Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 20 (1905)

Ms 122, 1905

A Solemn Appeal

St. Helena, California

August 1903

Portions of this manuscript are published in SpTB #7 19-23.

I cannot sleep after one o’clock. My mind is deeply exercised. A presentation has been given me of our dangers. I am strongly impressed that as a people we must reach a higher standard. Is it possible that at this time, this age of the world, we cannot discern the signs of the times which our Saviour, when He was upon the earth, foretold to his disciples, that He might give the instruction to those who should afterward believe, to help them to prepare for the great conflict? 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 1

I am instructed that those who follow on in a wrong course, regardless of the lessons taught by the burning of the sanitarium and the Review and Herald office, are revealing the stubbornness of Pharaoh. They are refusing to be admonished by the judgments of heaven and are pressing on without realizing that these things call them to search their hearts closely and humble themselves before God. Unless they repent, the Lord will surely repeat His judgments, as He repeated them to the king of Egypt. God bears long with the perversity of men. He sends them decided reproofs and clear light; but if they will not receive the warnings of God, if they persist in following their own will, their own impulses, the Lord will send His judgments and will not pardon their persistent determination to be like the people of the world. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 2

To invest one person with authority, as has been done in the case of the one who has been standing at the head of our medical work, is forbidden in the Word of God. The Lord will not endorse such movements as our brother has been trying to bring about in his plans. God is not honored, God is not glorified in these movements, which are not according to equity and righteous judgment. His representation is sufficient to convince any mind that is led and taught of God. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 3

The Spirit of God with its restraining influence is being withdrawn from the earth. All may learn their lesson from the picture now presented in the condition of things in our world. They may see taking place the signs that Christ foretold. Those only who have humbled themselves, and kept their eyes fixed on God, will be safely hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is their life, shall appear, they will appear with Him in glory. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 4

I am sorry, so sorry, that men will be wilfully obstinate, as was Pharaoh the king of Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon; but so it is. Let all be warned by the messages sent from heaven, that when any man shall exalt his own ways and his own judgment as supreme, he will come under Satan’s jurisdiction and will be led blindfold by him, until his spirit and his methods will conform to the archdeceiver, little by little, until his whole mind is under the influence of the spell. The serpent keeps its eye fixed upon a man to charm him, until he has no power to go from the snare. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 5

I now say, Let all beware of men. Let not those connected with our institutions follow the lead of any man to carry out the policy of the world, for thus they place themselves under the influence of the enemy; and unless the Lord shall interpose, they will have no power to escape from the snare. The Lord is in earnest with us. In His Word He has declared that many shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. They will go to great lengths in departing from God. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 6

I have a decided message to bear. Let all take warning. The enemy desires to have his controversy kept up in his way and after his plan until the harvest is past and the summer ended, and the souls of those who have been leaders under him lose with those who have been deceived by him. God calls upon His people to take heed and come out of this deceptive controversy. Satan is wide-awake, and he will lose no opportunity to bind men and women to his plans and to fasten them in such a way that before they are aware of it, they will find a yoke of bondage upon them. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 7

I am instructed to say to the men in our institutions, Be free men. Christ has made you free; then take your stand as God’s property, not to be bought or sold under any circumstances. The Lord calls for volunteers, just as He called the fishermen to leave their nets and follow Him, and just as He called Matthew from the receipt of customs. He calls upon them to unite with Him, the greatest Teacher the world has ever known, and to learn from Him how to work for the salvation of souls. “Follow Me,” He says, and many will obey the call. God has His men of opportunity, who will leave all and follow Him. The Lord would not have these men bring into their work the practices they have followed in the past; they are to learn of Christ His methods and plans. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 8

The Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The Lord would have every physician connected with His work preparing himself by thorough, entire consecration for more efficient service. His physicians are not to believe the philosophy of any other physician that lives unless he reveals the meekness and lowliness, the purity and clearness of principle revealed in the life of the Saviour. They are to separate from all that bears not the mark of the strictest justice and judgment. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 9

Time is short, and the Lord calls for the separation from His institutions of those who refuse to see their objectionable traits of character. I am instructed to say that such ones will be weighed in the balances and found wanting. Time is short, and the foundation upon which we build our faith must be sound Bible truth. I call upon our people, Get ready, get ready. The last chapters of this earth’s history, as outlined by Christ, are rapidly fulfilling. Our last great work is to be done. “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” [Isaiah 58:1.] 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 10

We have a decided medical missionary work to do, just as is portrayed in the Word of God. Every man has his work, which he cannot be excused from doing. God will accept everyone who will consecrate himself to His service without reserve. “Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are His.” [1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.] You have no permission to bind yourselves up in these last days with any parties. Why? Because God must be your fear and your dread, as well as your confidence and strength, and your exceeding great reward. “I will be to them a God,” He declares, “and they shall be to Me a people.” [Hebrews 8:10.] 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 11

Those who are purifying their souls through a belief of the truth have abundant assurance that they will not be left to perish through the deceptive working of the archdeceiver. No men are to join themselves to other men to lower the standard of truth in accordance with worldly policy and practice. This is a misrepresentation of the character of God. It is bearing false witness of Him. Elevate, ennoble, saith the Lord, all that you are connected with. Let God be revealed in His holiness and in His power by every soul who claims to be a laborer together with Him. Stand bound up with Christ; for you have been bought with a price. Glorify God in your body and in your spirit; for they are His. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 12

Tremendous is the wrath of God now hanging over the world. I call upon all in the name of Jesus Christ to take their stand on the sure foundation. Those who refuse to do this can have no part with Seventh-day Adventists. God declares, “I will be merciful to those who confess and forsake their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” [See verse 12.] “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” [1 John 1:7.] This is a great and encouraging assurance. If those who have been led into transgression and sin will come to the Sin-bearer, and confess their sins, they will receive forgiveness. The efficacy of the blood of Christ is able to secure pardon. The Holy Spirit, which convinces of sin, leads the repenting, believing one to Jesus through faith in His blood. This Spirit will impart the renewing of the mind unto holiness, and the believing, pardoned one sits with Christ in heavenly places. The sanctifying influence of divine grace brings a renewing of the mind. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 13

Perhaps sin has been in undisputed possession of the whole man. Those of whom this is true are ruled by the spirit that works in the children of disobedience. They are not at peace, but they are apparently satisfied with themselves. But is it thus indeed? No, there is an unrest, a spiritual conflict, a struggle between sin and reason, the conflict of grace and nature. And divine things will appear to the struggling soul if he will arise in the power and assurance that comes from faith in Christ. Thus he could break the spell. But too often it seems too humiliating to admit that he has been wrong, and he does not break the spell, and Satan fastens him the more firmly in his deceptions. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 14

Satan has his allies in men. And evil angels in human form will appear to men and present before them such glowing representations of what they will be able to do if they will only heed their suggestions, that often they change their penitence for defiance. I call upon those who would have eternal life to break every yoke. The enlightening of the understanding must become a part of the experience. Sin has darkened the reasoning powers, and hell is triumphing. O will not men cease to trust in human beings? Can not they discern the excellency of the perfect rule of righteousness that God has given? 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 15

The Lord calls upon those who once had a knowledge of the truth, but who have backslidden, to return to their first love and become reformed, regenerated. The eyes of the mind need to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit, that they may discern between good and evil. Some concessions have been made, but no thorough work has been done to uproot the evil plant of malice cherished so long because this person and that person did not coincide with plans and ideas of human invention. The root of bitterness has sprung up into intense life and has borne its poisonous fruit. It still flourishes; for only the tip-end of it was plucked off. When sin is removed through the blood of sprinkling, the soul will be melted by a sense of the love of Jesus and by an abhorrence of sin. Repentance for this or that particular act is not sufficient. The heart must be cleansed. Wrongdoing is the overflowing of the fountain of an unclean, unconverted heart. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 16

There are those who, when wrongs have developed, would not say, I have sinned, but have tried to cover up and excuse the sin of the natural heart. But the heart must be changed, else it will ever be sending forth its bitter waters. He who with loathing of soul sees his defective character, which has so long dishonored Christ, and in contrition asks for forgiveness, will save his soul unto eternal life. Such a one will no longer excuse and vindicate actions that has brought reproach on the cause of God. Repentance is genuine when reformation takes place. He is truly repentant, and his heart will be filled with thankfulness that he was not blinded to the very end, when it would have been too late for wrongs to be righted. He will discard the old pharisaical garment of self-righteousness and will no longer try to patch it with new cloth. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 17

The devil may lock arms with the sinner, and say, “Better let things go as they are. If you confess, your dignity will be hurt, your influence lost.” Thus he has gained the victory over and over again. 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 18

Oh, eternal life is worth everything, and to lose it, the man loses everything. Will he give up the struggle? Will he brave it through in defiance of God, or will he show his loathing for the sins he has committed, and say: “Woe is me, that for so long I have been a transgressor of the law of God. Lord, I know that Thy law is holy, just, and good. Woe is me that I have tried to preserve my dignity, and in so doing, have lost so much as a steward of Christ’s grace. I have been a transgressor, but I will be so no longer. I will repent, while Christ is still pleading for me in the courts of heaven. I will now come into the presence of the Saviour and touch the holy scepter; and if I perish, I perish.” 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 19

My earnest prayer is that not one soul shall continue in transgression and sin. The atonement of Christ, in its divine beauty and excellence, calls upon every rebellious soul who has left his first love to repent, to give his affections to God, and to allow the law to be written in his heart. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. This means the character, the whole man. The conversion of sinners reveals the miracle-working power of the grace of Christ. The promise is, “I will put My laws into their minds, and in their hearts will I write them.” [Hebrews 10:16.] 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 20

When true conversion takes place, the soul is eagerly ready to have this work done. Self is no longer exalted. The judgment, sanctified, sees how impossible it would be for the spirit cherished in the past to be admitted into the inner court of the sanctuary of God. The soul is strongly drawn to choose what the judgment has been taught to approve. “I delight to do Thy will, O my God.” [Psalm 40:8.] The psalmist speaks thus of the godly man: “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” [Psalm 37:31.] Is not this a great promise? Shall we not appreciate it? Who will now watch and pray three times a day as did Daniel; for the enemy is watching constantly to find us off guard. Will you now earnestly consider the call from Christ to return to your first love? Let every one remember that the first work to be done each day is to surrender the will and way to God. The Lord will surely arouse His people who are watching and waiting and praying. “Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold; but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” [Matthew 24:12, 13.] 20LtMs, Ms 122, 1905, par. 21