Faith is needed in the smaller no less than in the greater affairs of life....

How often those who trusted the word of God, though in themselves utterly helpless, have withstood the power of the whole world—Enoch, pure in heart, holy in life, holding fast his faith in the triumph of righteousness against a corrupt and scoffing generation; Noah and his household against the men of his time, men of the greatest physical and mental strength and the most debased in morals; the children of Israel at the Red Sea, a helpless, terrified multitude of slaves, against the mightiest army of the mightiest nation on the globe; David, a shepherd lad, having God’s promise of the throne, against Saul, the established monarch, bent on holding fast his power; Shadrach and his companions in the fire, and Nebuchadnezzar on the throne; Daniel among the lions, his enemies in the high places of the kingdom; Jesus on the cross, and the Jewish priests and rulers forcing even the Roman governor to work their will; Paul in chains led to a criminal’s death, Nero the despot of a world empire. Ed 254

Such examples are not found in the Bible only. They abound in every record of human progress. The Vaudois and the Huguenots, Wycliffe and Huss, Jerome and Luther, Tyndale and Knox, Zinzendorf and Wesley, with multitudes of others, have witnessed to the power of God’s word against human power and policy in support of evil. These are the world’s true nobility. This is its royal line. In this line the youth of today are called to take their places. Ed 254

Faith is needed in the smaller no less than in the greater affairs of life. In all our daily interests and occupations the sustaining strength of God becomes real to us through an abiding trust. Ed 255

Viewed from its human side, life is to all an untried path. It is a path in which, as regards our deeper experiences, we each walk alone. Into our inner life no other human being can fully enter. As the little child sets forth on that journey in which, sooner or later, he must choose his own course, himself deciding life’s issues for eternity, how earnest should be the effort to direct his trust to the sure Guide and Helper! Ed 255



The prophet says, “The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant.” Isaiah 5:7. Upon this people God had bestowed great privileges, blessing them richly from His abundant goodness. He looked for them to honor Him by yielding fruit. They were to reveal the principles of His kingdom. In the midst of a fallen, wicked world they were to represent the character of God. COL 285



But those who wait for the Lord and go to Him for help will have their strength. Isaiah 40:31. The Clear Word

As surely as the oak is in the acorn, so surely is the gift of God in His promise. If we receive the promise, we have the gift....

Faith is trusting God—believing that He loves us and knows best what is for our good. Thus, instead of our own, it leads us to choose His way. In place of our ignorance, it accepts His wisdom; in place of our weakness, His strength; in place of our sinfulness, His righteousness. Our lives, ourselves, are already His; faith acknowledges His ownership and accepts its blessing. Truth, uprightness, purity, have been pointed out as secrets of life’s success. It is faith that puts us in possession of these principles. Ed 254

Every good impulse or aspiration is the gift of God; faith receives from God the life that alone can produce true growth and efficiency. Ed 254

How to exercise faith should be made very plain. To every promise of God there are conditions. If we are willing to do His will, all His strength is ours. Whatever gift He promises, is in the promise itself. “The seed is the word of God.” Luke 8:11. As surely as the oak is in the acorn, so surely is the gift of God in His promise. If we receive the promise, we have the gift. Ed 254

Faith that enables us to receive God’s gifts is itself a gift, of which some measure is imparted to every human being. It grows as exercised in appropriating the word of God. In order to strengthen faith, we must often bring it in contact with the word.

In the study of the Bible the student should be led to see the power of God’s word. In the creation, “He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” He “calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Psalm 33:9; Romans 4:17); for when He calls them, they are. Ed 254

Confound not faith and feeling together. They are distinct. Faith is ours to exercise. This faith we must exercise. Believe, believe. Let your faith take hold of the blessing and if your faith takes hold of it, it is yours by faith. Your feelings have nothing to do with this faith. When faith brings the blessing to your heart, then you rejoice in the blessing. It is no more faith but feeling. The feeling has swallowed up the faith. 1LtMs, Ms 2, 1857, par. 13



The husbandman chooses a piece of land from the wilderness; he fences, clears, and tills it, and plants it with choice vines, expecting a rich harvest. This plot of ground, in its superiority to the uncultivated waste, he expects to do him honor by showing the results of his care and toil in its cultivation. So God had chosen a people from the world to be trained and educated by Christ. COL 285



Trusting the Lord is always safe. Proverbs 29:25. The Clear Word

Christ gives rest to all who receive him by faith....

 

We shall never be able to discern spiritual and heavenly things while we remain indifferent to the word of God. The voice of Jesus is calling, “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.” Those who remain away from Jesus have placed their necks under a yoke that is not easy. They have clasped their arms about burdens that are not light. O, why not exchange the heavy yoke you now wear for the yoke of Christ? The voice of mercy is now sounding in warnings and entreaties, but that voice will not always be heard, if you continue to resist, and still choose your own way. RH September 19, 1893, par. 5

The reason why so many are in perplexity is because they take their cases into their own hands, and manufacture yokes that are not pleasant for them to wear. They worry and plan and devise, when Christ stands inviting, “Take my yoke.”

If you have not found the rest that Christ has offered to give you upon condition that you learn of him who is meek and lowly of heart, would you not better without delay yoke up with Christ, bear only his burdens, and not pile upon your shoulders burdens that weigh you down to the earth? All your trouble comes because you are so anxious to run things yourself that you do not wear the yoke of Christ, which he declares is easy. The yokes of your own manufacturing gall the neck that wears them. Christ says, Try my yoke, it is easy; lift my burdens, for they are light.

Christ gives rest to all who receive him by faith. You are not to conjure up a variety of things that you are to enter into in order to find rest, assurance, confidence. Just leave that work, which not even the wisest of the human family can do, and put your trust in One who has promised rest to your soul. Do just what he has told you to do, and be assured that God will do all that he has engaged to do. The invitation is, Come unto me, and I will give you rest. Have you come to him, renouncing all your makeshifts, all your unbelief, all your self-righteousness? Come just as you are, weak, helpless, ready to die.



A description of this vineyard is given by the prophet Isaiah: “Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching His vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill; and He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein; and He looked that it should bring forth grapes.” Isaiah 5:1, 2. COL 284



Take up my work and learn from me, for I am gentle and kind, and you will discover an abiding peace in your soul. Matthew 11:28. The Clear Word

No cross, no crown! How can one be strong in the Lord without trials? To have strength, we must have exercise....

The work of pruning and purifying to fit us for heaven, is a great work, and will cost us much suffering and trial, because our will is not subjected to the will of Christ. We must go through the furnace till the fires have consumed the dross, and we are purified, and reflect the divine image. Those who follow their inclinations and are governed by appearances, are not good judges of what God is doing. They are filled with discontent. They see failure where there is indeed triumph, a great loss where there is gain; and, like Jacob, they are ready to exclaim, “All these things are against me,” [Genesis 42:36.] when the very things whereof they complain are all working together for their good. GW92 372

No cross, no crown! How can one be strong in the Lord without trials? To have strength, we must have exercise. To have strong faith, we must be placed in circumstances where our faith will be tried. The apostle Paul, just before his martyrdom, exhorted Timothy, “Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.” [2 Timothy 1:8.] It is through much tribulation that we are to enter the kingdom. Our Saviour was tried in every possible way, and yet he triumphed in God continually. It is our privilege to be strong in the strength of God under all circumstances, and to glory in the cross of Christ. GW92 372

The very trials that test our faith most severely, and make it seem that God has forsaken us, are designed to lead us nearer to Christ, that we may lay all our burdens at his feet, and receive the peace he will give us in exchange.... When you surrender yourself entirely to God, when you fall all broken upon Jesus, you will be rewarded by a victory the joy of which you have never yet realized. As you review the past with a clear vision, you will see that at the very time when life seemed to you only a perplexity and a burden, Jesus himself was near you, seeking to lead you into the light. Your Father was by your side, bending over you with unutterable love, afflicting you for your good, as the refiner purifies the precious ore. When you have thought yourself forsaken, he has been near you to comfort and sustain. We seldom view Jesus as he is, and are never so ready to receive his help as he is to help us. GW92 372

What a victory you will gain when you learn to follow the opening providences of God with a grateful heart, and a determination to live with an eye single to his glory, in sickness or health, in abundance or want. Self is alive, and quivering at every touch. Self must be crucified before you can overcome in the name of Jesus, and receive the reward of the faithful. GW92 372



“There was a certain householder,” Christ said, “which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.” COL 284



Leave all your anxieties and worries with Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7. The Clear Word

There stood revealed the throne of God. Around it were ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands upon thousands, and close about the throne were the martyrs....

Friday night several heard my voice exclaiming, “Look, Look!” Whether I was dreaming or in vision I cannot tell. I slept alone. The time of trouble was upon us. I saw our people in great distress, weeping and praying, pleading the sure promises of God, while the wicked were all around us, mocking us and threatening to destroy. They ridiculed our feebleness, they mocked at the smallness of our numbers, and taunted us with words calculated to cut deep. They charged us with taking an independent position from all the rest of the world. They had cut off our resources so that we could not buy or sell, and referred to our abject poverty and stricken condition. They could not see how we could live without the world. We were dependent upon the world, and we must concede to the customs, practices, and laws of the world, or go out of it. If we were the only people in the world whom the Lord favored, the appearances were awfully against us. 4LtMs, Lt 6, par 2

They declared that they had the truth, that miracles were among them, that angels from heaven talked with them and walked with them, that great power and signs and wonders were performed among them, and that this was the temporal millennium they had been expecting so long. The whole world was converted and in harmony with the Sunday law, and this little feeble people stood out in defiance of the laws of the land and the law of God, and claimed to be the only ones right on the earth. 4LtMs, Lt 6, par 3

[They declared,] “The angels of heaven have spoken to us”—referring to those whom Satan personated that had died, and they claimed had gone to heaven. “You will bear the testimony of the heavenly messengers!” They sneered, they mocked, they derided and abused the sorrowing ones. There was much more, but I have not time to write it. 4LtMs, Lt 6, par 4

But while anguish was upon the loyal and true, who would not worship the beast or his image and accept and revere an idol sabbath, One said, “Look up! Look up!” Every eye was lifted, and the heavens seemed to part as a scroll when it is rolled together, and, as Stephen looked into the heaven, we looked. The mockers were taunting and reviling us and boasting of what they intended to do to us if we continued obstinate in holding fast our faith. But now we were as those who heard them not; we were gazing upon a scene that shut out everything else. 4LtMs, Lt 6, par 5

There stood revealed the throne of God. Around it were ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands upon thousands, and close about the throne were the martyrs. Among this number I saw the very ones who were so recently in such abject misery, whom the world knew not, whom the world hated and despised. 4LtMs, Lt 6, par 6

A voice said, “Jesus, who is seated upon the throne, has so loved man [that] He gave His life a sacrifice to redeem him from the power of Satan, and to exalt him to His throne. 4LtMs, Lt 6, par 7



Withdrawing the veil from the future, He showed how, by failure to fulfill His purpose, the whole nation was forfeiting His blessing, and bringing ruin upon itself. COL 284



I’ll always be with you, even until the end of the world. Matthew 28:20. The Clear Word

Those who do come to Christ find his joy, and his peace is expressed in their very countenances....

By the baptism of the Holy Spirit, God’s people are to do, through the instrumentality of their Master, the work that Christ did. They are to represent the benevolence of God to our world. Partakers of the divine nature, they are not only to save their own souls, through faith in Jesus; but Christ says of them, Ye are laborers together with God. As his witnesses, he has given to each his work. As his representatives, they are to bear to the world the message of invitation and mercy. RH March 22, 1898, par. 3

In every age of the world the gift of the Holy Spirit is the great promise for the church. “Ask, and it shall be given you.” There are supplies for all. “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” The promise of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work is repeated in every soul that is converted to the truth. Every one newly added to the church is to be educated in regard to the work he is to do for the Master in winning souls to Christ. RH March 22, 1898, par. 8

The promised influence of the Holy Spirit, which molds and fashions the worker, enables him to co-operate with heavenly intelligences. Such a worker will be God’s living, working agency, through whom he can manifest himself. But those who are not daily converted to the Master’s use, dishonor their profession of faith. They dishonor the Holy Spirit, who is appointed to aid God’s people in the great and grand work of watching for souls as they that must give account. RH March 22, 1898, par. 10

Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” It is this aspiring to be superior to others that brings us unrest of soul; in wearing Christ’s yoke, there is peace and rest and happiness. When we are wearing his yoke, we cannot keep silent. We desire that those who are weary and heavy-laden shall come, and find rest unto their souls. Those who do come to Christ find his joy, and his peace is expressed in their very countenances. Christ denied himself for our sake. His divine feet pressed through every difficulty that Satan could place in his way. He trod the path to Calvary, and was crucified on the cross, that you and I might have rest, and peace, and eternal life. RH April 30, 1889, par 6



The parable of the two sons was followed by the parable of the vineyard. In the one, Christ had set before the Jewish teachers the importance of obedience. In the other, He pointed to the rich blessings bestowed upon Israel, and in these showed God’s claim to their obedience. He set before them the glory of God’s purpose, which through obedience they might have fulfilled. COL 284



The fruit of righteous living is everlasting life, and those who turn others to God are wise. Proverbs 11:30. The Clear Word

Those who do not let the light which God has given them, shine upon the darkened pathway of others, are traitors to their Lord....

 

Faith and works must go hand in hand, but either alone is dead. The whole work of God in the human soul is accomplished through the cooperation of the divine Spirit with the effort of humanity. “Without me,” says Christ, “ye can do nothing.” There are many Christless sermons preached, which are wholly destitute of the power and Spirit of God. The speaker may please the ear; but his words do not impress the soul. God will work through humble men, who love and fear him, and who will not ascribe the glory to themselves; but will give all the praise of their being a light in the world to the Source of all light. O, for less of self, and more of Jesus! It is human pride and self-confidence, mingled with human depravity, that has enfeebled the churches, until they are sickly, and ready to die. RH September 4, 1888, par. 7

The ministers of these churches need to be converted. They need divine wisdom to take the place of human wisdom. The church may have divine enlightenment. The Lord God and the Lamb must be its light; for no church can live by its own light, or by sparks of its own kindling. It may be that the mechanical working of the church is like well-adjusted machinery, and this is as it should be; for it is necessary to have order and discipline; but it is not right to let everything stop at this point, and to rest satisfied while destitute of the power of vital godliness. Light must come from God to the people, as the word is preached in demonstration of the Spirit and with power. The members of the church must diffuse their derived glory all around them; for they cannot retain the light, unless they reflect its bright and heavenly evidences upon the pathway of others. The bitterest woe will be pronounced upon false shepherds, and upon those who profess to walk in the light of divine truth, and yet make themselves centers to absorb all the God-given rays, resting satisfied in the knowledge that they possess, and making no effort to enlighten others. The parable which our Lord has given, condemning the faithless servant who hid his Lord’s money, condemns every member of the church who is not making a right use of his ability to communicate light and truth to others. Those who do not let the light which God has given them, shine upon the darkened pathway of others, are traitors to their Lord, and a burden to the church. They make it manifest that they do not care for the salvation of others, but only for themselves. RH September 4, 1888, par. 8



“And he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.... He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings; and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me.” “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” John 14:15-24; 15:10. COL 283



Each of you has received some of God’s gifts, so use those gifts to help others like good stewards, administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10. The Clear Word

The most childlike disciple is the most efficient in labor for God....

Man may lift himself up in pride and boast of his power, but in an instant God can bring him to nothingness. It is Satan’s work to lead men to glorify themselves with their entrusted talents. Every man through whom God works will have to learn that the living, ever-present, ever-acting God is supreme, and has lent him talents to use—an intellect to originate; a heart to be the seat of his throne; affections to flow out in blessing to all with whom he shall come in contact, a conscience through which the Holy Spirit can convict him of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. ML 332

Before honor is humility. To fill a high place before men, Heaven chooses the worker who ... takes a lowly place before God. The most childlike disciple is the most efficient in labor for God. The heavenly intelligences can cooperate with him who is seeking, not to exalt self, but to save souls.... From communion with Christ he will go forth to work for those who are perishing in their sins. He is anointed for his mission, and he succeeds where many of the learned and intellectually wise would fail.... ML 332

Solomon was never so rich or so wise or so truly great as when he confessed, “I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.” ML 332

Those who have had precious opportunities and privileges, and who possess talents, which they will not use in the service of God, will finally lay them all at the feet of Satan, to be employed as he shall direct. They will become receptacles of darkness, of whom it is written, “If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” RH September 4, 1888, par. 8

Self has been petted and favored altogether too much. Those who should have been unselfish and uncorrupted, have permitted self to wield a controlling influence over their lives. O that our ministering brethren would copy the model! O that they would learn in the school of Christ, lessons of the Master’s meekness and lowliness of heart! If the eye were single to the glory of God, the Lord would bless them with his Spirit and power, and it would not then be their ruin. There is great need of the sanctification that comes through obedience to the truth. RH September 4, 1888, par. 11 



There are only two classes in the world today, and only two classes will be recognized in the judgment—those who violate God’s law and those who obey it. Christ gives the test by which to prove our loyalty or disloyalty. “If ye love Me,” He says, “keep My commandments.... He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me.” COL 283



Those who are proud will surely fall, but wisdom comes to those who are humble. Proverbs 11:2. The Clear Word

He gives his Spirit in proportion to the consecration and self-sacrifice manifested by those who engage in his work....

The canvassing work should be considered as sacred, and those who have unclean hands and defiled hearts should not be encouraged to enter upon it. The angels of God cannot accompany the unconsecrated to the homes of the people; therefore all those who are not converted, whose thoughts are corrupt, who will leave the taint of their imperfection upon everything they touch, should refrain from handling the truth of God. RH May20, 1890, par. 7

Young men and women who are truly converted, will depart from all iniquity. Those who are not pure in heart, have no hold upon divine power, they are not partakers of the divine nature, and they will prove ready victims to Satan’s suggestions and temptations. They will not show fidelity under trial; but when they are rebuffed, they will become discouraged, because God does not work with their efforts. The high and holy One who inhabiteth eternity will not put his Holy Spirit into unclean vessels. Those who have not a proper sense of the character of the work for these last days, should not aspire to a place in the cause of God. If they see the offensive character of sin, and hate it as the vile thing it is, and come to Jesus in contrition, purifying their souls by obedience to the truth, then they may be intrusted with some part in the work. If they place their will on the side of God’s will, putting forth the energy with which God has endowed them, he will receive them and shed his grace in their hearts. But if those who have become weak in physical and moral power by evil works, seek a place in the work of God, they should be advised to employ themselves in manual labor. Such employment will be more favorable for the working out of their salvation. They should rely wholly on Christ for his grace to overcome. Those who have enfeebled their physical and mental powers by evil practices, need to walk very humbly before God. God reads the heart, he weighs the character, and is acquainted with every man’s work. He gives his Spirit in proportion to the consecration and self-sacrifice manifested by those who engage in his work. RH May20, 1890, par. 8



God’s great object in the working out of His providences is to try men, to give them opportunity to develop character. Thus He proves whether they are obedient or disobedient to His commands. Good works do not purchase the love of God, but they reveal that we possess that love. If we surrender the will to God, we shall not work in order to earn God’s love. His love as a free gift will be received into the soul, and from love to Him we shall delight to obey His commandments. COL 283



If there’s anything that keeps leading you into sin, you need to get rid of it, even if it’s as valuable to you as one of your eyes. It’s better to go without an eye than to go on sinning and lose eternal life. Mathew 5:29. The Clear Word

Envy, jealousy, evil surmising, and evil-speaking are of Satan, and they effectually bar the way against the Holy Spirit’s working....

 

For the outpouring of the Spirit every lover of the cause of truth should pray. And as far as lies in our power, we are to remove every hindrance to His working. The Spirit can never be poured out while variance and bitterness toward one another are cherished by the members of the church. Envy, jealousy, evil surmising, and evil-speaking are of Satan, and they effectually bar the way against the Holy Spirit’s working. YRP 301

Nothing else in this world is so dear to God as His church. Nothing is guarded by Him with such jealous care. Nothing so offends God as an act that injures the influence of those who are doing His service. He will call to account all who aid Satan in his work of criticizing and discouraging. YRP 301

Those who are destitute of sympathy, tenderness, and love cannot do Christ’s work. Before the prophecy can be fulfilled, The weak shall be “as David,” and the house of David “as the angel of the Lord” (Zechariah 12:8), the children of God must put away every thought of suspicion in regard to their brethren. Heart must beat in unison with heart. Christian benevolence and brotherly love must be far more abundantly shown. The words are ringing in my ears: “Draw together, draw together.” The solemn, sacred truth for this time is to unify the people of God. The desire for preeminence must die. One subject of emulation must swallow up all others—who will most nearly resemble Christ in character? Who will most entirely hide self in Jesus? YRP 301

Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, God works a moral change in the lives of His people, changing them into the likeness of Christ. Hvn 54



Thus we are to serve God. He only serves who acts up to the highest standard of obedience. All who would be sons and daughters of God must prove themselves co-workers with God and Christ and the heavenly angels. This is the test for every soul. Of those who faithfully serve Him the Lord says, “They shall be Mine... in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” Malachi 3:17. COL 283



Before you promised to sell the property, it was yours to sell or not to sell. If you had sold it without promising it to the Lord, was not the money at your disposal to do with it as you wanted? But since you told the Holy Spirit you would give the full amount and then gave only part of it, you not only lied to us, but to God.” When Ananias realized that Peter knew what he had done, he fell down and died. News of what had happened spread among the believers and instilled in everyone enormous respect for the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:4-5. The Clear Word

Yet for the elect's sake the time of trouble will be shortened....

We must live a twofold life—a life of thought and action, of silent prayer and earnest work. The strength received through communion with God, united with earnest effort in training the mind to thoughtfulness and caretaking, prepares one for daily duties and keeps the spirit in peace under all circumstances, however trying. MH 512

Could men see with heavenly vision, they would behold companies of angels that excel in strength stationed about those who have kept the word of Christ's patience. With sympathizing tenderness, angels have witnessed their distress and have heard their prayers. They are waiting the word of their Commander to snatch them from their peril. But they must wait yet a little longer. The people of God must drink of the cup and be baptized with the baptism. The very delay, so painful to them, is the best answer to their petitions. As they endeavor to wait trustingly for the Lord to work they are led to exercise faith, hope, and patience, which have been too little exercised during their religious experience. Yet for the elect's sake the time of trouble will be shortened. “Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him? ... I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” Luke 18:7, 8. The end will come more quickly than men expect. GC 630

I also saw that many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully. I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of “refreshing” and the “latter rain” to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. EW 71



Christ counted no sacrifice too great, no toil too hard, in order to accomplish the work which He came to do. At the age of twelve He said, “Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?” Luke 2:49. He had heard the call, and had taken up the work. “My meat,” He said, “is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.” John 4:34. COL 282



The self-denial, temptations and sufferings that we go through because we’re Christians are not even worth mentioning when compared with the glory that God will bestow on us when He comes. Romans 8:18. The Clear Word

The angels receive the motherless infants and conduct them to the tree of life....

 

In the day of the Lord, just before the coming of Christ, God will send lightnings from Heaven in his wrath, which will unite with fire in the earth. The mountains will burn like a furnace, and will pour forth terrible streams of lava, destroying gardens and fields, villages and cities; and as they pour their melted ore, rocks and heated mud into the rivers, will cause them to boil like a pot, and send forth massive rocks and scatter their broken fragments upon the land with indescribable violence. Whole rivers will be dried up. The earth will be convulsed, and there will be dreadful eruptions and earthquakes everywhere. God will plague the wicked inhabitants of the earth until they are destroyed from off it. The saints are preserved in the earth in the midst of these dreadful commotions, as Noah was preserved in the ark at the time of the flood. Christ appears in his glory, and calls forth the righteous dead. The living saints are changed, and, with the resurrected dead, are borne away from the earth by angels to meet their Lord in the air. The earth is left like a desolate wilderness. 3SG 83

Here they stand, and the finishing touch of immortality is put upon them, and they go up to meet their Lord in the air. The gates of the city of God swing back upon their hinges, and the nations that have kept the truth enter in. There are the columns of angels on either side, and the ransomed of God walk in through the cherubims and seraphims. Christ bids them welcome and puts upon them His benediction. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: ... enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” What is that joy? He sees of the travail of His soul, and is satisfied. Hvn 42

As the little infants come forth immortal from their dusty beds, they immediately wing their way to their mothers’ arms. They meet again nevermore to part. But many of the little ones have no mother there. We listen in vain for the rapturous song of triumph from the mother. The angels receive the motherless infants and conduct them to the tree of life. Jesus places the golden ring of light, the crown upon their little heads. God grant that the dear mother of “Eva” may be there, that her little wings may be folded upon the glad bosom of her mother. Hvn 45



God stands toward His people in the relation of a father, and He has a father’s claim to our faithful service. Consider the life of Christ. Standing at the head of humanity, serving His Father, He is an example of what every son should and may be. The obedience that Christ rendered God requires from human beings today. He served His Father with love, in willingness and freedom. “I delight to do Thy will, O My God,” He declared; “yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Psalm 40:8. COL 282



In Him our hearts rejoice and in His holy name we trust. Psalm 33:21. The Clear Word

I call upon those who believe the truth for this time to reform, to purify the heart and humble self....

 

God gives His people lessons to instruct them and lead them to reform. If they do not receive and practice these lessons, their neglect will surely bring judgments upon them. 11MR 98

Good and evil angels are taking a part in the planning of God in His earthly kingdom. It is God’s purpose to carry forward His work in correct lines, in ways that will advance His glory. But Satan is ever trying to counterwork God’s purpose. Only by humbling themselves before God can God’s servants advance His work. Never are they to depend on their own efforts or on outward display for success. 11MR 99

I call upon those who believe the truth for this time to reform, to purify the heart and humble self. Sincere belief of the truth and earnest prayer are our weapons of warfare. The exercise of all the musical talent among us will not change the hearts of the church members or increase their spirituality. 11MR 99

Humiliation, confession and most earnest prayer will bring about that which all the devising of men, be they high or low, cannot accomplish. Let us remember that it is Satan’s purpose to set at work forces which will obscure the testing message for this time. If ever there was a time when self-sacrifice must be made, when earnest sincere prayer must be offered, when diligent work must be done, it is now. Satan has come down with great power to work with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. 11MR 100

Prayer will draw down from heaven great blessings when those who claim to believe the truth shall come down from their stilts of self-exaltation and afflict their souls, even as Daniel afflicted his soul. 11MR 100

When men get out of the Lord’s way, and let Him work upon hearts and minds, blessings will come to them. The fervent prayers, the sincere humiliation, the self-denial and self-sacrifice which blends with the supplications made, will bring down rich blessings. 11MR 101



As we receive the instruction and grace of God, we should impart to others a knowledge of how to care for the precious plants. Thus we may extend the vineyard of the Lord. God is watching for evidence of our faith, love, and patience. He looks to see if we are using every spiritual advantage to become skillful workers in His vineyard on earth, that we may enter the Paradise of God, that Eden home from which Adam and Eve were excluded by transgression. COL 282



So stay humble in the sight of our mighty God, and in His own good time, He will lift you up. 1 Peter 5:6. The Clear Word

Since this is the means by which we are to receive power, why do we not hunger and thirst for the gift of the Spirit?....

The lapse of time has wrought no change in Christ’s parting promise to send the Holy Spirit as His representative. It is not because of any restriction on the part of God that the riches of His grace do not flow earthward to men. If the fulfillment of the promise is not seen as it might be, it is because the promise is not appreciated as it should be. If all were willing, all would be filled with the Spirit. Wherever the need of the Holy Spirit is a matter little thought of, there is seen spiritual drought, spiritual darkness, spiritual declension and death. Whenever minor matters occupy the attention, the divine power which is necessary for the growth and prosperity of the church, and which would bring all other blessings in its train, is lacking, though offered in infinite plenitude. AA 50

Since this is the means by which we are to receive power, why do we not hunger and thirst for the gift of the Spirit? Why do we not talk of it, pray for it, and preach concerning it? The Lord is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who serve Him than parents are to give good gifts to their children. For the daily baptism of the Spirit every worker should offer his petition to God. Companies of Christian workers should gather to ask for special help, for heavenly wisdom, that they may know how to plan and execute wisely. Especially should they pray that God will baptize His chosen ambassadors in mission fields with a rich measure of His Spirit. The presence of the Spirit with God’s workers will give the proclamation of truth a power that not all the honor or glory of the world could give. AA 50

With the consecrated worker for God, in whatever place he may be, the Holy Spirit abides. The words spoken to the disciples are spoken also to us. The Comforter is ours as well as theirs. The Spirit furnishes the strength that sustains striving, wrestling souls in every emergency, amidst the hatred of the world, and the realization of their own failures and mistakes. In sorrow and affliction, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone,—these are the times when, in answer to the prayer of faith, the Holy Spirit brings comfort to the heart. AA 51



If you cultivate faithfully the vineyard of your soul, God is making you a laborer together with Himself. And you will have a work to do not only for yourself, but for others. In representing the church as the vineyard, Christ does not teach that we are to restrict our sympathies and labors to our own numbers. The Lord’s vineyard is to be enlarged. In all parts of the earth He desires it to be extended. COL 282



May the God of hope fill your hearts with joy and peace so that your lives will overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13. The Clear Word

We should not pray for God to humble us; for when God takes hold of us, he will humble us in a way that we would not enjoy....

Let there be a work of reformation and repentance. Let all seek for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As with the disciples after the ascension of Christ, it may require several days of earnestly seeking God and putting away of sin. ML 58

Ours is the most solemn work that was ever given to mortals, and we are doing this work for eternity. We are to be a spectacle to angels and to men, and we want our spirits softened and subdued by the meekness and lowliness of Christ, and have his Spirit enshrined in the heart. We want that active, living faith that will take God at his word, and trust in his promises at all times. And as we on our part lay hold of the arm of infinite power, we must feel that it is an individual work; we must cling to the Mighty One; and if we seek God with all our hearts, we will find him, because he has promised to be found of us. He is the Captain of the Lord’s host, and he will be with us; and if he gives us any measure of success, express thankfulness to him. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth God.” All heaven is interested in this work that God’s messengers are carrying forward in the world, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. RH July 12, 1887, par. 8

This is a great work, brethren and sisters, and we should humble ourselves daily before God, and not feel that our wisdom is perfect. We should take hold of the work with earnestness. We should not pray for God to humble us; for when God takes hold of us, he will humble us in a way that we would not enjoy. But we must day by day humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and with trembling. While it is God that works in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure, we are to co-operate with him while he works through us. We must guard against lifting up our souls in self-esteem. But you will say, How am I to know that Christ is in my heart? If, when you are criticised or corrected in your way, and things do not go just as you think they ought to go,—if then you let your passion arise instead of bearing the correction and being patient and kind, Christ is not abiding in the heart. RH July 12, 1887, par. 9



And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 2 Peter 1:2-7. COL 282



If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, looking to me for help, I will hear from heaven and will forgive them their sins and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14. The Clear Word

All heaven is open before the man of prayer. The prayers offered in humble faith will be heard....

The cross of Calvary alone can reveal the worth of the soul. No man can correctly estimate its value unless he is able to comprehend the height and depth of the glory from which Christ descended that man might be saved and join in the glad song of triumph and everlasting praise to God and the Lamb. The price of man’s ransom could be paid only by One equal with God, the spotless Son of the infinite Father. Unless this sacrifice had been made, souls would have perished. RH October 20, 1896, par. 14

The greatest blessing that God can give to man is the spirit of earnest prayer. All heaven is open before the man of prayer. The prayers offered in humble faith will be heard. “The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” The ambassadors of Christ will have power with the people after they have, with earnest supplication, come before God. RH October 20, 1896, par. 15

Jesus has a deep, earnest interest in every sinner. He withheld not himself. We see him constantly engaged in earnest labor. He did not excuse himself from bearing burdens. He toiled; he was often weary and hungry. The souls he came to save were of such value that he could not leave them in peril unwarned; and this is the way that his representatives must labor, coming close to their fellow men. Christ’s true ambassadors will labor with the spirit of earnestness and zeal of which he has given an example in his life. They will labor not alone for time, but for eternity. They will look to Calvary, and present Christ and him crucified as the sinner’s only hope. RH October 20, 1896, par. 16

Those who have the love of God in their hearts, will, in exact proportion to their love, feel a solicitude for souls. The love of Christ will be revealed in earnest efforts to bring sinners from darkness to the light of truth. Ministers who feel the burden of the work upon them will not hesitate at any sacrifice, at weariness or toil, that they may present those for whom they labor perfect in Christ Jesus. RH October 20, 1896, par. 17



The apostle Peter instructs us as to the plan on which we must work. “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you,” he says, “through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” COL 281



And pray for the power of the Spirit at every encounter because your life depends on it. Ephesians 5:18. The Clear Word

Here is the greatest deception that can affect the human mind, for persons to believe that they are right when they are wrong....

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” 4bSG 157

Here is the greatest deception that can affect the human mind, for persons to believe that they are right when they are wrong. They think that they are doing a great work in their religious life. Finally Jesus tears off their self-righteous covering, and vividly presents before them the true picture of themselves, in all their wrongs and deformity of religious character. They are found wanting when it is forever too late to have their wants supplied. 4bSG 157

God has provided means to correct the erring, yet if those who err, choose to do as they think best, and follow their own judgment, and despise the means of God has ordained to correct the erring and unite them upon the truth, they will be brought into the position described by the words of our Lord quoted above. 4bSG 157

God is bringing out a people and preparing them to stand as one, united, to speak the same things, and carry out the prayer of Christ for his disciples. “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” 4bSG 158

God is angry with those who pursue a course to make the world hate them. If a Christian is hated because of his good works, and for following Christ, he will have a reward. But if he is hated because he does not take a course to be loved, hated because of his uncultivated manners, and because he makes the truth a matter of quarrel with his neighbors, and because he has taken a course to make the Sabbath as annoying as possible to them, he is a stumbling-block to sinners, a reproach to the sacred truth, and unless he repents it were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck, and he cast into the sea. 4bSG 160



In the command, “Go work today in My vineyard,” the test of sincerity is brought to every soul. Will there be deeds as well as words? Will the one called put to use all the knowledge he has, working faithfully, disinterestedly, for the Owner of the vineyard? COL 281



A genuine Christian looks after the needs of others, especially orphans and widows in distress, while keeping himself unspotted from the moral pollution of the world. This is the kind of religion that our heavenly Father accepts. James 1:27. The Clear Word

Summon all your powers to look up, not down at your difficulties; then you will never faint by the way. You will soon see Jesus....

None should go along shrinking and trembling under continual doubt, sowing their path with complainings; but all should look up to God, and see His goodness, and rejoice in His love. Summon all your powers to look up, not down at your difficulties; then you will never faint by the way. You will soon see Jesus behind the cloud, reaching out His hand to help you; and all you have to do, is to give Him your hand in simple faith, and let Him lead you. WGD 50

It should not be difficult to remember that the Lord desires you to lay your troubles and perplexities at His feet, and leave them there. Go to Him, saying: “Lord, my burdens are too heavy for me to carry. Wilt Thou bear them for me?” And He will answer: “I will take them. With everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee. I will take your sins, and will give you peace. Banish no longer your self-respect; for I have bought you with the price of My blood. You are mine. Your weakened will I will strengthen. Your remorse for sin I will remove.” TM 519

In his own strength man is strengthless; but in the might of God he may be strong to overcome evil and to help others to overcome. Satan can never gain advantage of him who makes God his defense. PK 175

“Rejoice in the Lord alway.” Forgetting our own difficulties and troubles, let us praise God for an opportunity to live for the glory of His name. Let the fresh blessings of each new day awaken praise in our hearts for these tokens of His loving care. When you open your eyes in the morning, thank God that He has kept you through the night. Thank Him for His peace in your heart. Morning, noon, and night, let gratitude as a sweet perfume ascend to heaven. MH 253

Our trials lead us closer to Christ, that we may lay all our burdens at His feet and experience the peace which He will give us in exchange. PP 129



You  may repent of the wrong you have done, and set your feet in right paths; but the mold of your mind and your familiarity with evil will make it difficult for you to distinguish between right and wrong. Through the wrong habits formed, Satan will assail you again and again. COL 281



The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, my Defense. 2 Samuel 22:2. The Clear Word

Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a description of heaven....

Then I saw a very great number of angels bring from the city glorious crowns—a crown for every saint, with his name written thereon. As Jesus called for the crowns, angels presented them to Him, and with His own right hand, the lovely Jesus placed the crowns on the heads of the saints. In the same manner the angels brought the harps, and Jesus presented them also to the saints. The commanding angels first struck the note, and then every voice was raised in grateful, happy praise, and every hand skillfully swept over the strings of the harp, sending forth melodious music in rich and perfect strains. Then I saw Jesus lead the redeemed company to the gate of the city. He laid hold of the gate and swung it back on its glittering hinges and bade the nations that had kept the truth enter in. Within the city there was everything to feast the eye. Rich glory they beheld everywhere. Then Jesus looked upon His redeemed saints; their countenances were radiant with glory; and as He fixed His loving eyes upon them, He said, with His rich, musical voice, “I behold the travail of My soul, and am satisfied. This rich glory is yours to enjoy eternally. Your sorrows are ended. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” I saw the redeemed host bow and cast their glittering crowns at the feet of Jesus, and then, as His lovely hand raised them up, they touched their golden harps and filled all heaven with their rich music and songs to the Lamb. EW 288

I then saw Jesus leading His people to the tree of life, and again we heard His lovely voice, richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, saying, “The leaves of this tree are for the healing of the nations. Eat ye all of it.” Upon the tree of life was most beautiful fruit, of which the saints could partake freely. In the city was a most glorious throne, from which proceeded a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal. On each side of this river was the tree of life, and on the banks of the river were other beautiful trees bearing fruit which was good for food. EW 289

Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a description of heaven. As the scene rises before me, I am lost in amazement. Carried away with the surpassing splendor and excellent glory, I lay down the pen, and exclaim, “Oh, what love! what wondrous love!” The most exalted language fails to describe the glory of heaven or the matchless depths of a Saviour’s love. EW 289



And let none flatter themselves that sins cherished for a time can easily be given up by and by. This is not so. Every sin cherished weakens the character and strengthens habit; and physical, mental, and moral depravity is the result. COL 281



But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly look forward to the coming of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20. The Clear Word

After a time the light passed away, but the peace remained....

The afternoon of March 2 I spent in counsel with Brother and Sister S. N. Haskell, discussing the work in Oakland and their plans to go East to spend some time in South Lancaster. After our visit I was weary and retired early. I was suffering with rheumatism in my left side and could get no rest because of the pain. I turned from side to side, trying to find ease from the suffering. There was a pain in my heart that portended no good for me. At last I fell asleep. 9T 65

About half past nine I attempted to turn myself, and as I did so, I became aware that my body was entirely free from pain. As I turned from side to side, and moved my hands, I experienced an extraordinary freedom and lightness that I cannot describe. The room was filled with light, a most beautiful, soft, azure light, and I seemed to be in the arms of heavenly beings. 9T 65

This peculiar light I have experienced in the past in times of special blessing, but this time it was more distinct, more impressive, and I felt such peace, peace so full and abundant no words can express it. I raised myself into a sitting posture, and I saw that I was surrounded by a bright cloud, white as snow, the edges of which were tinged with a deep pink. The softest, sweetest music was filling the air, and I recognized the music as the singing of the angels. Then a Voice spoke to me, saying: “Fear not; I am your Saviour. Holy angels are all about you.” 9T 66

“Then this is heaven,” I said, “and now I can be at rest. I shall have no more messages to bear, no more misrepresentations to endure. Everything will be easy now, and I shall enjoy peace and rest. Oh, what inexpressible peace fills my soul! Is this indeed heaven? Am I one of God’s little children? and shall I always have this peace?” 9T 66

The Voice replied: “Your work is not yet done.” 9T 66

Again I fell asleep, and when I awoke I heard music, and I wanted to sing. Then someone passed my door, and I wondered if that person saw the light. After a time the light passed away, but the peace remained. 9T 66



The fact that a man is not a hypocrite does not make him any the less really a sinner. When the appeals of the Holy Spirit come to the heart, our only safety lies in responding to them without delay. When the call comes, “Go work today in My vineyard,” do not refuse the invitation. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7. It is unsafe to delay obedience. You may never hear the invitation again. COL 280



The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord look joyfully and lovingly on you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26. The Clear Word