Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Ms 146, 1897

The Threefold Message

Stanmore, New South Wales, Australia

December 5, 1897

Previously unpublished. +^Note

I very much desire the presence of the Lord this morning. “All power is given me in heaven and in earth.” [Matthew 28:18.] I rely on this. Of ourselves we can do nothing, but through Christ Jesus we can do all things. We must have a meeting house here, and we must begin to prepare for it now. In a few weeks it must be completed. We speak upon the faith side. This morning my heart rejoices in the Lord as I view the matter by faith. The first, second and third angels’ messages must be given, they are all combined. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 1

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” [Revelation 14:6, 7.] This is the message that we have to bear. We see it is no time for man worship, no time for idolatry, it is not to have an existence in any heart to corrupt and defile the temple of God. “For whoso defileth the temple of God him will God destroy.” [1 Corinthians 3:17.] Now is the time to purify the soul by obedience to the truth. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 2

“Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment is come, and worship him that made heaven and earth.” [Revelation 14:7.] As a people there is a great work for us to do in purifying and cleansing the heart. In all things we must have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. The admonitions of the Lord are upon us because we have so little love for Him, when our hearts glow with His love we will love one another with pure hearts. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 3

We will be kind and courteous. We will be cleansed from every thread of selfishness, for it is making its disagreeable tread into our churches. It is tainting and corrupting the Echo Office through its managers. Let them search carefully and divest themselves of every approach to this [type of] ministry, for it drives Christ out of the soul and extinguishes His love, and sets up its idol in the heart. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 4

“Fear God and give glory to him” is the burden of our message “for the hour of his judgment is come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” [Verse 7.] Proclaim it with a loud voice, not in silent whispers, not in suggestions now and then, but let it ring through our churches. Ministers and people professing to keep the commandments of God must awaken, and they themselves testify as witnesses for God, so that in dress and in outward adorning there shall be a change, and women will clothe themselves as Christians, <with modest apparel,> that the line of demarkation may be distinguished between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 5

Now the Lord calls upon all who have the light of the gospel, and who profess to believe the truth as it is in Jesus, to reveal it by their words, by their spirit, and we need to go no farther in including their dress, for this will come in. Let every one who now believes be true witnesses for God. We are not half awake. Live the truth, practice its holy principles which is represented by Christ, as eating His flesh and drinking His blood. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 6

A great and solemn work is to be done in our world. “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” [Verse 8.] We may see this very clearly, but the churches refuse the message. “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” [Daniel 12:10.] The wine of the wrath of her fornication refers to the churches fallen. It is a spiritual, a moral, fall. The time has come for the Lord to vindicate His law which has been crucified as was Christ between two thieves. Study the subject. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 7

“And the third angel followed them saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image (which is the Sunday exalted) and receive his mark in their forehead, or in their hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation, and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” [Revelation 14:9, 10.] It will then be known what it meaneth. “The wrath of the Lamb.” [Revelation 6:16.] This is the third angel’s message voiced by those who have received the light and accepted the truth. John sees another party, he says, “Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” [Revelation 14:12.] This is the message that is to be proclaimed everywhere. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 8

The Lord calls upon His people, “Go forward.” [Exodus 14:15.] This is no place where you can stand still. It is to advance or go backward. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” [2 Peter 3:10.] Have we not here an evidence of how quickly the Lord God of Hosts can create, and how quickly he can destroy? Shall we not fear the Lord, and shall we not acknowledge His power? Shall finite man exalt himself against God, and speak great swelling words of vanity that always corrupt both speaker and hearer? 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 9

“Seeing then that these things shall be dissolved” even more thoroughly than in the great fires that have occurred close by, and in London and as in Chicago—what power or invention of human skill could stay that fire? It was as the voice of God speaking to Chicago calling them to repentance. “What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of, the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” [Verses 11-15.] 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 10

Now is the time when the work of preparation should begin in every family. As we cry the message to the churches “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, ... Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues, for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” [Revelation 18:2, 4, 5.] Let those who believe the message of warning for these last days reveal to the world that they have come out, that they partake not of her sins, that they receive not of her plagues. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 11

Those who have great light, have had great opportunities, and they are to evidence to the world that they walk in the light as Christ is in the light, that they cherish no idols, that they allow nothing to engross their minds or affections that shall intercept the bright rays of light of the Sun of Righteousness that goeth before us. We are sure of having the glory of the Lord as our rereward. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 12

Temptations are ever laid as a snare to take souls in an unexpected form to give the affections of the heart, and the thoughts of the heart to the creature in the place of the Creator. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.” And Christ said to the lawyer, “Thou hast answered right, this do and thou shalt live.” [Luke 10:27, 28.] Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9. The standard of character which God requires of His children is not a lowered standard in the gospel. The same Saviour that has given His requests in the cloudy pillar on Sinai’s mount gives the same requests in the gospel as is plainly stated in the terms of eternal life. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 13

How much inclined are human agents to glorify human beings when they are esteemed and praised and exalted for their excellencies which they suppose they possess. Take all these words of praise and give them to Him who hath redeemed us. You are safe only in giving praise to God. The Christian’s voice should be employed in glorifying God and not sinful human beings. We may safely employ all our powers and all the faculties that God has given us in His service, and educate the mind, the heart, the voice to glorify God our Saviour. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 14

I speak to those who know the truth but do not practice the truth. You are in a deception which will prove fatal to you unless you shall be converted. The false motives, the spurious principles, which give birth to fair pretenses and appearances, and as viewed by the eyes of those who are not anointed with the holy eyesalve as good works, have no rule in heart and life, but is all a false show. There are those who worship the human but not the divine. When they have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul they will have regard to all of God’s commandments. They will regard all their social virtues, all their religious aspirations, as coming from God, to be returned to God with increased love and devotion, that His holy Name shall be magnified, for God commands, “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as unto the Lord and not as unto men.” [Colossians 3:23.] 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 15

Our work as children, sons and daughters of God, is to demonstrate that in all things we esteem all of God’s holy precepts, concerning all things, to be right; not even the least of His precepts are to be broken. I testify in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that God has a law, <which is> the foundation of His government in heaven and in earth, and obedience is required to that law, else we will not from characters that will be accepted of God as righteous <and prepared> for the society of the saints of light. To avoid the grossest offenses and suppose that God is not so particular about the little things is a mistake. Such ideas will cause all who entertain them to lose heaven. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 16

The work of the Christian is within. There must be truth in the inward parts, but self-complacency [and] self-righteousness are abundant. [By] many of the members of our churches [there is] vain and proud conversation demeriting those whom God esteems, and exalting those whom the Lord cannot vindicate or justify. We should be very careful whom we justify in our human wisdom and whom we condemn. Ascribe unto God all your overflowing praise and thanksgiving. Be polite and courteous unto God. Give Him the honor due His holy name. He is God who searcheth every heart, who readeth every thought, purpose and motive. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 17

There is a great deficiency in the religious experience and manners towards God. Self-complacency leads to this. Oh, for Christ’s sake do not deceive and cheat your own souls with a spurious, counterfeit righteousness. He who searcheth the hearts and trieth the reins requireth truth in the inward parts. He who sets the Lord always before him will walk circumspectly and safely before the Lord. This will be his prayer, “Search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts, see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” [Psalm 139:23, 24.] “Come out of her my people” is a message that those who claim to believe the truth will do well to search, and see if the sins of which Babylon was guilty does not reach even unto them. [Revelation 18:4.] “Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxeth cold.” [Matthew 24:12.] This is the reason so many assimilate to the practices of the nominal churches called Babylon. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 18

There is coldness, weakness of principles, which leads to extra adornment in dress, and if both men and women had the holy fear of God, it would help them not to give forced allegiance but to give cheerful obedience. There would be implanted in their minds holy, generous, dispositions which reveal the love toward one another that Christ has enjoined, which expresses to the world a heaven born love which Christ has expressed on our behalf. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 19

God will accept only a cheerful, holy service in obedience to all His requirements. God’s people will have gratitude to express toward Him; they will have faith and truth and confidence in God. They will cultivate a purity of motive in all their actions. They will have care <for souls> and draw out their soul in prayer to God. [They] labor, [they] pray and possess a communicative goodness, because Christ abides in the soul temple. All this surliness, this uncourteousness conduct toward brethren, is because the grace of Christ is not in the heart. There needs to be a yearning, a hungering desire, after God. “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of might thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor unto him, for he marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready, and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” Revelation 19:6-8. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 20

My message to the churches is, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is nigh, 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.” [Isaiah 55:6, 7.] 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 21

God forbid that there should be any delay. The church needs cleansing, and if they do not put away their sins the Lord will turn away <from them.> With Babylon their punishment will be greater than that of former Babylon, because they have had greater light and greater opportunities. 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 22

Those who have had warnings and have refused to heed them <will be ensnared by the enemy.> “Who is among you that feareth the Lord, and that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourself about sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled, this shall ye have at my hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.” [Isaiah 50:10, 11.] 12LtMs, Ms 146, 1897, par. 23