The Ellen G. White Letters and Manuscripts: Volume 1

Lt 5, 1849

April 21, 1849, Milton, Massachusetts 1EGWLM 164.1

Letter to
Leonard W. and Elvira Hastings.¹ 1EGWLM 164.2

Portions of this letter are published in Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, p. 390; vol. 5, pp. 93, 94, 200.

News to close friends of recent travels. Account of vision of March 24, 1849: The Sabbath as a test. Satan's attempts through mesmerism, spiritualism, and false revivals to deceive God's people. 1EGWLM 164.3

Dear Brother and Sister Hastings:

I now sit down to write you a few lines and give you a little history of our journey and of the dealings of God with us since we left you.² It was rather a tedious journey for me from Dorchester [Massachusetts] to Brunswick [Maine].³ I stood my journey all quite well until we came to the last sixteen miles [26 kilometers]. We were obliged to take the stage from North Yarmouth [Maine] to Brunswick. The roads were very bad. I felt that I could not perform the journey and that I must stop at a private house. The stage shook us round very much. James and I agreed to unite our prayers together, and in faith believing, ask God for strength, and praise His holy name, He heard us pray. I felt a visible change for the better and was enabled in the strength of God to finish the journey without accident or harm. 1EGWLM 164.4

The first Sabbath we spent in Topsham, was a sweet, interesting time. It seems that Jesus Himself passed through our midst and shed His light and glory upon us. We all had a rich draught from the well of Bethlehem. The Spirit came upon me and I was taken off in vision. I saw many important things, some of which I will write you before I close this letter. I saw Brother Stowell [Lewis B. Stowell]⁴ of Paris [Maine] was wavering upon the shut door.⁵ I felt that I must visit them. Although it was fifty miles [80 kilometers] off and very bad going, I believed God would strengthen me to perform the journey. We went and found they needed strengthening. There had not been a meeting in the place for above two years.⁶ We spent one week with them. Our meetings were very interesting. They were hungry for present truth. We had free, powerful meetings with them. God gave me two visions while there, much to the comfort and strength of the brethren and sisters. Brother Stowell was established in the shut door and all the present truth he had doubted. Strength was given me from on high so that my journey wearied me not at all and my health has been better ever since. Thank God He gives us strength as we need. 1EGWLM 164.5

After we returned from Paris, we felt that it was time to make up our minds where to go and spend the summer. We were in much perplexity and trial to know how to decide. We had been expecting God to teach in such a way that we could not mistake duty, but we were disappointed and as we had no light to go elsewhere, concluded to go to New York. James wrote them when to come for us at Utica [New York] and I signed my name to the letter after he had signed his. Soon I began to feel distressed and burdened. It seemed that I should be driven to distraction. I found relief by weeping. When in my distress James was afraid I would die, and he threw the letter in the stove, as he told me afterward, then knelt down by my bedside and prayed God to roll off the burden, and I was relieved. The next morning I awoke perfectly free and clear, all my distress was gone, and I felt assured God would open the way before us. 1EGWLM 165.1

James went to the office and brought in a letter from Brother Belden [Albert Belden],⁷ Rocky Hill, Connecticut, giving us a strong invitation to come there and live with them; said they should consider it a privilege to administer to our wants. We felt clear to go and felt that it was the way the Lord had opened. They sent us means to go with. 1EGWLM 165.2

We came to this place yesterday; found our dear Brother Nichols’ [Otis Nichols]⁸ family as well as usual, steadfast in the faith, and strong in all the present truth. Sister Temple [Elizabeth Temple]⁹ continues well and strong. Praise the Lord, she stands out a living monument of the healing power of God.¹⁰ Last week she earned eight dollars cleaning house in Boston [Massachusetts]. Our God is a living God; He is bringing up and reviving His people and preparing them to stand in the battle of the Lord. The work is still going on in Connecticut. The Lord has shown me in vision He was at work there and that what He was doing for His people was only a few drops before a more plentiful shower. 1EGWLM 166.1

Keep up good courage, my dear Brother and Sister. I do want to hear from you very much, and should rejoice to have the privilege of being in your happy dwelling once more. How is your health, Sister Hastings? And how is your child, the babe?¹¹ Do let us know. We shall start for Connecticut Monday and settle down. Write us there and direct to James White, Rocky Hill, Ct. 1EGWLM 166.2

I will now write you the vision God gave me on the Sabbath, the 24th of March.¹² We had a glorious meeting. I was taken off in vision. 1EGWLM 166.3

I saw the commandments of God and shut door could not be separated. I saw [that] the time for the commandments of God to shine out to His people was when the door was opened in the inner apartment of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844. Then Jesus rose up and shut the door in the outer apartment and opened the door in the inner apartment and passed into the Most Holy Place, and the faith of Israel now reaches within the second veil where Jesus now stands by the ark. I saw that Jesus had shut the door in the Holy Place and no man can open it, and that He had opened the door in the Most Holy Place and no man can shut it; and that since Jesus had opened the door in the Most Holy Place the commandments have been shining out and God has been testing His people on the holy Sabbath.¹³ I saw that the test on the Sabbath could not come until the mediation of Jesus was finished in the Holy and He had passed within the second veil; therefore Christians who died before the seventh month, 1844, and had not kept the true Sabbath, rest in hope, for there was no condemnation until the true light on the Sabbath came. 1EGWLM 166.4

I saw that our adversaries had been trying to open the door in the outer apartment and to close the door in the inner apartment where the ark is, containing the two tables of stone on which are written the ten commandments by God's own finger.¹⁴ I saw that Satan was now using every device in this sealing time to keep the minds of God's people from present truth and cause them to waver. I saw a covering that God was drawing over His people to protect them in the time of trouble, and every soul that was decided upon the truth was to be covered with this covering of Almighty God. Satan knew this and was also at work in mighty power. I saw that the mysterious knocking in New York was the power of Satan clothed in a religious garb to lull the deceived to more security and to draw the minds of God's people to look at that and cause them to doubt the teachings of God among His people.¹⁵ 1EGWLM 167.1

I saw that Satan was working through agents in a number of ways. He was at work through ministers who had rejected God's truth and had been given over to strong delusions to believe a lie, that they might be damned.¹⁶ I saw while they were preaching or praying some would fall prostrate and helpless, not by the power of the Holy Ghost, No, no, but by the power of Satan breathed upon these agents and through them to the people. 1EGWLM 167.2

I saw that some professed Adventists who had rejected present truth, while preaching, praying or in private conversation used mesmerism to gain adherents, and the people would rejoice, thinking it was the power of God; and even those that used it (mesmerism) themselves were so far in the darkness and deception of the devil that they thought it was the power of God given them to exercise.¹⁷ I saw that these men had made God altogether such an one as themselves. 1EGWLM 167.3

I saw that some of the agents of the devil were affecting the bodies of those they could not deceive and draw from the present truth.¹⁸ Some of them were even trying to afflict some of the saints unto death.¹⁹ (Oh, that all could get a view of it as God revealed it unto me, that they might know more of the wiles of Satan so as to be on their guard.) 1EGWLM 168.1

I saw that Satan was at work in these ways to distract, draw away, and deceive God's people just now in this sealing time²⁰ more than ever before. I saw some who were not standing stiffly, their knees were trembling, their feet were sliding, because they were not planted firmly on present truth, and the covering of Almighty God would not be drawn over them. While they were thus trembling Satan was trying his every art to hold them where they were until the sealing was over and the covering drawn over God's people, and they left out without protection in the time of slaughter. God has begun to draw this covering over His people, therefore it will very soon be drawn over all of those who are to have a shelter in the time of trouble or day of the Lord. 1EGWLM 168.2

I saw that as God worked for His people, Satan would also work, and that the mysterious knocking and signs and wonders of Satan and false reformations would increase and spread. The reformations that were shown me were not reformations from error to truth, No, no, but from bad to worse, for those who professed a change of heart had only wrapt about them a religious cloak which covered up the iniquity of a vile heart so as to deceive God's people; but if their hearts could be seen they would appear as black as ever.²¹ My accompanying angel bade me look for the travail of souls for sinners as used to be. I looked but could not see it for the time for their salvation is past.²² Dear Brother and Sister, I have now written the vision God gave me. I am tired sitting so long. Our position looks very clear. We know we have the truth, the midnight cry is behind us, the door was shut in 1844 and Jesus is soon to step out from between God and man. The sealing will then be accomplished—finished up. Oh, let us keep on the whole armor of God that we may be ready for battle at any moment. We shall have to fight every inch of ground now. Satan has come down in great power, knowing his time is short; but with the commandments of God written in our hearts and in our minds [we] will go on strong and bold, and although the sons of Anak be many and tall,²³ yet we will go on crying, The commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus. 1EGWLM 168.3

Glory be to God, we shall get the victory and enter the goodly land if we keep the commandments. Oh yes, and we shall have right to the tree of life, and drink of those streams that make glad the city of our God, and we shall behold the lovely face of Jesus and be made like Him. Lift up your heads and rejoice, your redemption is nigh. 1EGWLM 169.1

Arabella [Harriet Arabella Hastings],²⁴ the Lord is coming; are you all ready? Can you meet Him in peace and say, This is our God, we have waited for Him? Oh do take hold on the strength of God and make peace with Him, that you may stand when the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard. And the rest of the children,—I cannot call them by name,—Love God with your whole hearts and pray much that you may be sealed. It is of great importance that you secure your soul's salvation. Much love to all. 1EGWLM 169.2

E. G. White

Much love to Sister Gorham [Elizabeth Gorham];²⁵ tell her, for me, to hold fast; tell her her deliverance is soon to come and she will soon, if faithful, enjoy the company of Jesus and angels. Tell her to stand stiffly, to let nothing move her from the truth. My love to Sister Eastman, although I have never seen her, and Brother Gardner.²⁶ I should love to see you all. Pray for poor, unworthy me. 1EGWLM 169.3

In haste. 1EGWLM 170.1