Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 22 (1907)

Ms 182, 1907

Sermon/Thoughts on John 15

San Pasqual, California

May 11, 1907

Previously unpublished.

John 15:1, 2. “Purges” means that He allows some trial to come upon them that will drive them to the seeking of the Lord, that they shall bring forth more fruit. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 1

Verse 3. “Through the Word,” obedience to that Word. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 2

Verses 4-7. Well, now, that is a very large benefit that He has presented to us. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 3

Verses 7, 8. That is an evidence of discipleship. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 4

Verses 9, 10. What a precious assurance this is to every soul that is living the Christian life through receiving the merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour! 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 5

Verse 11. Now that is a wonderful promise: “that your joy might be full.” It is Christ’s joy that remains in the individual Christian who is walking in Christ’s footsteps, following on to know the Lord, that they may know that His going forth is prepared as the morning. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 6

Verse 12. That is a most wonderful consideration: “as I have loved you.” That joy to give My very life, that you might have everlasting life in the kingdom of God. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 7

Verse 13. Now you can see how God regards our relationship to one another. We must take the Word of God as the man of our counsel. We must study what it means from the beginning to the very close of the text or the Scriptures that we are searching, and then follow on, follow on, to know more and still more of the Lord. We can embrace a great deal with our faith if we have that growing from Him. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 8

Verse 2. So perhaps you may think as I did once when my husband was cutting away the vine, why, I almost felt as though it was cut in two. Why do you cut them so much? “Why,” he said, “Ellen, they must bear fruit.” And if you let all the surplus branches here that bear no fruit, if you let them stay in the vine, then we shall have great limit of what we might otherwise have. The very life is in the vine. If you watch it, if you examine it, you will see that it is seldom that you can find two leaves exactly alike. You will find that there are differences in the leaves, and in the branches, and so it will be with our Christian life. We shall find that others have an experience varying from ours. It is not in the very same line that we have thoughts and words and acts and all these, so that we duplicate one another. No; every soul must keep his eye fastened upon the Word of God and on Christ, to know what He means in all His words that He hath said to instruct us. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 9

Verse 10. Now that is a wonderful promise. I am determined to keep His commandments and abide in His love, and every soul of us must do this if we answer to the vows of our baptism. Here we were baptized to be dead unto the world and its sinful propensities, when we offered ourselves in baptism. Then the baptism took place in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, the three great powers in heaven. These powers we have taken hold of. If we are dead to sin and to the distractions of the world, we will not be anxious to dress just like the world, to talk just like the world, because there is a distinction. You are drawing from the Source, and the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost is pledged to every soul that will lay right hold upon His grace—that will pray, that will sacrifice, that will cut off these hindrances that shut the heart to the suggestions of Jesus Christ. Now we want every soul of us to be in the position that we are men and women of prayer. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 10

Verse 10. Now what has He said about His commandments? He speaks to His church, “Ye are dead, dead, buried with Christ in baptism, and risen to walk in newness of life.” [See Romans 6:4.] This is charged upon every one of us, that we are to abide in His love. And when we abide in the love of Christ, it will be our determination to live the truth before all that we associate with, to carry out that precious love toward them as Christ has toward us. But if we are ready to look and watch, and we draw ourselves, and say, No, I cannot have any fellowship with them, now you see, whether you have fellowship with them or not, there is a duty to do. Christ has to fellowship with us, until we come in fellowship with Him. He comes and teaches us, and He lays down the rule of life as keeping His commandments and abiding in His love, as He keeps His Father’s commandments and abides in His love. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 11

Now we have that precious privilege, and if we see and our hearts are grieved with the course of action of any one around us, He has given us instruction what to do. Don’t you come here to the altar unless you are prepared. If you see and know that there is a difference between you and another person, leave there thy gift, and go and be reconciled, go and seek that person and be reconciled. If we went through that performance, I think we should have very different movements in reference to our course of action toward each other. The Lord wants us to come into line. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 12

It is time that there was a great deal of repenting done by brethren and sisters that claim to believe the truth, but their tongue is not under the influence of truth. Our tongue is a great talent; our voice is a great talent, and the Lord wants us to appreciate it. He wants us to not feel that we can cut loose from this one and that one, and that we ourselves are perfect, because we do not know but what Christ will cut loose from us. No, our talent of voice, our talent of conversation, may be a blessing to those with whom we associate. The voice is a great talent, and in the house and in the home, there should be no fretting, no scolding. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 13

I have stood before a congregation in a large tent, and there was a woman that had two children, one on either side. Now, the children were amusing themselves innocently, but it seemed as though the mother had a quarrelsome spirit and she would shake that child, and shake it. Well, she did that the third time, and I stepped right down from the desk. I went to her; said I, “Are you a child of God?” She colored up. “Yes, I claim to be.” “Did you act like one when you shook that child and set it crying?” “Well,” she said, “I don’t know as I did.” “Well,” said I, “It is best for each individual to know what composes a Christian character. If you give loose rein, and I have seen you give loose rein in this tent, I want to tell you that you are to be converted, and we want you to be converted at this meeting. We do not want you to carry the spirit home that you have had here in this meeting.” 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 14

Here are these little ones, and when Christ was upon the earth, He was giving the disciples important instruction, but He was watching something. His all-seeing eye took in the mothers as they left their homes, and trod the dusty streets, and collected from one family and another family and another, until there was quite a group of mothers and children, so anxious to get where they could have the hand of Christ placed upon the heads of their children to bless them. They brought them in during His discourse, and as they brought them up to the entrance He heard a “No, no, the Master is teaching. He cannot be troubled with these children,” and the disciples were sending them away. [Matthew 19:14.] His ear caught the sound in a moment. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 15

He told them, “Forbid them not. Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not,” and they would climb upon Him. [Mark 10:14.] All tired out He would take them upon His knee and there He would go on, one on one arm, and one arm around another one and another sitting at His feet, there He would instruct those children and parents, and all could gather the light, because the parents could bring that light to the hearts of the children. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 16

He wants us to be a great deal more like Himself than we are. The language is eloquent when it is used in the right way, but when that language is turned to reproof and scolding and fretting in movement and talking to the children, He does not want any of it at all, because you create a quarrel with your children. It is best for every parent to feel that they are responsible to God for the instruction He gave right to the children. Now, this is what should be done. Gather the instruction and teach your children to be obedient, because He is pleased to have them obedient. Bring in that blessed name, and angels will be around the one that would instruct in that way. We cannot afford to lose the opportunity with our children, because we are bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Now, that is what we are doing. The voice is a treasure when it shall speak words of education in little things and allow the Holy Spirit of God to impart itself to the parents, so that they can impart it to the children. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 17

If I had sadness in my voice at any time when some would be speaking to me, and I would express a regret, the first thing I would say, the little children’s lips would begin to pucker up and they would cry. In a moment, it struck me that I spoke with sadness in regard to some things that had taken place, and that sadness struck the tender cords of the heart. O, Christ is present with us. He is present. And He knows the disposition and temperament of every soul of us here. He knows whether you bring into your house and into your family the sweetness of a subdued, controlled disposition or not. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 18

Now if you claim to be a follower of Christ, He will prune you that you may bring forth the right quality of fruit in actions. If we will talk less about trash and about unimportant things and save the voice so that we can speak in tenderness and in love, then we are indeed where we are answering to the words of Christ that we bear the right quality of fruit. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 19

If he has taken his position on the platform of eternal truth, the father is the priest of the household. He is to guard every child, that it should comprehend what kindness is, what tenderness is, what love is, what obedience is. He may have to punish the child for disobedience because Jesus Christ punishes us for disobedience. He pruneth so that we may bring forth more fruit of the right quality. Now, in every household, we are to stand in right relation to God as this is His property, bought with a price; every child is bought with a price. Just think of this. And what a price! 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 20

He left the royal courts of heaven because He saw, after the sin of Satan, wickedness possessing children. They were possessed of devils, many were, and He thought the time had come. He laid off His royal crown, He laid aside His royal robe, He clothed His divinity with humanity, that He might come into our world as a little child, not of wealthy parents, but poor parents, so there was not even a place for His birth but a stable, and there were the cattle around where Christ was born. He came to stand close in connection with humanity, there to educate, and as He did, there were those that would flock around to get where He was, and on one occasion there were five thousand. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 21

They had been following Him where He went, until He saw one and another fainting and falling to the ground. Did he take no notice of it? He noticed it, and He said, The company is weary and hungry, and fainting, is there not any food here that we could give them? Here there are five loaves and a few fishes. Well, bring them, all of them. Sit down here in companies. Now there were five thousand besides women and children. You think of that. He passes that food to the disciples, and in passing it into the hands of the hungry multitude there was just as much left. Christ had just as much left, but He kept imparting it, and thus they were filled. Their hunger was satisfied. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 22

He asked the blessing upon the food and is accumulated, and after they were all satisfied, He said to them, “Gather up the fragments, let nothing be lost.” [John 6:12.] And they gathered up the fragments. Now, there is a great thing in this. We have not a right, any of us in any case to gamble. We haven’t a right in any case to obtain means that will rob another of means by conniving, not a bit of it. We must be in that position where we shall feel we have a right to impart that which God has given us. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 23

O, I felt so thankful, when in Australia, that I could see the poverty. They said when we came there, “It is no use for you to think you can get up a reformation here. (These were the authorities of the place.) You cannot do it. You cannot lay anything down and turn around a minute but it is gone. Thieving of every kind is here.” Well, we decided to go right into the woods, and we did. We pitched tents. There we worked to establish something. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 24

We have today reports that the school is a prosperous school, and turning out workers at every point. Well, they thought it was so strange that Sister White would go right into the wilderness. And there was purchased 1500 acres of land, and there the work was carried on to establish a place where the truth could be taught not only to the children, but to older people. Whenever we would go the four miles from the house, we would see a woman tugging along a child by the hand, and another in her arms. We would make room for her in the carriage and take her to the station. Well, we would accommodate them every way we could. They began to bring to us the sick children. Sister McEnterfer had had a good lesson in the school where she had learned nursing, and she would go and attend the hardest cases. The physician would come quite a number of miles—it was 22 miles—he would look at the case and deal out something little liquid from a bottle, and tell it them to give it to her, but it did her no good at all. We made a hospital of our home, and we tried in every way to remove this feeling from the people that they could steal. The first box of provisions we got we had sent about seventy miles to get it, and we put it in our little storehouse and when we went to look for it, it was not there. There were loaves of bread that we had taken out of the oven, and we went to look, and there was no bread there. They took every one. But wherever we went, we never thought of locking our doors. We left the doors open to them, but they never took any thing after they became acquainted with us and knew what we were doing. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 25

They would come with their babies in their arms, and ask: “Can you do anything for my baby?” We would take right hold. And thus we carried on the work doing a missionary work for all around us that needed it. This was our work and we found that it was the best missionary work that could possibly do so as to remove that desire to get possession of what did not belong to them. And we had no trouble. But they would come in the night, six miles for Miss McEnterfer to come. She would get on horseback and follow the leader away out into the bush and come to his family and work with them through the night and relieve them. Now this is the kind of work, that disarmed prejudice, and I thank God that it is the privilege of every household to have Christ as an honored guest in their house. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 26

It is the privilege of fathers and mothers not to scold, but to demand obedience. That can be done, but to educate yourselves as scolders and remove the love from the heart of the child, parents, it never will pay. But you can demand obedience, and tell the child you cannot let them grow up in sin. They must be punished if they commit sin, as God punishes us when we are sinners. He lets us have a hard time. But here I must not spend too much time. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 27

[John 15] Verses 13-17. Just as you want to be favored and loved, you want to educate your children how to love you and you love your children. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 28

Verses 18-21. Will you read that chapter through? It is the fifteenth chapter of John. I will not hold you but a few minutes longer, but I want to say this: every soul of us is required of God that we should help every other soul that we can. We are not to close our doors and let souls suffer and we not help them. We are to represent Christ. Christ loved the world; He gave His life for the world, and our precious Saviour placed Himself where—what did He do? He placed Himself in that position where He could be a blessing to the world. “Ye are,” He said to His disciples, “the light of the world.” “Let your light so shine ... in heaven.” [Matthew 5:14, 16.] Keep back that hasty suggestion to your mind. Love one another. There is so little of Christlike forbearance and love, and I want to tell you, the converting power of God must come through the churches wherever they are. And there must be an awakening to take hold. There are souls perishing in their sins, and we want to tell them. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 29

I was trying to speak in the little school up here, for them to have little contribution boxes for the South. I advised them to make them and have these little boxes, and teach their children, in the place of laying out money for candies and for things that they can do without, to put their pennies and small silver bits into these little boxes. Some of you will be ingenious enough to get up that box and fasten it up for a month, and then when it is opened to see how much there is to send on to the missionaries to help educate the colored people. This is what we are trying to do in missionary efforts, and there is a work for every one of us to do. Do not waste God’s money on anything, on bows, on ribbons, or on any portions of dress that are not necessary. It is God’s money you are handling. It is God’s money that you are wasting, and God wants us to be fitting up for His kingdom by self-denial. He said to one, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” [Luke 9:58.] 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 30

We want to do missionary work as we have never done it before. We want to carry out the missionary efforts as far as possible. We want to send to different climes, to different places, to carry the missionary work forward. It is going as it never has gone before, and we have not one particle of means to waste. We want to invest it as God’s money. “The silver and gold,” He declares, “is Mine.” [Haggai 2:8.] And so it is. And we are to invest that silver, we are invest that gold, in the cause of God, to bring souls to the knowledge of the truth. Hunt for souls, hunt for them, and may every one of us practice the self-denial and the self-sacrifice that is essential. We must have means; we must have it to establish in various places schoolhouses, and meetinghouses. They will be humble. They will be made very plain and very simple. I am very glad you have this meetinghouse. It looks simple and plain, and yet nice and fully capable of doing honor to the meetings that shall be held in it. I thank the Lord in your behalf for this. Now let us do all we can to bring the light of truth right in where we are. The Holy Spirit will come. “Ye are the light of the world ... in heaven.” [Matthew 5:14-16.] 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 31

What are you doing? Are you laborers together with God and with Jesus Christ? And we may be partakers of the divine nature. Let us be Christians, let us arise in the name of the Lord God of Israel and put all our interest possible into the soulsaving process. “Ye are dead, and your life is hid ... in glory.” [Colossians 3:3, 4.] 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 32

Now I will not take any more of your time, for I understand there is going to be another meeting here. But do not quarrel; do not let Christians quarrel. It is the biggest sin you can commit on the face of the earth. It is letting darkness and satanic influences arise. Do not quarrel; do not find fault, but let every one press together in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and you will have a blessing all the way along. A converted tongue, you want a converted voice; you want one that is full of music, and not full of harshness. God give us the fruit of righteousness is the prayer that I shall offer in this congregation. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 33

Hereafter I shall remember you, but God help you that every step you take may be a step in advance, that you may see the King in His beauty. 22LtMs, Ms 182, 1907, par. 34