Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)

Ms 42, 1899

Kept in Trial

NP

March 28, 1899

This manuscript is published in entirety in RH 06/19/1900.

“I say unto you, my friends,” Christ said, “be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more than they can do.” [Luke 12:4.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 1

The priests and rulers did all that lay in their power against the only begotten Son of God and against all who acknowledged Him, for they were imbued with the spirit of him who is a liar and a murderer. But though Satan vented his spite against the children of God and their great Head, he could not control the conscience or tarnish the soul. He may cause all the suffering possible to the body, but he cannot change the character of the man who conscientiously serves God. 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 2

Today men may persecute even unto death in an effort to make their fellow men worship an idol sabbath which has been brought into existence by the man of sin, who thinks to change times and laws. But to torture and put to death the body is all they can do. Satan makes a continual effort to ruin the souls God is seeking to save. By his masterly inventions and crooked deceptions he seeks to confuse men’s minds in regard to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Under his direction men have inflicted untold pain and misery on their fellow men. But they have never been able to harm the soul. There is a power which can destroy both soul and body. “I will forewarn ye whom ye shall fear. Fear him which, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell, yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” [Verse 5.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 3

The Ruler of the universe bears long with the perversity of men, but He keeps a record of their works, and in proportion as they have caused pain to others, they will themselves be punished. “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her; for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” [Revelation 18:4-8.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 4

“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16.] No earthly ruler could show himself so jealous of his honor, so interested in his subjects, so kind and tender to those who put their trust in him as does the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the Ruler high above all rule, all authority. He has strictly prohibited all sin, and has strictly enjoined practical obedience. It is Satan that fills man’s heart with a desire to do evil. Those who follow him, the busy, incessant worker of evil, are not content with imperilling their own souls. They present every inducement which they think will lead others to imperil their souls. If these cannot rule, they seek to ruin. 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 5

A spirit of exasperation, of revenge, of hatred, works in the children of disobedience, as it worked in the first great rebel. He imbues his followers with every species of malignity against those who cannot be induced to join his ranks. Gaping prisons are opened before them. They are threatened with the chain-gang and the stocks. Thus men treat those who worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. Have they forgotten that as they judge and punish, so they will be judged and punished? 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 6

God has said, “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” [Psalm 105:15.] Men have borne false witness against God’s chosen ones. They have bruised their limbs with fetters and burnt them at the stake. The Lord will avenge His children. As men have carried out the spirit and purposes of Satan in causing pain to human beings, so will they suffer. Thus will they perish who have done all in their power to compel men to transgress the law which God has commanded all to obey. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood, and his name was called the Word of God. 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 7

“And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he treadeth the winepress with the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God: that ye may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 8

“And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war on him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet which wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceedeth out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” [Revelation 19:11-21.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 9

Christ says, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?” [Matthew 7:15, 16.] “I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.” [John 15:5.] “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. ... Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven. Man will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” [Matthew 7:17, 18, 20-23.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 10

Let the Lord Jesus testify in regard to the fruit he bears: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the poor; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, (not to sentence them to prison and exile, to chain gangs and stocks), and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that ye might be glorified.” [Isaiah 61:1-3.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 11

This is the work of Christ. What a contrast it is to the work of Satan! 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 12

The Lord has not forgotten His people who live in this age. He says to them, “Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Has thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.” [Isaiah 40:27-31.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 13

“But thou, Israel, art my servant, ... whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, my servant. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 14

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded, for they shall be as nothing, and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee; they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel, I will help thee, saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” [Isaiah 41:8-14.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 15

“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” [Isaiah 57:15.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 16

“Ye shall know them by their fruits.” [Matthew 7:16.] Do those who accuse God’s children come under the head of “contrite ones”? Instead, they show to the world, to angels, and to men that they have chosen to stand under the banner of the prince of darkness, to swell the numbers of those who love and make a lie. 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 17

We are living in probationary time. There are only two sides, only two parties. Of those whom God sees that He can trust because they are loyal and obedient, He says, “They that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.” [Malachi 3:16-18.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 18

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be as stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet, in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.” [Malachi 4:1-3.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 19

The Lord makes a covenant with His people. After being tested and tried, those who are loyal to His commandments are pronounced trustworthy members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. God declares, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things,” “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.” “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem.” [Revelation 21:7; 3:5, 12.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 20

“These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth: I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold I will make them of the synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie: behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee; because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” [Verses 7-10.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 21

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience.” Does this apply to the men who persecute those who conscientiously keep the commandments of God, who refuse to bow down to an idol sabbath and worship an institution of the Papacy. Who is keeping the word of God’s patience? This is a subject of intense interest, which none of us can afford to ignore, because God says of those who do keep the word of His patience, “I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all.” The hour of test and trial will surely come, and is even now approaching. Christ declares, “Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” [Verses 10, 11.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 22

“Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” [Revelation 22:12-14.] Compare these words with the warning, “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his 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, and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” [Revelation 14:9-12.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 23

“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of the brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.” [Revelation 12:10-12.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 24

“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels, having the seven last plagues, for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image, and over his mark and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.” [Revelation 15:1-4.] 14LtMs, Ms 42, 1899, par. 25