Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Ms 166, 1897

Hopeful Words for Stanmore

December 1897

Formerly Undated Ms 87. Portions of this manuscript are published in 2MR 38-39.

We are hoping that the Lord will indeed prepare the way in Stanmore for a church to be erected. But this movement of advance, we are learning, calls for the exercise of faith. Our only hope is in God. He can bring around results to suit His own purpose which will be to His own name’s glory, and we will realize in the end He had our own good in view every moment. 12LtMs, Ms 166, 1897, par. 1

“O ye of little faith,” may be said of very many, but let it not be said of us. [Matthew 6:30.] We must have faith. We have the work to do to fight the good fight of faith. Faith is not sight. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” [Hebrews 11:1.] I think we are in just that position that the Word represents, exercising that faith and long patience we can scarcely take in. But after we have done our very best, we can at least try. The Lord proves and tests His people, sometimes in the very way that is most trying. We will not doubt God. We will not rob God of the honor due His holy name from every one of us, in continual trust and thanksgiving and praise for all His benefits. We will walk by faith. We will trust in God as His dear children who have been kindly treated. We will not throw ourselves away from God in a pet and say, “I am discouraged. He doth not love or care for me.” This will greatly dishonor His holy name. We should all consider [that] this casts reflection upon God, and dishonors His holy name. 12LtMs, Ms 166, 1897, par. 2

Let us, every one of us who is engaged in His work, be sunshiny Christians. We should reflect the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. We must talk faith, we must work in faith. Faith without works is dead, being alone. May the Lord greatly increase our faith; and if we continue to look unto Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith, we shall grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the truth. We will trust in our Helper. We will lay our hand confidingly in the hand of God, and say, “I will follow Thee, my Saviour, wheresoe’er my lot shall be. Where Thou goest, I will follow; by Thy grace, I’ll follow Thee.” We must follow without fretting and throwing ourselves into disagreeable attitudes. Tell the workers they are gaining a good experience at this time. The Lord is our Helper. He is at our right hand to help us, to strengthen and bless those who put their trust in Him. 12LtMs, Ms 166, 1897, par. 3

I wish I was this very morning where I could address the precious souls who are contemplating walking from henceforth in the way of the commandments of the Lord. This is a great honor for any soul. They can walk as honorable men toward God, saying at every step, “Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments.” [Psalm 119:6.] No one need to consider themselves engaged in a work that will require their apologies to their friends, or to their relations, or to the world in uniting with Seventh-day Adventists. Christ gave His precious life. What for? The sole purpose that He might make it possible for men to come back from the side of the great apostate and choose for themselves to stand by the side of truth. God is truth. Coming back to their loyalty to God, in the keeping of His holy law, needs no apologies; but only a glad rejoicing in God that God so loved the world that He gave His only beloved Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Let every soul look unto Jesus, the Captain of his salvation, and consider that he is greatly honored by being at His side. 12LtMs, Ms 166, 1897, par. 4

Treat the matter in this light always. All who will take the yoke of Christ upon them, take the work of perfect obedience, they yoke up with Christ. “Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, 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.] 12LtMs, Ms 166, 1897, par. 5

All who surrender entirely to the Lord will realize that the words of Christ mean everything to them, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” [Luke 10:27.] We are individually under the yoke of obedience which Christ pronounces light. Every young man, every young woman, who places themselves in living connection with Christ, yoking up with Him, is yielding homage to Christ by returning to his loyalty to God in obeying all His commandments, and are connecting themselves with the greatest Teacher the world has ever known. All young men and young women who place themselves by the side of Christ, are greatly honored. They learn Christ’s meekness, Christ’s lowliness of mind, in willing homage to the plain “Thus saith the Lord.” They are learning Christ’s ways, they avoid the principal causes that bring mortification in disappointments that are sure to come to the high hopes of all youth who are not submitting their will and way to the Lord. Christ is all and in all to those who put their entire faith and trust in Him. A pure, good character may be attained through Christ alone, and in and through obedience to the Word he will not stumble. His youthful vigor will not be exhausted in eating the air. God will bless every youth who will love and honor Him by keeping His commandments. “Great peace have they who love thy law and nothing shall offend them.” [Psalm 119:165.] 12LtMs, Ms 166, 1897, par. 6

There are sources provided for all who love high and holy thoughts, provisions made that all may climb the ladder of progress heavenward. A heart under the impress of the Holy Spirit is full of sympathy and holy aspirations toward God, and the sure result is tender appreciation of all connected with us in this life by ties of relationship. Will this lead the one who loves and honors God to hide his faith, to smother his convictions in order to please his relations? No, for their sakes he will feel that their eternal well-being depends upon the course he pursues. He who is making straight paths for his feet is making straight paths for the feet that are looking to him, and following him. If he blunders, if he fails to confess Christ, he dishonors God, his Redeemer. His own heart, submissive to Christ Jesus, becomes a storehouse of persuasion and Christlike eloquence. 12LtMs, Ms 166, 1897, par. 7

The soul who yields his heart to be worked by the Holy Spirit will be a living channel of light in the inculcation of the precepts and truth of the Word of God, winning others to obedience of the commandments of God. Those who are beholding us must first reverence the law of God as pure and binding upon every soul that lives on the face of the earth, and all will not obey the drawing of the Holy Spirit. 12LtMs, Ms 166, 1897, par. 8

There must be in those who see a walking in that light, living in reverence to the commandments of God, which are the expression of the character of God, which character they must accept if they would become members of the royal family, children of the Heavenly King. The truth, the light, the righteousness of Christ must shine forth from them in distinct lines. There is nothing that God will accept as a substitute here. To walk away from conviction to avoid the cross is not only to impair but extinguish the inward striving of the Spirit of God in its power on the mind and will. 12LtMs, Ms 166, 1897, par. 9

We ask in the name of Jesus to our friends in Stanmore, Who will be on the Lord’s side? “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” “This do,” said Christ, “and thou shalt live.” [Luke 10:27, 28.] 12LtMs, Ms 166, 1897, par. 10

To all who would love, honor, and please God, we present to you the perfect obedience to the law of God. Give to all your friends an example in these things. Love to all. 12LtMs, Ms 166, 1897, par. 11