Earlier text: A NEGLECTED WARNING.ST. HELENA, Cal., Jan. 5, 1903. To the Battle Creek Church— One day at noon I was writing of the work that might have been done at the last General Conference, if the men in positions of trust had followed the will and way of God. Those who have had great light have not walked in the light. The meeting was closed, and the break was not made. Men did not humble themselves before the Lord as they should have done, and the Holy Spirit was not imparted. I had written thus far when I lost consciousness, and I seemed to be witnessing a scene in Battle Creek. We were assembled in the auditorium of the Tabernacle. Prayer was offered, a hymn was sung, and prayer was again offered. Most earnest supplication was made to God. The meeting was marked by the presence of the Holy Spirit. The work went deep, and some present were weeping aloud. One arose from his bowed position, and said that in the past he had not been in union with certain ones, and had felt no love for them, but that now he saw himself as he was. With great solemnity he repeated the message to the Laodicean church: “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” In my self-sufficiency this is just the way I felt,” he said. “And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.’ I now see that this is my condition. My eyes are opened. My spirit has been hard and unjust. I thought myself righteous, but my heart is broken, and I see my need of the precious counsel of the One who has searched me through and through. O, how105 gracious and compassionate and loving are the words, ‘I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.’” Rev. 3:17, 18. The speaker turned to those who had been praying, and said: “We have something to do. We must confess our sins, and humble our hearts before God.” He made heart-broken confessions, and then stepped up to several of the brethren, one after another, and extended his hand, asking forgiveness. Those to whom he spoke sprang to their feet, making confession and asking forgiveness, and they fell upon one another’s necks, weeping. The spirit of confession spread through the entire congregation. It was a Pentecostal season. God’s praises were sung, and far into the night, until nearly morning, the work was carried on. The following words were often repeated, with clear distinctness: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Rev. 3:19, 20. No one seemed to be too proud to make heartfelt confession, and those who led in this work were the ones who had influence, but had not before had courage to confess their sins. There was rejoicing such as never before had been heard in the Tabernacle. Then I aroused from my unconsciousness, and for a while could not think where I was. My pen was still in my hand. The words were spoken to me: “This might have been. All this the Lord was waiting to do for His people. All heaven was waiting to be gracious.” I thought of where we might have been had106 thorough work been done at the last General Conference; and an agony of disappointment came over me as I realized that what I had witnessed was not a reality. God’s way is always the right and the prudent way. It always brings honor to His name. Man’s only security against rash, ambitious movements is to keep the heart in harmony with Christ Jesus. Man’s wisdom is untrustworthy. Man is fickle, filled with self-esteem, pride, and selfishness. Let the workers doing God’s service trust wholly in the Lord. Then the leaders will reveal that they are willing to be led, not by human wisdom, which is as useless to lean upon as is a broken reed, but by the wisdom of the Lord, who has said: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” James 1:5, 6. All who profess to be children of God, I would invite to consider the history of the Israelites, as recorded in the one hundred and fifth, the one hundred and sixth, and the one hundred and seventh psalms. By carefully studying these scriptures, we may be able to appreciate more fully the goodness, mercy, and love of our God. “O give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon His name,
Make known among the people His doings
Sing unto Him, sing praises unto Him;
Talk ye of all His marvelous works.
Glory ye in His holy name;
Let the heart of them rejoice that seek Jehovah.
Seek ye Jehovah and His strength;
Seek His face evermore. “Remember His marvelous works that He hath done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
O ye seed of Abraham His servant,
Ye children of Jacob, His chosen ones.
He is Jehovah our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
He hath remembered His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,
The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath unto Isaac,
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute,
To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan,
The lot of your inheritance;
When they were but a few men in number,
Yea, very few, and sojourners in it.
And they went about from nation to nation,
From one kingdom to another people.
He suffered no man to do them wrong;
Yea, He reproved kings for their sakes,
Saying, Touch not Mine anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.108
“And He called for a famine upon the land;
He brake the whole staff of bread.
He sent a man before them;
Joseph was sold for a servant;
His feet they hurt with fetters;
He was laid in chains of iron,
Until the time that His word came to pass,
The word of Jehovah tried him.
The king sent and loosed him;
Even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free.
He made him lord of his house,
And ruler of all his substance;
To bind his princes at his pleasure,
And teach his elders wisdom.
Israel also came into Egypt;
And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
And He increased His people greatly,
And made them stronger than their adversaries. “He turned their heart to hate His people,
To deal subtly with His servants.
He sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron whom He had chosen.
They set among them His signs,
And wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness, and made it dark;
And they rebelled not against His words.
He turned their waters into blood,
And slew their fish.
Their land swarmed with frogs
In the chambers of their kings.
He spake, and there came swarms of flies,
And lice in all their borders.
He gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
He smote their vines also and their fig-trees;
And brake the trees of their borders.
He spake, and the locust came,
And the grasshopper, and that without number,
And did eat up every herb in their land,
And did eat up the fruit of their ground.
He smote also all the first-born in their land,
The chief of all their strength. “And He brought them forth with silver and gold; And there was not one feeble person among His tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed; For the fear of them had fallen upon them.109 “He spread a cloud for a covering; And fire to give light in the night. They asked, and He brought quails, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and waters gushed out; They ran in the dry places like a river. “For He remembered His holy word,
And Abraham His servant.
And He brought forth His people with joy,
And His chosen with singing.
And He gave them the lands of the nations;
And they took the labor of the peoples in possession;
That they might keep His statutes,
And observe His laws. “O give thanks unto Jehovah; for He is good;
For His loving-kindness endureth forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of Jehovah,
Or show forth all His praise?
Blessed are they that keep justice,
And he that doeth righteousness at all times.
Remember me, O Jehovah, with the favor that Thou
bearest unto Thy people;
O visit me with Thy salvation,
That I may see the prosperity of Thy chosen,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Thy nation,
That I may glory with Thine inheritance. “We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers understood not Thy wonders in Egypt; They remembered not the multitude of Thy loving-kindnesses, But were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea.110 “Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake, That He might make His mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: So He led them through the depths, as through a wilderness. And He saved them from the hand of him that hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries; There was not one of them left. Then believed they His words; They sang His praise. “They soon forgat His works;
They waited not for His counsel,
But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
And tempted God in the desert.
And He gave them their request,
But sent leanness into their soul.
They envied Moses also in the camp,
And Aaron the saint of Jehovah.
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
And covered the company of Abiram.
And a fire was kindled in their company;
The flame burned up the wicked.
They made a calf in Horeb,
And worshiped a molten image.
Thus they changed their glory
For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass. “They forgot God their Saviour,
Which had done great things in Egypt;
Wondrous things in the land of Ham,
And terrible things by the Red Sea.
Therefore He said that He would destroy them,
Had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breach,
To turn away His wrath, lest He should destroy them. “Yea, they despised the pleasant land,
They believed not His word;
But murmured in their tents,
And hearkened not unto the voice of Jehovah.111 Therefore He lifted up His hand unto them,
That He would make them fall in the wilderness,
And that He would overthrow their seed among the nations,
And scatter them in the lands.
They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor,
And ate the sacrifices of the dead.
Thus they provoked Him to anger with their doings;
And the plague brake in upon them. “Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment;
And so the plague was stayed.
And that was reckoned unto him for righteousness,
Unto all generations forevermore.” “They angered Him also at the waters of Meribah,
So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes;
Because they were rebellious against his spirit,
And he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
They did not destroy the peoples,
As Jehovah commanded them,
But mingled themselves with the nations,
And learned their works,
And served their idols,
Which became a snare unto them;
Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons,
And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters,
Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with blood.
Thus were they defiled with their works,
And played the harlot in their doings. “Therefore was the wrath of Jehovah kindled against His people, And He abhorred His inheritance. And He gave them into the hand of the nations; “And they that hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were brought into subjection under their hand. Many times did He deliver them; But they were rebellious in their counsel, And were brought low in their iniquity.112 “Nevertheless He regarded their distress, When He heard their cry; And He remembered for them His covenant, And repented according to the multitude of His loving-kindnesses. He made them also to be pitied Of all those that carried them captive. “Save us, O Jehovah our God,
And gather us from among the nations,
To give thanks unto Thy holy name,
And to triumph in Thy praise. “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
And let all the people say, Amen.
Hallelujah.” “O give thanks unto Jehovah; for He is good;
For His loving-kindness endureth forever.
Let the redeemed of Jehovah say so,
Whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary,
And gathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. “They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way;
They found no city of habitation.
Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.
Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses,
He led them also by a straight way,
That they might go to a city of habitation.
O that men would praise Jehovah for His loving-kindness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfieth the longing soul,
And the hungry soul He filleth with good. “Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Being bound in affliction and iron;113 ‘Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And contemned the counsel of the Most High;
Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;
They fell down, and there was none to help.
Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow
of death,
And brake their bonds in sunder.
O that men would praise Jehovah for His loving-kindness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He hath broken the gates of brass,
And cut the bars of iron in sunder. “He turneth rivers into a wilderness,
And watersprings into a thirsty ground;
A fruitful land into a salt desert,
For the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
He turneth a wilderness into a pool of water,
And a dry land into watersprings.
And there He maketh the hungry to dwell,
That they may prepare a city of habitation,
And sow fields, and plant vineyards,
And get them fruits of increase.
He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly;
And He suffereth not their cattle to decrease. “Again, they are diminished and bowed down
Through oppression, trouble, and sorrow.
He poureth contempt upon princes,
And causeth them to wander in the waste, where
there is no way.
Yet setteth He the needy on high from affliction,
And maketh him families like a flock.
The upright shall see it, and be glad;
And all iniquity shall stop her mouth. “Whoso is wise will give heed to these things,
And they will consider the loving-kindnesses of Jehovah.” “CALL TO REMEMBRANCE THE FORMER DAYS.”
Why did ancient Israel so easily forget God’s dealings? The people did not retain in their memory His works of greatness and power or His words of warning.114 Had they remembered His wondrous dealings with them, they would not have received the reproof:— “Who art thou, that thou art afraid of man that shall die,
And of the son of man that shall be made as grass;
And hast forgotten Jehovah thy Maker,
That stretched forth the heavens,
And laid the foundations of the earth;
And fearest continually all the day
Because of the fury of the oppressor,
When he maketh ready to destroy?
And where is the fury of the oppressor?” But the children of Israel forgot God, whose they were by creation and by redemption. After seeing all His wondrous works, they tempted Him. To the Israelites were committed the sacred oracles. But God’s revealed word was misinterpreted and misapplied. The people despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. “The vineyard of Jehovah of hosts is the house of Israel,
And the men of Judah His pleasant plant;
And He looked for justice, but, behold, oppression;
For righteousness, but, behold, a cry.” “Woe unto them That . . . regard not the work of Jehovah, Neither have they considered the operation of His hands. Therefore My people have gone into captivity For lack of knowledge.” “Woe unto them
That call evil good,
And good evil;
That put darkness for light,
And light for darkness;
That put bitter for sweet,
And sweet for bitter!” “Woe unto them
That are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!” “Therefore as the tongue of fire devoureth the stubble,
And as the dry grass sinketh down in the flame,115 “So their root shall be as rottenness,
And their blossom shall go up as dust;
Because they have rejected the law of Jehovah of hosts,
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.”
Isa. 5:7, 11-13, 20, 21, 24. “WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION.”
“These things . . . are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Cor. 10:11. The warning comes sounding down along the line to our time:— “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 To-day; 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; while it is said,—
To-day if ye will hear His voice,
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke; howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.” Heb. 3:12-16. Can not we who are living in the time of the end realize the importance of the apostle’s words, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God”? Heb. 3:12. Upon us is shining the accumulated light of past ages. The record of Israel’s forgetfulness has been preserved for our enlightenment. In this age God has set His hand to gather unto Himself a people from every nation, kindred, and tongue. In the advent movement He has wrought for His heritage, even as He wrought for the Israelites in leading them from Egypt. In the great disappointment of 1844, the faith of His people was tested as was that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. Had the Adventists in the early days116 still trusted to the guiding Hand that had been with them in their past experience, they would have seen of the salvation of God. If all who had labored unitedly in the work of 1844 had received the third angel’s message, and proclaimed it in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts. A flood of light would have been shed upon the world. Years ago the inhabitants of the earth would have been warned, the closing work would have been completed, and Christ would have come for the redemption of His people. THE MESSAGE FOR THIS TIME.
I have been instructed to trace words of warning for our brethren and sisters who are in danger of losing sight of the special work for this time. The Lord has made us depositaries of sacred truth. We are to arise and shine. In every land we are to herald the second coming of Christ, in the language of the revelator proclaiming: “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” Rev. 1:7. What are we doing? Are we giving the message of the third angel? “The third angel followed them [the first and second angels], saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that117 keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:9-12. The commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus are united. They are to be clearly presented to the world. THE OPPOSITION OF THE ENEMY.
In God’s word we are shown the consequences of proclaiming the third angel’s message. “The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 12:17. A refusal to obey the commandments of God, and a determination to cherish hatred against those who proclaim these commandments, leads to the most determined war on the part of the dragon, whose whole energies are brought to bear against the commandment-keeping people of God. “He causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Rev. 13:16, 17. The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord’s memorial of creation. “The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.” Ex. 31:12, 13. Here the Sabbath is clearly designated as a sign between God and His people. The mark of the beast is the opposite of this,—the observance of the first day of the week. This mark distinguishes those who acknowledge the supremacy of the papal authority from those who acknowledge the authority of God. As foretold in the eighteenth of Revelation, the third angel’s message is to be proclaimed with great power by those who give the final warning against the beast and his image: “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. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.” Rev. 18:1-6. This is the message given by God to be sounded forth in the loud cry of the third angel. Those whose faith and zeal are proportionate to their knowledge of the truth, will reveal their loyalty to God by communicating the truth, in all its saving, sanctifying power, to those with whom they associate. Their lives of holiness and unselfish service will be in conformity with the vital principles of the kingdom of heaven. It is a solemn and terrible truth that many who have been zealous in proclaiming the third angel’s message are now becoming listless and indifferent! The line of demarcation between worldlings and many professed Christians is almost indistinguishable. Many who119 once were earnest Adventists are conforming to the world,—to its practises, its customs, its selfishness. Instead of leading the world to render obedience to God’s law, the church is uniting more and more closely with the world in transgression. Daily the church is becoming converted to the world. How many professing Christians are slaves of mammon! Their indulgence of appetite, their extravagant expenditure of money for selfish gratification, greatly dishonors God. And through lack of zeal for the promulgation of the third angel’s message, many others, while not apparently living in transgression, are nevertheless as verily lending their influence on the side of Satan, as are those who openly sin against God. Multitudes are perishing; but how few are burdened for these souls! There is a stupor, a paralysis, upon many of the people of God, which prevents them from understanding the duty of the hour. When the Israelites entered Canaan, they did not fulfil God’s purpose by taking possession of the whole land. After making a partial conquest, they settled down to enjoy the fruit of their victories. In their unbelief and love of ease, they congregated in the portions already conquered, instead of pushing forward to occupy new territory. Thus they began to depart from God. By their failure to carry out His purpose they made it impossible for Him to fulfil to them His promise of blessing. Is not the church of to-day doing the same thing? With the whole world before them in need of the gospel, professed Christians congregate where they themselves can enjoy gospel privileges. They do not feel the necessity of occupying new territory, carrying the message of salvation into regions beyond. They refuse to fulfil Christ’s commission, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Are they less guilty than was the Jewish church? “CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE.”
There will be a sharp conflict between those who are loyal to God and those who cast scorn upon His law. Reverence for God’s law has been subverted. The religious leaders are teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. As it was in the days of ancient Israel, so it is in this age of the world. But because of the prevalence of disloyalty and transgression, will those who have reverenced the law of God now cherish less respect for it? Will they unite with the powers of earth to make it void? The loyal will not be carried away by the current of evil. They will not throw contempt on that which God has set apart as holy. They will not follow Israel’s example of forgetfulness; they will call to remembrance God’s dealings with His people in all ages, and will walk in the way of His commandments. The test comes to every one. There are only two sides. On which side are you? THE SHIELD OF OMNIPOTENCE.
God’s commandment-keeping people stand under the broad shield of Omnipotence. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in whom I trust.
For He will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover thee with His pinions,
And under His wings shalt thou take refuge;
His truth is a shield and a buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night,
Nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
For the pestilence that walketh in darkness,
Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side,
And ten thousand at thy right hand;
But it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold,
And see the reward of the wicked.121
“For Thou, O Jehovah, art my refuge!
Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation;
There shall no evil befall thee,
Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent,
For He will give His angels charge over thee,
To keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands,
Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder;
The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample
under foot.
Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I
deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him, and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”
Psalm 91. “O come, let us sing unto Jehovah;
Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
Let us make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms. “For Jehovah is a great God,
And a great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the mountains are His also.
The sea is His, and He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land. “O come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before Jehovah our Maker; “For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.
To-day, O that ye would hear His voice!
Harden not your heart, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness;
When your fathers tempted Me,
Proved Me, and saw My work.122 “Forty years long was I grieved with that generation,
And said, It is a people that do err in their heart,
And they have not known My ways;
Wherefore I sware in My wrath, that they should not enter into My rest. “O sing unto Jehovah a new song;
Sing unto Jehovah, all the earth.
Sing unto Jehovah, bless His name;
Show forth His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His marvelous works among all the peoples. “For great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols;
But Jehovah made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. “Ascribe unto Jehovah, ye kindreds of the peoples,
Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength.
Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto His name;
Bring an offering, and come into His courts.
O worship Jehovah in the beauty of holiness;
Tremble before Him, all the earth. “Say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth; The world also is established that it can not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity. “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof;
Let the field exult, and all that is therein;
Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy” “Before Jehovah; for He cometh,
For He cometh to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with His truth.”
Psalms 95, 96. “To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.”
EN ROUTE TO COPENHAGEN, July 16, 1886.
To the Medical Superintendent of the Battle Creek Sanitarium— My Dear Brother: I have the most tender love for you, and I would that those who are pursuing you with reproach would let you alone. But, my brother, you must remember that these perplexities and annoyances are included in the “all things” that work together for good to those who love God. The Lord’s eye is upon you, and He beholds those who would misrepresent you and tear you to pieces. But if you will be of good courage, if you will stay your soul upon God, if you will trust your heavenly Father as a child trusts its parent, if you will deal justly and love mercy, God can and will work with you. His promise is sure, “Them that honor Me I will honor.”
1 Sam. 2:30. Remember that your experience is not the first of the kind. You know the history of Joseph and of Daniel. The Lord did not prevent the plottings of wicked men; but He caused their devices to work for good to those who, amidst trial and conflict, preserved their faith and loyalty. The furnace fires are not to destroy, but to refine, ennoble, sanctify. Without trial we should not feel124 so much our need of God and His help; and we should become proud and self-sufficient. In the trials that come to you I see evidence that the Lord’s eye is upon you, and that He means to draw you to Himself. It is not the whole, but the wounded, who need a physician; it is those who are pressed almost beyond the point of endurance who need a helper. Turn to the stronghold. Learn the precious lesson: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matt. 11:28-30. Jesus loves you, and I am made glad as I read of the experience through which you are passing, not because you are a sufferer, but because this is an evidence to me that the Lord Jesus is testing and proving you, to see if you will come to Him, to see if you will put your trust in Him, and find peace and rest in His love. I am praying for you, that you may come to Him, the Fountain of living water. This is the experience that every one of us must have if we ever dwell with Christ in the mansions that He has gone to prepare for us. You have lessons of the highest value to learn in the school of Christ, lessons that will lead you to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. It is when you are prospered, when all men speak well of you, that you are in danger. Be on your guard; for you will be tried. My greatest fear for you has been that you would have too great prosperity, and that you would fail to learn that your dependence is alone upon God. You have been placed in a position of great trust and honor, and there has been danger of your becoming dizzy, and forgetting your dependence upon God. You have been placed where you can exert a far-reaching influence for good, if you keep your eye single to the glory of God. Your heavenly Father125 loves you, and He will draw you to Himself by the trials that seem to you severe. I have a most earnest desire that you shall enter the city of God, not as a culprit barely pardoned, but as a conqueror. My brother, will you think of this? If you are true and humble and faithful in this life, you will be given an abundant entrance. Then the tree of life will be yours; for you will be a victor over sin; the city whose builder and maker is God will be your city. Let your imagination take hold upon things unseen. Let your thoughts be carried away to the evidences of the great love of God for you. In contemplating the object of which you are in pursuit, you will lose the sense of pain brought by the light afflictions that are but for a moment. Copenhagen, July 17, 1886. Paul was a man who knew what it means to be a partaker of Christ’s sufferings. You have no need that I repeat the history of his trials. His life was one of constant activity, notwithstanding he was subject to many infirmities. He was continually followed by the hatred and malice of the Jews. They were exceedingly bitter against him, and did all in their power to hinder him in his work. Yet we hear his voice sounding down along the line of our time: “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.” “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” 2. Cor. 4:17, 18; Rom. 8:18. None too highly does Paul estimate the privileges and advantages of the Christian life. I speak with no hesitancy about126 this matter; for I know for myself that what he says is true. Paul says further: “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” Rom. 8:14, 15. One of the lessons that we are to learn in the school of Christ is that the Lord’s love for us is far greater than that of our earthly parents. We are to have unquestioning faith and perfect confidence in Him. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.” Rom. 8:16, 17. May the Lord help you, as a diligent student in the school of Christ, to learn to lay your burdens on Jesus. And if you are free in His love, you will look above and away from these annoying trials. Think of what Jesus has endured for you, and never forget that it is part of the legacy that we have received as Christians, to be partakers with Him of His sufferings, that we may be partakers with Him of His glory. THE DANGER OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY.
Study Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, as recorded in the fourth chapter of Daniel. The king saw a lofty tree planted in the earth. Flocks and herds from the mountains and hills enjoyed its shelter, and the birds of the air built their nests in its branches. Thus were represented Nebuchadnezzar’s greatness and prosperity. Nations were gathered under his sovereignty. His kingdom was firmly established in the hearts of his loyal subjects. The king saw his prosperity, and because of it he was lifted up. Notwithstanding the warnings that God had given him, he did the very things which the Lord127 had told him not to do. He looked upon his kingdom with pride, and exclaimed, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?” Dan. 4:30. The instant that the words were uttered, the sentence of judgment was pronounced. The king’s reason was taken away. The judgment that he had thought so perfect, the wisdom that he had prided himself on possessing, were removed. The jewel of the mind, that which elevates man above the beasts, he no longer retained. The scepter is no longer held in the hand of a proud and powerful monarch. The mighty ruler is a maniac. He now herds with the cattle, to eat as they eat. He is a companion of the beasts of the field. The brow that once wore a coronet is disfigured by the absence of reason and intellect. The mandate has gone forth, “Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit.” Dan. 4:14. So the Lord magnifies Himself as the true and living God. Well might David exclaim: “I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not; yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.” Ps. 37:35, 36. Let men become lifted up in pride, and the Lord will not sustain them and keep them from falling. Let a church become proud and boastful, not depending on God, not exalting His power, and that church will surely be left by the Lord, to be brought down to the ground. Let a people glory in wealth, intellect, knowledge, or in anything but Christ, and they will soon be brought to confusion.