Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Lt 151, 1897

White, J. E.; White, Emma

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

August 29, 1897

See variant Lt 151a, 1897. Potions of this letter are published in 1MR 177-178. +^Note

My children:

Let nothing interpose between your souls and God. If you think that you are not understood, if words are spoken that hurt the soul, do not become discouraged. Be encouraged that there is One who understands. He knows how to help you in every time of need. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 1

“Then shalt thou see and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.” [Isaiah 60:5.] There will be many conversions, not so much from the church as from the world. “And they shall show forth the praise of the Lord.” [Verse 6.] The Lord has a work for you to do. Bear this in mind, and never, never unyoke from Christ. “Take my yoke upon you,” He says to every son and daughter. “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and thou shalt find rest unto thy soul. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11:29, 30.] 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 2

The Lord will pardon our transgressions, and put a new song into our mouth. “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of righteousness.” [Isaiah 61:10.] We cannot exert a correct influence when we are under a cloud of anxiety and depression. We must reach out the hand of faith, and grasp the hand of our Redeemer. We must not wait for the latter rain. It is coming upon all who will recognize and appropriate the dew and showers of grace that fall upon us. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 3

When we gather up the fragments of light, when we appreciate the sure mercies of God, who loves to have us trust Him, then every promise will be fulfilled. “For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” [Verse 11.] The whole earth is to be filled with the glory of God. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 4

We are not to look on the discouraging features of our experience. We are to bear a clear, ringing testimony to the world. We are to lift up our heads in faith and hope and courage and assurance. “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake will I not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy light and all kings thy glory. And thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Then shalt thou also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hands of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land be any more termed Desolate; but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah; for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee; and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 5

“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night; ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence. ... Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord; and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.” [Isaiah 62:1-6, 10-12.] 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 6

I have been directed to these words of the Lord, given to Isaiah, and also His words to His servant Jeremiah: “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts, saith the Lord.” [Isaiah 55:6-9.] See also Isaiah 56:6-12. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 7

There is marrow and fatness in the Word of the Lord, both in the Old and New Testaments. If the individual members of the church will seek the Lord with all their heart, He will be found of them. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 8

I address you, my son and my daughter; again I repeat, Let nothing interpose between your heart service to your God. Keep your eyes steadfastly fixed upon Jesus Christ. Let nothing draw your heart’s devotion from Him. Be true to your Saviour. Heed every word of warning given you. Had those in Battle Creek who have been warned taken heed to the word of the Lord, they would today have been walking in the light. God will not prosper a people who disregard and turn from His messages to please and glorify themselves. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 9

Reformation has not yet begun in Battle Creek. Changes in places and positions have been made, but the hearts of those who have not been molded after the divine similitude are not changed. They see not, nor understand over what they have stumbled. Their eyes need the heavenly eyesalve. Many will not see, neither will they humble their hearts before God. They will follow their own pernicious ways. By these the way of truth will be evil spoken of. They will not hide in the cleft of the Rock that they may behold the glory of the Lord. They will be taken unawares. As a thief will the day of God come upon them. They will not be sanctified, or prepared to see or understand the day of their visitation. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 10

I speak to you, my son. Put not your confidence in man. Make not flesh your arm. Look to your Saviour, who is your strength and your righteousness. Walk humbly before God. Pray in faith, and cling firmly to the hand of Christ. Make complaint of no one. If you see any one doing wrong, go directly to him and in the meekness of Christ tell him, and no one else, his error. Cultivate cautiousness, and trust in the Lord implicitly, for He is your defense. Again and again you have been encouraged to undertake projects that you should have left alone. Then when your weakness has appeared, when the results of following not in the way of the Lord are seen, those who have encouraged you have stood aside, without tenderness or sympathy, letting you bear the whole blame of the wrong. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 11

I say again, Put your whole trust in the Lord. Consecrate yourself, soul, body, and spirit to Him. “Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.” [Isaiah 52:11.] The truth passing through impure channels becomes marred by the corroding of the thoughts and actions of those who advocate it. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” [Matthew 5:48.] Perfection is only obtained when we hide ourselves in the cleft of the Rock. God’s perfection is revealed in the humanity of Christ. Looking unto Jesus, eating His flesh and drinking His blood, we will reveal Him in character. We will then look upon the trust given us as sacred. We will do the work which must be done in and through Christ, sanctified by His power and efficiency. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 12

“In his mouth was found no guile.” [1 Peter 2:22.] No cheap, careless words, called “idle words” will be spoken, because Christ will be an abiding guest in the soul-temple. [Matthew 12:36.] “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” [Revelation 3:4, 5.] 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 13

My children, we must advance to reach a higher standard. The true position of many who are handling sacred things is being presented before me. They do not appreciate their sacredness or their sanctifying influence, because they do not appropriate the Word. They do not eat and digest Christ’s Word, and therefore they cannot reveal the power of His grace in their daily life. They know only the ABC of Christian experience. They do not take precious walks with Jesus as did Enoch. They do not commune with Him, for they do not know God nor Jesus Christ whom He has sent. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 14

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” [Revelation 16:15.] “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” [2 Corinthians 5:10.] “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” [Verse 17.] We will not then retain our old, sinful habits and practices, for we are cleansed, we are sanctified, as vessels unto honor. “Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.” [1 John 3:6.] 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 15

Children, read the Word. You are then eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. I am greatly burdened over many who, deceived in themselves, are not walking in the light. Their garments are defiled by sin. “This is the love of God that we keep his commandments. ... For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” [1 John 5:3, 4.] 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 16

Again the burden rolls upon me to charge you to counsel with God. Ask of Him wisdom. He invites you to come, saying, “If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” [James 1:5-7.] 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 17

Do not be surprised that I am solicitous for you. I am very much so when you are in Battle Creek, for I am afraid in your behalf. I am afraid that you will follow the counsel of men, failing to walk where Christ leads the way. I have had opened before me many schemes that men in positions of trust have entered into, schemes that lead away from Christ and righteous principles. Those who entered into these schemes are still blinded; they cannot see at what they stumble. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 18

I want you to look to God and to Him alone. The Lord has not said, If any man lack wisdom, let him go to his neighbor, his pastor, and pray to him, and he shall receive. No; you must have an individual experience for yourself. Then that which you freely receive, freely give. Communicate to others. You are not to gauge your course of action by what others think of you. Work faithfully, with an eye single to the glory of God. To every man He has given his work. 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 19

“Come unto me,” He says, “all ye that labor and are heavy laden. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11:28-30.] Do not turn away from Jesus to broken cisterns that can hold no water. All I ask of you, Edson and Emma, is to walk with God in all humility, Trust in Him who is true and faithful, and then you will be found of Him in peace. He will put His Spirit upon you, saying, “Be strong, yea, be strong.” [Daniel 10:19.] 12LtMs, Lt 151, 1897, par. 20