Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 18 (1903)

Ms 188, 1903

Sermon/Thoughts on John 14-16.

Calistoga, California

June 13, 1903

Previously unpublished.

11:20 A.M., Sabbath, June 13, 1903

Sermon by Mrs. E. G. White, Calistoga Grove Meetings, 11:20 A.M., Sabbath, June 13, 1903

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way?” [John 14:1-5.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 1

Now here is a very precious promise, very precious light is presented: 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 2

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him. Philip saith unto Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.” [Verses 6-12.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 3

Now here is the presentation that Christ makes just before His crucifixion. He had told them that He should be crucified; and then their hearts were exceedingly troubled, and because of this, He addresses them: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” [Verses 1-3.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 4

Now there is just where we want to be. We want to be where our Saviour is, and we want and need—He knew we needed—just this presentation, that “If I go away, I will come again.” [Verse 3.] Well, we believe in His near coming. We believe that the signs are being fulfilled as Christ stated how it would be just prior to His coming. He has stated to us that there should be wars and rumors of wars, and He has stated to us that there would be troublous times, and we see it. We know that wickedness is increasing in our world. Well, then, what is our work? Is it our business to be discouraged? It is our place to stand in that position that we shall keep in view the second coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, to our world; and we are to be preparing ourselves here that we shall see our Lord when He cometh; that we shall meet Him in peace, that we are getting ready for those mansions that He has gone to prepare for us. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 5

Well, then, this was the comfort, and this is that which we are to look for and get ready for, that we can say when He shall come in the clouds of heaven, “Lo, this is our God, we have waited for Him, and He will save us.” [Isaiah 25:9.] Well, who can say that? Certainly those who have made no preparation cannot say it. Those who are waiting for Him, looking for Him, believing that we are in this world as pilgrims and strangers, and that the opportunity that we have now is the opportunity that was bought at an infinite price for us, that we might be preparing for the coming of the Son of man to take us to Himself. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 6

Well, what is the preparation? We are to accept and believe in Christ Jesus. We are to take Him as our Saviour, and we are to have, every one of us, a personal experience. It is our privilege to have this experience, that we shall in ourselves know that we are united to Jesus Christ, and we want every one of us to be getting ready. We cannot afford to let these moments pass here below, and we not be putting ourselves in readiness for the coming of the Son of man. We want to put away our sins, we want Him to take them away from us, and we want the righteousness which is in Christ Jesus. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 7

The Lord will help us if we will cooperate with God. That is what is wanted of us, to cooperate with Jesus Christ. All of us who will be co-workers with Christ in our own salvation, why, then we are fulfilling the design and purpose of God in giving His life that we might have a preparation to see Christ when He comes, and say, “Lo, this is our God, we have waited for Him, and He will save us.” [Verse 9.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 8

We know not what calamities may come upon us. We hear of calamities everywhere. Is not this a warning for us that we are to be getting ready? Is not this a warning to us that we may be taken in a moment, when we least expect it? That some accident or calamity may come upon us? We may be upon the water, we may be in the cars, we may be in the dwelling, as they were at St. Louis and different places. But, you see, here there seems to be such a disturbance in the atmosphere, and on the earth, and these things take place. But we want to stand as minutemen and women, ready, that if our life should be cut off in a moment, we have a preparedness for the life which is to come. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 9

And when Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and with great glory, then we shall be called by the trump of God, the graves will be opened, and the righteous dead will come forth in the first resurrection, the resurrection to life. And there we want to have a part in that first resurrection. It is because He loves us that He has done all this. We need not have an idea that because the calamities come upon our world that the Lord Jesus has no love for the world. He has given His life for it; but here are the powers of darkness, the prince of the power of the air, the one that caused the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and he works with all his deceivableness or unrighteousness and with his power, that he may obtain control of men and women, and that he may take those who have made no preparation. Well, then, what is there for us to do? It is to get ready to meet our Lord. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 10

But I want to read a little further: “Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.” [John 14:12.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 11

Well, what is it? why, He is there to plead in our behalf. He is there, that He may stand before the Father as our Intercessor and Mediator. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 12

“And whatsoever (now you see all this is brought in) ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” [Verse 13.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 13

Now God wants to represent His glory upon the earth. He wants that every one of us shall ask. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 14

“If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.” [Verse 14.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 15

Well, every one of us to is be sending up our petitions to God in faith and believe that Christ will do just as He said He would do. Well, have we that faith? Are we encouraging it? Are we constantly reaching up the hand of faith to grasp the promises that have been made unto us? “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” [Verse 15.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 16

Well, now, here we are to evidence that love in keeping the commandments of God. We are not to be indifferent. We are to know and search the Scriptures, and to know what saith the Scriptures in regard to the commandments of God, and then we are to obey them. We are not to study our convenience in the matter, but we are to study what is the law of heaven to us. What does God desire of us? What are the laws of His kingdom? Why, His law is the transcript of His character, and we are to obey His character. We are to imitate the glory of God, and unless we do, we cannot live with Him in the kingdom of glory. No, we cannot do that. We must obey the law of God, and the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. You find out where that reads, and then in the Psalms, and then you consider how much is said about obedience to God. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 17

Now, our Saviour has left us as a parent would leave a family of children, and He has given them their orders. He told them what they must do, and He expects us to be faithful; He expects us in our family, in the little church in our house, that we shall be faithful in our household to keep the way of the Lord. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 18

Now, God says, “I know Abraham, that he will command his household (well, his household was large) and his children after him, to keep the way of the Lord.” To do what? Justice and judgment. [Genesis 18:19.] Well, now, that is what we must teach our children. He says, I know Abraham, that he will do this. And God knows everyone that will be faithful in their house to keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment. We want to begin the work of obedience to our God right here in our family. And we want to teach them how to be ready, that when Christ comes, they will have the mark of God upon them that they are obedient, and that they shall be translated to heaven. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 19

This corruption shall put on incorruption, and we shall have the privilege of seeing the King in His beauty. This is what I want. That is what my soul is longing for. That is what we all ought to be longing for. And we ought not to be cherishing sin. It was in consequence of sin that Adam and Eve fell. It is in consequence of sin that Christ pledged Himself to pass over the ground where Adam fell, and by His obedience redeem the disgraceful fall of Adam. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 20

By Christ’s life of sacrifice, the sinner has the privilege of having his sins washed away, and being purified for the heavenly courts above. But what are the conditions? “To as many as received Him, to them gives He power to become sons of God.” [John 1:12.] He bestows to as many as believe on Him. Now it is belief, it is faith; it is taking God at His word; it is believing He will do just what He has said He would. Well, then, who of us wants to be reckoned with the worldlings here below, with all their defects of character, with all their sins, with all their iniquities upon them? Shall we not believe Christ, who has bought us with His own blood, and given His life for us; and ought not we to say, We give ourselves to Thee? It is all that we can do. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 21

Shall we not come with gratitude and thankfulness to think a way has been prepared, and that we have not been obliged to be in Satan’s army, warring against heaven? No, we do not want to be found in that company at all, but in the company that believes in the Lord. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 22

He gives us another promise: “If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever.” [John 14:15, 16.] Now that is our privilege. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 23

“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” [Verse 17.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 24

They do not want to know Him. They have the privilege of knowing Him; they have the privilege of seeing Him; they have the privilege of laying hold, as He says, “Let him lay hold on My strength, and make peace with Me, and he shall make peace with Me.” [Isaiah 27:5.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 25

Well, here, the world does not see or know Him. “But ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” [John 14:17, 18.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 26

Now what an assurance is this at every step. Well, then, shall we act as though we were comfortless? Shall we act as though we had no courage or faith, or joy, in the Lord? If you do this, you cannot honor God. The Lord wants us to consider this morning whether we will have Christ our Saviour, our Redeemer, our Sanctifier; or whether we will open the door of the heart to the enemy, and let him in, to take possession of the heart and mind and soul and character, to help him to make the world worse than it is, because the enemy is using everyone, all who do not unite with Jesus Christ. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 27

If Christ has no control of the human mind, the enemy has the control; and we want to give ourselves to Christ. We want Him to work with us and abide with us. We want His presence with us, and we want to open the door of our hearts to Christ. We want to keep our thanksgiving going up to heaven constantly, that we have Christ. And we want the assurance of His presence every day of our lives. I love Him, because He made me. When I was in discouragement and despair, He made me a child of God. When I was eleven years old, and my very thought was that, He has done so much for me, I must try to save everyone of my age. I would think of my young companions, and I would go and talk to them, and read the Bible to them, and pray with them. And there were some souls that were converted in this very way, that united with me. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 28

Now, God wants parents to do their duties at home as parents that they may have a little church in their house. And the house, where the family is, is consecrated to the Lord. Why, the Lord Jesus comes into their dwellings, and His peace and grace are there. We can have peace and grace, and we can have dissension and strife. That is what the enemy wants to be in every family. Here is what Satan wants; he wants dissension. What is the rebel banner? The blackness, with darkness. Christ wants to take them all under the bloodstained banner of the Prince Emmanuel. Everyone can stand under it. And the parents, while they are training their children for the future, immortal life, they have an educator—Who is it? They have an educating power from the world, and from Satan, who will present every attraction possible to keep them in his ranks. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 29

You want the pleasantest home that it is possible for you to provide for them. You want a little heaven to go to heaven in. You are the family to be fitting up for the mansions which Christ has gone to prepare for you. In doing this, you cannot be absorbed in worldly things, and give your children up to follow their own mind and their own judgment. You must take the place of God in the education of your children. As I have told children, If you stray from God, your prayers will be on the throne; your mothers’ and fathers’ prayers will be ascending to God, that you will return. We want your help, children. We want you to do everything you can to represent Christ Jesus to the world. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 30

We want, that as a band of Christians—as the whole power of darkness is arrayed against us to counterwork our efforts—we want to lay hold of the hope that is set before us in the gospel that we shall take hold of the power of Jesus Christ, and that that power will be behind us in our work. The Lord Jesus will be working with us, that we can be a power in our home. That is what we want. And then here, we are fitting for the mansions that God has gone to prepare for us. We can have a happy home, if we want it. And what a consolation it is to know that we can indeed place our feet right in the footprints of Christ. “He that will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. So shall ye be My disciples.” [See Mark 8:34.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 31

Of course we will have difficulties and trials; but our Saviour passed over the ground before us. Forty days and forty nights He stood in the wilderness of temptation, not in beautiful Eden, as Adam did, but all seared by the powers of darkness. Satan clothed himself as an angel of light, and so pressed his temptations. But Christ did not heed his temptations. He answered him, and did not even venture in His own words, [but answered,] “It is written,” when Satan said, “Command these stones that they be made bread.” [Matthew 4:3, 4.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 32

Now with the whole life of Christ, He was not to work a miracle in His own behalf, to deliver Himself from any emergency that He should be in. But angels of God took the oversight of Him. Jesus passed forty days, and Satan says now, You [do not] look like being the Redeemer of the world and the Son of God. Does He want you to represent Him in this matter? Command these stones that they may be bread, if Thou be the Son of God. If, if, if—would He take that dare? No, He would not take that presumptuous dare. “It is written ... by every word ... the mouth of God.” [Verse 4.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 33

Satan knew that the door was closed there. He took Him, and stood Him on the very pinnacle of the temple. Cast Thyself down now; show the people what You are. “It is written, The angels shall bear Thee up lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.” [Verses 5, 6.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 34

Now that is what Satan presented to Him. But he left out something. He left out something in the citation that he had quoted as the words of God—“In all Thy ways.” [Psalm 91:11.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 35

Jesus stands at the head of humanity, taking humanity upon Himself; He stands in all respects as a human being, and yet just what man may be as a partaker of the divine nature. Divinity and humanity combined. He has not violated one precept, one word, or in a single instance was the blot of stain upon His character. Well, what did Christ answer him there? “It is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” [Matthew 4:7.] That was not in the way of the Lord. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 36

That was not in the way that He was to obtain His supremacy, that He was to demonstrate to mankind what God would be to them if they would resist the temptations of the enemy. Well, then, he had to take Him and carry Him down again, and put Him where? Where he could present as in a panoramic view the kingdoms of the whole world before Him. Now, I will give You—I am the prince of the world, I am the king of the world—I will give you all this, if you will fall down and worship me. Then it was that divinity flashed through humanity. He Satan found out who He Christ was. He knew who he was handling. Said He, “Get thee hence, Satan. It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” [Verse 10.] 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 37

Well, here was the lesson, and that lesson is given to the whole world. It is spoken to every man that will live, every one of them can choose the way of salvation, if they choose to take it. Every one of them can have divine help and strength. But what about Christ? He was fainting on the field of battle. He had withstood the temptations of the enemy. Upon whose head, upon whose breast, was that head to lean? Who comforted Him? Who encouraged Him? Well, the angels of God were round about Him, and brought Him food. The angels of God strengthened Him and comforted Him. The Holy Spirit was upon Him, and He went from that battlefield a Conqueror. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 38

Satan was defeated in his plans, and so He carried the battle until the time that His hands were stretched on Calvary’s cross, and the nails pierced His hands and His feet. He, human, holds His hands to heaven to His Father, and pleads in behalf of man, and He says, I have graven them upon the palms of My hands. There they are. He carries the very marks of the crucifixion; and one thing we are to be thankful for, He took humanity with Him. He went to heaven in His humanity. He took that with Him, the human nature and the divine nature combined, that He might work in behalf of human nature, and understand all the temptations wherewith any one of us are beset, and know how to meet them. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 39

Now, this is the very work the Prince of life was to do in our behalf. What are we doing to show that we appreciate this? What are we doing to avail ourselves of all the pleading of Christ? What are we doing? He is the propitiation for our sins, and He had no sin in this world. Therefore He is able to deliver every one of us from the power of the enemy, if we will make the effort in His name to break the chains of our slavery to sin, and to Satan. He wants our mouths filled with praise and thanksgiving and gladness. He wants us to praise God a great deal more than we do here. He wants that the praise and thanksgiving shall be ascending to heaven from hearts and lips. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 40

I will read still further: He said here that He would send the Comforter and He does send it. I know it. I know that I have had that presence of the Comforter. The last that I read you was, “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.” [John 14:18.] Well, you say, I do not sin. We read in the verse before, The world doth not see Him, but thou who believe in Jesus Christ see Him by a living faith, and the hand of faith takes hold of Jesus Christ, and they see Him as their Helper and their God. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 41

He says, “Ye know Him; for He dwelleth in you, and shall be with you. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me.” [Verses 17-19.] Why? Through His Word. Through living faith in the Word of God, you grasp the hand of infinite power. Because I live, ye shall live also. If you will only live the life of faith here, you will live with Me in My kingdom. He prays the Father, and the Son, and to have what? The far more, the exceeding, the eternal weight of glory. That is what you can be. And what? Heir to God, and joint-heir with Jesus Christ, to the immortal inheritance, to the eternal substance. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 42

That is the very thing that God has gone to prepare for us, and we want our children to have it. We do not want to see our children linking with the world, and taking their habits and practices, and doing what the world does. We want to come out from the world, and be separate, and show the line of demarcation so distinct in character from the world that they will see the advantage by our own presentation. Our character is changed. It is after the similitude of the character of Christ. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 43

It is the character of Christ that He gives to His followers, and He wants every one of us to have it, that we may be—sad and mourning and discouraged? You may have all the hilarity and all the glee and all the enchantments that there is in this life, and yet it is nothing. There is nothing in it that is enduring and that has happiness that you can realize with an inheritance into the kingdom above. What we want is a home where there is no sin and no sorrow, no sickness and no death. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 44

I have been an invalid all my life, and dependent upon the power and the healing grace of God to be with me in order to do my work, and He never has failed me; and when my time comes that I shall cease my labor here, let me rest in the grave a little while, till the Master comes. And He is coming—not a babe in Bethlehem; not as He rode into Jerusalem, when they cast their garments before Him; not to be tried in the judgment hall by those that were on the side of Satan; not to behold Him upon the cross, and priests and rulers nodding their heads, “If you be the Christ, come down, come down and save yourself, and we will believe on you.” [See Matthew 27:40, 42.] But it was a world that He was dying for. And He carried it through, bearing the sins of every sinner in our world, that they could have the opportunity of being saved, if they would. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 45

God wants us to improve the privilege of giving our life to Christ, of glorifying Him upon the earth. “Ye are not your own; ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” [1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.] You have no right to weaken one single organ of your body or of your mind. That mind cost the price of the blood of the Son of God, and you want to keep all your capabilities and all your powers, every one of you—you want to keep in the very best condition of health, that God can work through you, that God can use His property; that God can work with you to demonstrate to the world the life that is to come, and the consolation of His grace to you in this world. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 46

I love Him, because He first loved me. I love Him, because He has given His life for me. Nothing can separate me from His love. I am willing to be a partaker with Christ of His sufferings, but heaven I must have. I want to see the King in His beauty. I want the crown of life. I want to go home with the redeemed, as we are brought from the grave, and the living are changed from mortality to immortality and caught up to meet our Lord in the air. As the gates of the city of God are thrown back upon their glittering hinges, I want the welcome as we enter in. I want to see Jesus in His glory and majesty. He says, You shall sit upon My throne. Just think of it—as I sit upon My Father’s throne, and as we enter in through the gates into the city of God, every crown is taken from our heads, after we have received them, and cast at the feet of Jesus, and there praise and glory comes forth from the lips of the saved to honor and to glorify the Redeemer. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 47

And we are to live what? A life that measures with the life of God. Let me be an overcomer. Let me be a partaker of His grace and salvation. I want to see Him as He is; I want to glorify His name. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 48

Now, God wants us to work right with Him. “Ye are God’s husbandry; ye are God’s building.” [1 Corinthians 3:9.] You are to just work right with the Master in regard to your own building and fitting and joining, all that would weaken and enfeeble any organ. We have none too much brain, anyhow; we have not got too much capability anyhow. We are weak mortals, but we can improve every capability, because we can cling to Him that will bring to us the living grace like the leaves of the tree of life, that we shall realize a healing power in our bodies, in our minds; a strengthening capability, that we can glorify God. That is what we want, every one of us; and I want to be where I can magnify His name, that I can glorify Him. May the Lord strengthen us. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 49

1 Corinthians 9:20-27 quoted. Now think of these Scriptures. And think of the great comfort in them. I want every one of you to be comforted with joy and comfort, as I have been all my life, since 11; now I am 75. And now I have been traveling all around to the camp meetings, and speaking to them. God gives me strength, or I could not do it; and I know in whom I believe, that He is able to do all things for me, and I can commit the keeping of my soul unto Him, as unto a faithful Creator. Well, then, let us, every one of us, arise in the strength of God, and you that have been in the faith, build, oh, build for time and eternity. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 50

I beseech you, for Christ’s sake, that you will to the very best of your ability, be under the supervision of God. “Ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” [1 Corinthians 3:9.] And may the Lord help every one of us that we may be fitting up that we may live through the ceaseless ages of eternity, and for that I am striving. For that I am willing to work in any place. I want everybody to come. I want to meet you there. We want to see you that are praising God, your faces in the kingdom of glory, and we want to see your faces lighted up with His glory, as you shall see His face. It is promised that we shall see His face, and that is what we want. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 51

Now may the blessing of God rest upon this little company, and may we unite with Jesus Christ with all the capabilities that He has given us, that He can work with us to make us an efficiency and power to work upon human minds and to do His will in bringing souls, that are out of the ark of safety, to Christ Jesus, that they may have the comfort of His love. Now this is what we want of every one of you, and may God let His blessing rest upon you, because you can be saved. Christ redeemed Adam’s disgraceful fall. Christ has made it possible to give life to every human being, if they will take hold of His life. He wants you to be happy. He doesn’t want you to be in misery at all. He doesn’t want you to suffer the pangs of the last death, as Satan will have to be destroyed. He wants you to have life, everlasting life, in the kingdom of glory. 18LtMs, Ms 188, 1903, par. 52