘For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ It is a wrath which is created by false doctrines, and when kings and presidents drink this wine of the wrath of her fornication, they are stirred with anger against those who will not come into harmony with the false and Satanic heresies which exalt the false Sabbath, and lead men to trample under foot God’s memorial.
“Fallen angels upon earth form confederations with evil men. In this age antichrist will appear as the true Christ, and then the law of God will be fully made void in the nations of our world. Rebellion against God’s holy law will be fully ripe. But the true leader of all this rebellion is Satan clothed as an angel of light. Men will be deceived and will exalt him to the place of God, and deify him. But Omnipotence will interpose, and to the apostate churches that unite in the exaltation of Satan, the sentence will go forth, ‘Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.'” By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, October 17, 1893
(Vol. 70, #41)
“The Church the Property of God”
The church is the property of God, and God constantly remembers her as she stands in the world, subject to the temptations of Satan. Christ has never forgotten the days of his humiliation. In passing from the scenes of his humiliation, Jesus has lost none of his humanity. He has the same tender, pitying love, and is ever touched with human woe. He ever bears in mind that he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He forgets not his representative people who are striving to uphold his down-trodden law. He knows that the world that hated him, hates them. Although Jesus Christ has passed into the heavens, there is still a living chain binding his believing ones to his own heart of infinite love. The most lowly and weak are bound by a chain of sympathy closely to his heart. He never forgets that he is our representative, that he bears our nature.
Jesus sees his true church on the earth, whose greatest ambition is to cooperate with him in the grand work of saving souls. He hears their prayers, presented in contrition and power, and Omnipotence cannot resist their plea for the salvation of any tried, tempted member of Christ body. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Jesus ever liveth to make intercession for us. Through our Redeemer what blessings may not the true believer receive? The church, soon to enter upon her most severe conflict, will be the object most dear to God upon earth. The confederacy of evil will be stirred with power from beneath, and Satan will cast all the reproach possible upon the chosen ones whom he cannot deceive and delude with his Satanic inventions and falsehoods. But exalted “to be a prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins,” will Christ our representative and head, close his heart, or withdraw his hand, or falsify his promise?–No; never, never.
God has a church, a chosen people, and could all see as I have seen, how closely Christ identifies himself with his people, no such message would be heard as the one that denounces the church as Babylon. God has a people who are laborers together with him, and they have gone straightforward, having his glory in view. Listen to the prayer of our representative in heaven: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory.” O, how the divine Head longed to have his church with him! They had fellowship with him in his suffering and humiliation, and it is his highest joy to have them with him to be partakers of his glory. Christ claims the privilege of having his church with him. “I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” To have them with him is according to covenant promise and agreement with his Father. He reverently presents at the mercy seat his finished redemption for his people. The bow of promise encircles our substitute and surety as he pours out his petition of love, “Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory.” We shall behold the King in his beauty, and the church will be glorified.
Like David, we may now pray, “It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void thy law.” Men have gone on in disobedience to God’s law, until they have reached a point of insolence that is unparalleled. Men are training in disobedience, and are fast approaching the limit of God’s forbearance and love, and God will surely interfere. He will surely vindicate his own honor, and repress the prevailing iniquity. Will God’s commandment-keeping people be carried away with the prevailing iniquity? Will they be tempted, because universal scorn is placed upon the law of God, to think less of that law which is the foundation of his government both in heaven and in earth?–No. To his church his law becomes more precious, holy, honorable, as men cast upon it scorn and contempt. Like David, they can say, “They have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.”
The church militant is not now the church triumphant; but God loves his church, and describes through the prophet how he opposes and resists Satan who is clothing the children of God in the blackest and most defiled garments, and pleading for the privilege of destroying them. The angels of God were protecting them from the assaults of the enemy. The prophet says:–
“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. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 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 miter upon his head. So they set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; 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.”
When men arise, claiming to have a message from God, but instead of warring against principalities and powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world, they form a hollow square, and turn the weapons of warfare against the church militant, be afraid of them. They do not bear the divine credentials. God has not given them any such burden of labor. They would tear down that which God would restore by the Laodicean message. He wounds only that he may heal, not cause to perish. The Lord lays upon no man a message that will discourage and dishearten the church. He reproves, he rebukes, he chastens; but it is only that he may restore and approve at last. How glad my heart was made by the report from the General Conference that many hearts were softened and subdued, that many made humble confessions, and cleared away from the door of the heart the rubbish that was keeping the Saviour out. How glad I was to know that many welcomed Jesus in as an abiding guest. How is it that these pamphlets denouncing the Seventh-day Adventist Church as Babylon were scattered abroad everywhere, at the very time when that church was receiving the outpouring of the Spirit of God? How is it that men can be so deceived as to imagine that the loud cry consists in calling the people of God out from the fellowship of a church that is enjoying a season of refreshing? O, may these deceived souls come into the current, and receive the blessing, and be endued with power from on high. By Mrs. E. G. White.
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 5, 1893
(Vol. 70, #48)
“An Appeal for the Australasian Field”
Dear Brethren and Sisters in America: We have now been in this missionary field nearly two years. For eleven months of this time, because of sickness, I was unable to labor in public. At times, with much inconvenience and suffering, I spoke in the church at Melbourne; but although I could not labor in a public manner during these months of suffering, I was enabled to write 2400 pages of letter paper upon themes that were essential to the progress of the work. Christ was previously-near to me during the time of my affliction, and the truth was presented to me in clear light, and the promises were viewed by me in their richness and fullness. I felt constrained to write by the Spirit of God even in my affliction and suffering; but I am now rejoiced to say that the Lord has been mercifully working for my restoration, and although not entirely relieved, I am in a much better condition of health, and have been strengthened so that I can stand before the people and bear to them my message, and in this work I have been marvelously sustained.
We have carried a heavy burden for these Australasian fields, and though our allotted time to remain here is almost expired, we see much unfinished work before us. We have sent in our appeals for men and means to carry forward the work in this far-off missionary territory, and we are thankful to our heavenly Father for that which has been done in response. We are glad that Brother and Sister Wilson have been added to the number of missionary laborers by the General Conference. But we would be more rejoiced if our responsible men would not see so many ways to invest means upon that which is in the range of their immediate vision, and would extend their view, and see the necessity of providing facilities to start the work in new fields. There are many, many important cities that have not been entered; many, many places where the banner of truth has not been unfurled. We still plead for laborers for these colonies. We still plead for financial help to plant the standard of truth in these new fields.
Some of our responsible men seem only to take in the needs of the field on which their vision rests, and addition upon addition is made to well-established institutions, in which a large amount of means has already been invested, and where already a great amount of strength is centered. Yet to these very institutions large donations are appropriated to build them up still further, while other fields, such as this one, where there are no strength and no facilities, are left in their deplorable weakness, devoid of those things necessary to break up the soil for the introduction of the seeds of truth.
Brethren in America, I am praying day and night that the Lord may extend your vision, in order that you may see things that are afar off. How can the Lord Jesus approve of your absorbing so much means in increasing facilities whereby to advance the work in America, while foreign fields are destitute of means whereby to begin the work in parts where no beginning has been made? Knowing as we do, how well equipped are our institutions for publishing, for education, and for treating the sick, and what a firm basis the truth has in that field, we wonder that you should think it proper to expend more means there, when these foreign fields are so lacking in that with which you are so well furnished. Here are places all about us that have never been entered, and cannot be worked unless we shall have houses of worship, even though of the humblest character. We cannot call out the people to hear the truth in tents as in America; for in many places, as in Wellington, New Zealand, the wind would strip them to ribbons. We have not a place in these large cities where we can call out the people to hear the truth of God. We cannot unfurl the banner of truth; for we have no standing place. I am looking to the Lord for light, and I shall make appeals again and again, like the importunate widow, until you shall be compelled to hear, and attend to the call. I address the churches, and plead with them to do the very work that God would have them. I have been thinking very seriously of going to America in person to make appeals from church to church; for I am deeply moved over the destitute condition of these Australasian fields.
In this country, the denominational ministers tell the most unblushing falsehoods to their congregations in reference to our work and our people. Whatever false report has been started, is circulated by those who oppose the truth, and is repeated from church to church and from community to community. The circulators of these falsehoods take no pains to find out whether or not they are true, for many of those who repeat the reports, though not the framers of them, still love the false reports, and take delight in giving them a wide circulation. They do not, like honest, just men, come to those who are accused, and seek to find out what is the truth concerning what they have heard in regard to their faith; but without inquiry they spread false statements in order to prejudice the people against those who hold the truth. For instance, an effort was made to obtain the use of the hall at a village four miles from Hastings, where some of our workers proposed to present the gospel to the people; but they did not succeed in obtaining the hall, because a school teacher there opposed the truth, and declared to the people that Seventh-day Adventists did not believe in the divinity of Christ. This man may not have known what our faith is on this point, but he was not left in ignorance. He was informed that there is not a people on earth who hold more firmly to the truth of Christ’s pre-existence than do Seventh-day Adventists. But the answer was given that they did not want that the doctrines of Seventh-day Adventists should be promulgated in that community. So the door was closed.
The prejudice that exists in the smaller cities and towns of Australia and New Zealand is very bitter, and we have to put forth the same effort here to overcome prejudice as in America where our people are not known. The message and the messenger are not so well known in these fields as in America, so the prejudice is of longer duration; and until the people who are teaching the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, are better known by personal acquaintance, these fields will be hard to work. It is difficult to break down these barriers, and obtain an opportunity to introduce the leaven of truth, and proclaim the last message of mercy and warning to the people. As in Christ’s day, the ministers will not investigate the Scriptures, and candidly compare the doctrines presented with their Bibles, but rather seize upon some lying report, some scandal from far off or from near at hand, and present a false statement to their congregations as an evidence that they should close their ears to the “strange doctrines” of the Seventh-day Adventists. Through these lying reports, the people whose minds have been stirred up by the truth are quieted down, and as they have not the moral courage to investigate the Scriptures for themselves, or to ferret out the falsehood, they turn from the men who have the message of God. We are obliged to go over the very same ground in these fields that we had to go over in the beginning of the work in America. The history of the work, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, when they journeyed from place to place, and had to meet the opposition of opposers of the truth, is re-enacted in the work of the message for this time.
Prejudice in these fields is so strong that we do not see how the message of truth is to go to the cities and towns in these colonies, unless we shall be furnished with facilities by which we may work. In the history of the first gospel workers, we read that after the day of Pentecost, they set forth in earnest to fulfill the commission given them of Christ, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” I was rejoiced to hear of the outpouring of the Spirit of God in Michigan, and especially at Battle Creek. I rejoiced with heart and soul and voice; for I knew that something would be done to stir the souls of those who have had the shining of continual rays of light upon them, and who have not hitherto made a response in proportion to the light they have had. The Holy Spirit works in the heart of its receiver, and makes its possessor an agent for its designs. Those who are imbued with the Holy Spirit become channels of light to the world, and those who have had the Spirit of God will make a decided response to the appeals which the Lord is sending.
I ask my brethren and sisters in America, Are you, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, working the works of God? Are you becoming witnesses as did the early disciples to the power of him who sanctifies you, and enables you to consecrate yourselves to the very work that God would have you do? Have families aroused from their idle inactivity? and have they moved from Battle Creek into surrounding towns and villages to advocate and live out before the people the message of truth? The admonition to each one is, Work “while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” Who has opened his ears to the Macedonian cry that is coming from every direction. “Come over and help us”? Who have had their hearts stirred by the need of the people, and have decided to leave country and kindred to come to this far-off field in response to the urgent appeals that have been sent to you? Who have been stirred to give their substance to the cause, to devote their means to the advancement of the present truth in this field?
We have been sent here by the General Conference, and we are here on the ground; but we have not been provided with facilities to do the work, although urgent calls have been made for facilities, and the needs of the field have been repeatedly presented before our brethren. The trouble is that our brethren do not comprehend the appeal that has been made. But something more must be done, they think, to give additional strength to, and to multiply facilities in, America, where there is a great abundance of facilities; while the fields that have no strength, which need money and workers, are left almost entirely in their destitution, and the call for means and men is scarcely heeded. Workers now, and money now, would be of more value than double the financial assistance in two years from this time. I must now make an appeal to the churches. I must call upon you in America to help us at this time. I call upon those whom God has made stewards of his means to send us financial help, and let those who are willing to go out as did Abraham, leaving country and kindred, come as missionaries to this field, not looking to the Conference to pay your expenses, or to support you, but looking to God for grace to diffuse the light he has given you.
Wake up, brethren and sisters, wake up. Sleep no longer. “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” Jesus calls you, saying, “Go work today in my vineyard.” Whoever has received the Holy Spirit, will make it manifest; for all his powers will be employed in the most active service. All who actually receive Christ by faith, work. They feel the burden of souls. God now calls upon everyone who has a knowledge of the truth, who is a depositary of sacred truth, to arise and impart the light of heaven to others. Those who have been illuminated by the Holy Spirit, will show its office work upon life and character. They will be mediums through which the Holy Spirit will communicate light and knowledge to others. The wonderful truth revealed to us in these last days, is to be revealed to others. “The end of all things is at hand.” The Lord has been speaking to you in America, and may the Lord forbid that at the time of great illumination, darkness should come upon you because you fail to walk in the light that has been given. Darkness corresponding to your light will surely come upon you, if you do not now arouse from your slumbers, and shake off your useless musings and selfish indulgences, and trade diligently with your Lord’s goods. Move out from your pleasant homes. Develop the talents God has given you, and tell to others what the Holy Spirit has communicated to you. God requires you to work in proportion to the light he has given. By Mrs. E. G. White. (Concluded next week.)
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 12, 1893
(Vol. 70, #49)
“An Appeal for the Australasian Field (Concluded)”
Angels of God are waiting, desiring with intense desire that those who claim to believe the truth shall become agents through which, by cooperation with them, they shall be able to communicate light to the world. All heaven is interested in the work that is going on in the world, and the angels desire that men shall become channels by which divine grace may flow to those who are famishing for the waters of life. In new and fresh aspects the truth is to be presented through living agencies to those who are in the darkness of error, who are dead in trespasses and sins. God created all things by Christ Jesus, that now unto principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. Wake up, my brethren and sisters, before you sleep the sleep of death. God has shown you that he is willing to do great things for you. The salvation of the human soul is the one object of most intense interest to the heavenly host. The value of the soul is infinitely above silver and gold; and why is it that you who have a knowledge of the truth do not impart it to others? It is the highest duty of every Christian to let the light God has given shine forth in steady rays. Have you been converted from error to truth? Have you, through faith in Jesus Christ, been made partakers of his love? Then go to work to save souls that are ready to perish. Personal effort must be put forth, if men who are lost are to be convinced that they are in need of a Saviour. The work of saving souls is not confined to the delegated ministers. To every man God has given his work. Every soul that has been enlightened has a work to do, a mission to perform. Each one is to trade diligently with the talents intrusted to his care. Converted himself, the Christian is to present to others the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, and win souls to Jesus.
The Lord has blessed many of you of late. What reason did you assign for this enlightenment? Did you think that God had blessed you simply that you might sit down and be happy, while others were left to perish for the want of the knowledge and experience that you have obtained through the mercy and forbearance of God? Were you willing to be content and gratified that you had received so rich a blessing? The Holy Spirit was imparted to you in order that you might become agents by which God could communicate that blessing to others. Every true believer is a light that will shine amid the moral darkness of the world. “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a 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. “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor [it will not communicate its saving qualities,] wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” The religion that does not reveal itself in good works, in true righteousness and goodness, in saving the souls of poor sinners, is of no value in the estimation of God, and it will not save the souls of those who possess it.
Soldiers of Christ are now wanted to push the battle to the front. Marshall under the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel, wear his armor, and press the battle to the gate. The gospel of the kingdom of Christ must go into new countries, and enter new provinces. We are laborers together with God. Brethren and sisters, why hover about the churches? Study the parable of the lost sheep, and go forth as true shepherds, seeking the lost one who is in the wilderness of sin. Rescue the perishing.
Christians will have the mind of Christ, and be co-workers with him. To everyone work has been allotted, and no one else can be a substitute for another. Each one has a mission of wonderful importance, which he cannot neglect or ignore, as the fulfillment of it involves the weal of some soul, and the neglect of it the woe of one for whom Christ died. God has appointed his children to give light to others, and if they fail to do it, and souls are left in the darkness of error because of their failure to do that which they might have done, had they been vitalized by the Holy Spirit, they will be accountable to God. We have been called out of darkness into his marvelous light, in order that we may show forth the praises of Christ.
In the Australasian field we not only need ministers, but faithful workers who will do their God-given work in the way he has appointed that it should be done. Who of those who have been so greatly blessed in the outpouring of the Spirit of God, have fallen again into slumber? Arouse, before it is eternally too late. By your slothfulness you are not only imperiling your own souls, but you are endangering the cause of God, since he has given to every man his work. The converting power of God must daily come upon all the churches, that they may stand in the strength of Christ, rooted and grounded in the faith, holding forth the word of life. Do not wait until someone shall lift you up, and take all the burden. Let every soul in the churches consecrate himself to God, and lay all that he has on the altar, going forth by faith into the highways and byways of the world, and in a humble, Christlike spirit, doing what he can, as he has opportunity, to sow the seeds of truth. Sow beside all waters, presenting the truth as it is in Jesus. By a godly example, by earnest expostulation and entreaties, compel the lost to come in to be prepared for the marriage supper of the Lamb. To neglect the work of saving souls is a great sin; for it is neglecting to save souls for whom Christ died.
It is evident that the love of Christ does not warm our own hearts, if we have nothing to say to others of its power, if we do nothing to kindle in the hearts of others the love of God. If Christ abides in the soul, it will not be possible to be indolent and indifferent. The salvation of sinners demands that every Christian shall act his part, and put forth a certain measure of positive power. “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” The word must be spoken in season and out of season to those who are beguiled by Satan, and led to do evil things. Satan is working through his agents, and shall the soldiers of Christ exert no positive influence to save souls that are walking in the broad road to death? The voice of invitation and entreaty is to sound, crying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” Let no one wait for the sinner to come to him, asking for counsel and advice. Go forth into the wilderness to seek and to save that which is lost. The most special self-denial is to be practiced, the most earnest effort is to be made to save those who are ready to perish. Imbued with the Spirit of Christ, the true worker will not fail nor be discouraged.
Not one who has been made the depositary of truth, will be excused in the day of judgment for the non-employment of his talents, given for the sake of the salvation of souls. In the great day of God every case will appear exactly as it is, and no one will be able, in view of the terrible consequences of the neglect he has been guilty of, to render an excuse; but as the eye of God rests upon him, he will stand condemned and denounced.
Wake up, brethren and sisters in our churches, and watch unto prayer. Educate the youth in such a way that they shall understand that it is not possible for them to live a Christian life, and to increase in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and yet not be actively engaged in trading upon the talents that God has given,–diffusing to others the knowledge of the truth. Individually we are to put to use our knowledge of the truth in instructing the ignorant, in enlightening those who are in darkness. We are to seek wisdom of God in all things, and then improve every opportunity that is possible, to make the path of duty plain to others. When each one does the duty that lies nearest him, how sinful will appear the thought of devoting God-given powers to the pursuit of amusements. O what sin and guilt we are living in when not earnestly using every jot of influence we possess to advance the kingdom of Christ in the world. Souls are perishing, and few have any concern about it; but those who are indolent in serving the Master, though they may even be employed in the work, will, through neglect of prayer and watching, neglect all other duties, and lose at last all interest in religious things, and be themselves ready to die, except they repent, and return unto the Lord. Why not meet the expectation of the heavenly intelligences, and “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. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.” By Mrs. E. G. White.