Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 8 (1893)

Ms 110, 1893

Discourse by Mrs. E. G. White on the Sabbath

Ormondville, New Zealand

September 9, 1893

Previously unpublished.

The words of God are valid. Exodus 20:8-11: “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God,” etc. Verse 11: “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” [See also] Exodus 20; 31:12-18. 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 1

It is the work of Satan who has used the papal power to exalt himself as supreme, above God, and institute a rival sabbath, to make of none effect the day God has sanctified and blessed. God gave the seventh day. The papacy has given to the world a spurious sabbath, ignoring entirely the Lord's Sabbath on which He rested. [He] placed His sanctity upon that day and set up the Sabbath as His memorial to be sacredly observed as His holy, sanctified day, because He made the world in six days and rested upon the seventh day, and sanctified the day when He rested as the memorial of His creation and set it apart—sanctifying that day—making it holy. 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 2

The power who did this sacrilegious work is named of God “the man of sin.” [2 Thessalonians 2:3.] 1 John 3:4: “Whosoever commiteth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. ... Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed (the words of God) remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 3

We are never to forget the Lord, whose character was proclaimed to Moses. 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 4

Exodus 34:5: “And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there (in the Mount), and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and fourth generation.” [Verses 5-7.] 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 5

Adam was created full of light and knowledge of purity and perfection of character. The signature of God was upon him. He loved his Creator. He was permitted to hold personal communion with God. He was made only a little lower than the angels, the heavenly family who shouted for joy at the display of God's power, His goodness and His glory. But Adam and Eve revolted from their Maker. [Last line on page is missing.] 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 6

Adam and Eve lost their beautiful Eden home because they believed the lie of Satan [rather than] the instruction of the word of God, and Satan has been carrying on his same temptations ever since his fall. His word is received through human agencies and against a plain “thus saith the Lord.” He has a motive and object constantly before him to make of no consequence the law of Jehovah. He is working his wicked devices through human agencies to bring in every species of deception [so] that God's great moral standard of righteousness, His memorial of creation—the Sabbath day—shall not be respected by the people. 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 7

The world and the church are taken captive, and a rival, spurious sabbath is instituted by the papacy. This false sabbath has led to contention and controversy and when this heresy of a false sabbath shall not be able [to] show the claims of sanctity from the Bible, to vindicate the world in worshiping on that day, they declare the law of God is not binding, but abolished. There is reiterated throughout our world [and] in the pulpits in our land that the whole law is done away. The children are taught this falsehood and for generations the youth coming upon the stage of action in their lax, loose morals indicate the future of society. Thus it has been from generation to generation. Parents have not made it a practice to teach their children the statutes and commandments of God. Deuteronomy 6:2-9, 17-25. 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 8

When the Lord speaks, telling parents that which He requires of them, He means that they shall be obedient. It is because there has been disregard for the laws of God, a despising of His Sabbath, that the world is today in the state of rebellion against God, and therefore in controversy with God. “They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods with abominations provoked him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that come newly up, whom your fathers feared not. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.” Deuteronomy 32:15-35, 46, 47; 30:11-20; 29:19, 20; 31:9-13. 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 9

God has given His law to all the world to govern human intelligences, but many rebel against the Lord and trample underfoot His commandments. From generation to generation parents have transgressed the law of Jehovah, and His wrath is kindled against the earth's teachers because they make sin and iniquity to abound. If parents had obeyed the Word of the Lord and instructed their children diligently to love and fear God, and to be obedient to all the commandments of God, the world would not be in its present terrible state. If parents had done as the Lord commanded them to do, [and] trained their children to become acquainted with the law and obey it, the world would [not] be as is today—as it was in the days of Noah. 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 10

The law of God is not a code of merciless exactions, but it is a transcript of the character of God, never one jot or tittle of it is to lose its significance. The welfare of parents and children depend upon their observance of the ten precepts of Jehovah, for then their habits and their practices would be the sowing of the seed in wise counsel, in decided effort, [and] would yield a rich harvest in this present life; for as righteousness goes before us in pure, correct actions, according to the standard of the law of God, the glory of the Lord will be our rearward. 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 11

We need individually to understand our duties and our privileges. The things suffered and enjoyed are full of meaning, and if we will take heed to God's holy precepts, we shall prove in our character that we have known the things which make for our peace. “The entrance of thy word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple.” [Psalm 119:130.] This expression, “simple,” does not mean those deficient in intellect, but those who have the simplicity of a child willing to learn of its parents, teachable and obedient. They will discern the requisitions of divine truth, and their prayer will be, “O, Lord, do Thou teach us how to learn of Thee, that we may be wise in Thy wisdom and happy in doing Thy will in obedience and love.” 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 12

The end of all things is at hand and iniquity abounds, because men have transgressed the law and broken the everlasting covenant given on condition of obedience, and because of continual transgression. Isaiah 59; Ezekiel 20:12, 18; Amos 5:11-20; Micah 6:6-15; Haggai 1:5, 6; Hosea 6:1-11; 8:12, 13; Joel 1:2-7, 11-20. There we have the prophecies of the state of our world just prior to the second coming of the Lord thy God. The world will become more and [more] under the sway of seducing spirits as they turn away from God and His righteous government. Men professing godliness will indulge their own traits of character. Unless they are conscientiously under the control of God, they will become self-indulgent and self-centered. 8LtMs, Ms 110, 1893, par. 13