Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)

Ms 156, 1904

Sermon/Thoughts on 1 John 2

Battle Creek, Michigan

September 7, 1904

Previously unpublished.

1 John 2:3. That is the evidence. Obedience to His commandments is the only evidence of our union with God. Christ abiding in the heart brings into the life that experience that makes us acceptable to God. God lets us have an abiding evidence. If we will individually be obedient to the commandments of God, then we have the assurance that Christ abides in us and we in Christ, but that is the only condition of that oneness and acceptance that we shall have with God, it is that we keep His commandments. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 1

Verses 4, 5. As the unity between Christ and His Father, so may be the unity of His followers with Christ. They are made partakers of the divine nature, whereby they escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Those who are thus united with Christ will be at peace, one with another, speaking the same things in love. Is not that what we, every one of us individually, must have if we become rich toward God, if we become one with Jesus Christ, one with the Father, and one with one another, speaking the same thing in unity? As the Father and Son are united, so may be every believing child of God, with the fashioning nature of the divine upon them, they escape all the corruptions that are in the world through lust. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 2

We have reason to be the most thankful creatures upon the face of the earth, that there was One equal with God who pledged that He would give His life for the race who fell. He would give His life to redeem them. That was the pledge that Christ made before man was ever created. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 3

Verses 5, 6. Can we take it in? Is our mind susceptible that it is our privilege to walk in this world as Christ walked? The fragrant influence of heaven is to be upon every professed Christian character. Will you consider that this privilege embraces every son and every daughter of Adam? It is stated in John the first chapter that the world did not know Him, that the world did not receive Him, but to “as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” John 1:12. Now, it is our privilege to stand, not as the world was standing, faithless, careless, and unbelieving. It is our privilege to talk faith, and be determined that we will walk as Christ has given us example in His holy life. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 4

There was no other way that Christ saw that He could do. He must come to the world; He must lay off His kingly crown, He must lay aside His royal robe; He must clothe His divinity with humanity, that He might stand at the head of humanity. He contracted with His Father to purchase by the sacrifice of His own blood. Therefore is brought to view that we are to walk even as He walked. There is to be an eye single to the glory of God, and we must keep our minds and our eyes single-minded, single-hearted, and our eyes single to the glory of God. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 5

We are not to try to boost ourselves upon the highest pinnacle, as though we were worthy of everything that the Scripture describes. No. That is not our position. Every man that humbles himself shall be exalted. Who will exalt him? The Lord Jesus Christ. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 6

But if we choose another path than that Christ has given as obedience to all His commandments, then what? We are in no better condition than the fallen angels if we do that. There was war in heaven, and Satan was trying to get a reformatory work done in regard to the law of God, to make that law more acceptable to him. He thought that he got the highest place, but he was at last thrust out of heaven. There will be no open door for those who have had the light, but have refused to keep God’s commandments. There will be no open door for any soul to come in; because there would be a second rebellion. He cannot afford to have that. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 7

[1 John 2] Verse 7. You may read that commandment in Exodus. You read in Genesis how He made the light, how He appointed the Sabbath day and it was sacred and holy, what for? To testify to all who inquire why they keep the Sabbath day. It is because God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh day and was refreshed, and therefore He sanctified the Sabbath day. If every individual could have that kept before him, he would see that he had a light that would keep him from infidelity, to carry the mind back to the work of God in creating our world in six days. The seventh day is a day of rest. Here God has given that day; He appointed it, and what is the testimony, what is the witness? It was the God of heaven who made the world in six days, and He rested on the seventh day and was refreshed. He sanctified the Sabbath day, and the whole angelic host took up the song of triumph and rejoicing that that was the evidence God had made the world in six days. That is literal days. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 8

Verse 7. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning, just as I have been telling you. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 9

Verse 8. If we did not love ourselves, and try to make ourselves the main subject, we should every one have a peaceable time with each other. Contentions would cease, and the love of God would be expressing itself from heart to heart, and the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness would shine into our hearts and into the chambers of the mind. We would see that He liveth to make intercession for us, and there were times when it was made with groanings that cannot be uttered. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 10

It was when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane that that cup trembled. Should He drink it? Why should He separate Himself by taking the sin of the whole corrupt world upon Him—the Father hating sin. How could the Father love Him with such an accumulated mass of sin upon Him? That is why the cup trembled in His hand, and the destiny of a lost world was in the balance. Should He drink the cup? Here from the pores of His skin was the blood that came forth and moistened the sod of Gethsemane. He then staggered till He came to His disciples. He had bidden them, “Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” [Mark 14:38.] But they were asleep, and the Saviour was in His agony. He awoke Peter who had declared he never would leave his Master, he would go with Him to suffering and to death. Sleep, Peter, He said. Canst thou not watch with thy Master one hour? 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 11

Consider it. The angel stands by His side, and Christ is strengthened. He takes the cup. He drinks of suffering from the hand of the angel. Where should we have been unless He drank that cup in His agony? It was in our behalf that He suffered. It was on our account that He was battling with the powers of darkness. To such an extent was Satan presenting the temptation that He would expire in His sufferings and agony of the cross. He felt the sins of the world laid upon Him. Before He drank the cup He said to His Father, “Not My will, O God, but Thine, be done.” [Luke 22:42.] 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 12

What would we do if we stood in the position before God that our will was swallowed up in the will of God? I ask you, What would be our position—no will of our own? 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 13

Christ has bought us, and He says, Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price, and what a price! The precious blood of the Son of God. That was the price! Can you measure it? Can figures measure it? Can suffering approach unto it? He brought Himself to take the whole burden of the whole sinful world upon His divine soul. O, I ask you, Why is man not afraid to sin? Why will he parley with the enemy? Why will he not take all the promises that God has given? 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 14

They shall be called the sons of God, those that overcome. They will enter in through the gates into the city, and what then? They will have a right unto the tree of life. But every one will testify his faith by his works. I thank God that it is our privilege to suffer reproach for Christ’s sake, and not be so afraid of reproach as to think it is going to extinguish us. If it would only extinguish self, we would stand in a far better position before God, exalted, and honored, and magnified before Him. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 15

“Again a new commandment I write unto you, ... now shineth.” 1 John 2:8. Thank God for this. Verse 9. “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, ... of stumbling in him.” [Verses 9, 10.] Will you bear that in mind? “He that hateth his brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness, and here is a solemn thing that we want you all to consider that he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knows not whither he goeth because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” [Verse 11.] 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 16

“I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you.” [Verse 12.] Were they little children in years? No. He calls them His little children in experience. He numbers them with the family of God in heaven, God’s property. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 17

Verse 13. “I write unto you, little children, ... young men.” Are there any young men here? I think there are. Now hear what is said unto you. “I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one.” Now, His little children, He is writing unto you. He is writing unto those who are obedient to His commandments. “I write unto you, little children, ... wicked one.” [Verses 13, 14.] 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 18

Every one of us has his battle to fight. We need not think the devil is dead and has been buried. We need not think that the church militant is the church triumphant. We are the church militant today. We are to stand with every piece of the armor on, and be prepared, as it is said in Ephesians, those that were to meet the powers of darkness. And how shall we meet them? We are to put on the whole armor of God, and having done all, to stand. Stand with that armor on. Do not leave off one piece of it. Ephesians will tell you what that armor is. [Ephesians 6:11-17.] It is the whole body that is prepared for warfare. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 19

We battle not against flesh and blood. If you will all remember this. We war not against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places. All these you will have to meet, and you want to be in a position, that you can realize that the Captain of the Lord’s host is just as much a Leader today, in the battles, as when He was enshrouded in the pillar of cloud and led the pilgrimage of the children of Israel through the great wilderness for forty years. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 20

Now the Lord would have us in a position that we should be prepared to enter the conflict. Everything will come in. Every kind of sophistry, every kind of fallacy will come in, and the enemy will move upon every mind that is in any way his subject. He moves upon that mind, he blinds the eyes, and they do not see where they are going not what is the matter with them. He will work right in our midst if we will let him. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 21

But every medical missionary that has been appointed in the sanitarium here, and in the sanitariums that have been erected in many places, is appointed to watch for every soul that they are connected with lest the enemy shall take some advantage of these souls. We are to watch our own souls, to see that we are in that preparedness with the Holy Spirit of God working upon our minds for the development of human characters, that we may perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. If we ever sit with Christ upon His throne, we had better commence before we get any more established in the ways of satanic agencies. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 22

God requires that every soul here, all the ministers, every medical missionary, shall show themselves as approved of God in their lot and in their place, to fight the armies of the powers of darkness with Jesus Christ as their Leader. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 23

We want that the warnings of Christ shall be heeded, and that we should love one another as Christ has loved us. Can you measure the love of Christ? Can you measure the golden chain that is let down from heaven to encircle the human family? When you can measure it, you will understand that the love of God is as broad as the world. It is in every way able to guard us if we are faithful, that we shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in this last time. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 24

We are in the last days in this earth’s history. We cannot afford to make any mistake here. It is too late in the day to trifle with eternal interests. God is in earnest with us. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 25

If one sees that his brother sins, and he tells him of his sin, and he will nor forsake his sin, he is clear, because he warned him. But if one sees a brother sin, going contrary to the commandments of God, and says nothing to him, and passes him by and leaves him, the one who saw that sin, if he is taken away in his iniquity, the one who permitted that sin to go on without rebuking and reproving it, will lose his own soul. He will have to give an account of the souls that have been lost through his silence. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 26

God wants a faithful ministry. He wants that the missionary work should be carried solidly, and He wants that it should stand on the most elevated platform of eternal truth, eternal rectitude, and then it is proportionate to the great needs. We profess to believe that we have a Saviour, One who can save to the utmost all who come unto Him. He cannot afford to trifle with our own soul’s salvation. We hear of cars being wrecked, and without a moment’s warning souls are plunged into eternity. Are there any souls who might have been saved if each one before me had armed themselves, and had kept on the whole armor of God to meet in human flesh the powers of darkness that are working in human flesh? God wants us to place ourselves on the right side of the question every day. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 27

He wants that every soul here should so connect himself with the heavenly angels that these angels shall be round about them; connect themselves with Jesus Christ and they will do the work of the heavenly angels as the right hand does the work for the body. This is our business. Ye are God’s husbandry. Ye are God’s building. You cannot afford, not one of you, to be planting on that building foundation wood, hay, and stubble that will be consumed in the day of final reckoning. If yourselves are saved, it is because you have repented heartily before God, and begun to take off, to cleanse the temple, to cleanse the foundation from all that is false, and that would lead from falsehood against God and the truth. You cannot afford to sin. It is an expensive business. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 28

Now Christ drank the bitter cup for us. What are you willing to do to deny yourselves for Christ? There is a world to save. And every indulgence of appetite like tobacco, like alcohol-drinking, all these are not food for the system, it is death for the system. You are taking away the underpinning of your house in indulging the appetite for liquor, in indulging the appetite for tobacco which is a poison narcotic, and is benumbing the sensibilities of the brain. Do you profess to believe in Christ? Then you are priests in your household. That is the biggest concern for you to handle. It is not to pile up riches. It is not to study and study and study how you can in some way contrive to get the advantage of somebody else. No; it is to see that my family walk in communion with God. There is a heaven to win, and a hell to shun. Will they walk circumspectly? I must watch them as one that must give an account. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 29

Not a cross word, not a fretful word should be spoken. You profess to be a Christian, therefore the pleasantness, the sweetness of the disposition of Christ must be upon every soul who professes to believe in Him. There cannot be an advantage taken of any living soul in the business line. Why? Because every one of you is to manifest Christ and Christlikeness, to love one another as Christ has loved you. That is to give correct representation before heavenly angels and before men, before the whole world. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 30

“Ye are,” said Christ, “the light of the world.” [Matthew 5:14.] Do you believe it? Where do you gather your light? You gather it from the divine rays of light that shine from our Saviour. He brought life and immortality to light. He proclaimed over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, I am the Resurrection and the Life. Now, He was raised, that we shall be raised, if we follow after to know Him. We may be laid in the grave, but we shall be brought forth out of the grave when the last trump shall sound. Christ said, Let not your heart be troubled. [John 14:1.] Well, what is the greatest trouble? To think what a big schemer you can be? To think what great advantages you must show to the world? No. You are to guard your brother’s interest as you guard your own, and when you guard your brother’s interest as you guard your own, the heavenly angels guard your interest. And He will provide for you an inheritance with the sanctified and the blessed in the kingdom of glory. Then you shall see the King in His beauty. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 31

Parents must set an example in every way, in the very tones of their voice, in the very temper, in the very way that they govern their children. God holds them accountable if they say a word that stirs up the worst passions in the human heart of the child. You cannot afford it. Because then you will battle, and battle, and say, I do not see why these children do not obey me. It is because you do not put the softening grace of Christ into the tones of your voice, and you do not show interest in them as you ought to show interest in them. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 32

Now, if the mother is the queen of the household and the teacher, the father and the mother are to educate the children. You are all part of the great firm, and not one thing must be indulged in these children that would leave them in a position where they would not know which is right and which is wrong. You have a Bible. You take the Bible, and you carry out the principles of the Word of God, and you will find that Christ comes into your family. He works with the minds and hearts of your children, and you are what? Working out for yourselves what? A character of which you never will be ashamed. You are working out for yourselves a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. That is more than all the riches that you can have here upon the earth. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 33

One wrote to me, Mrs. White, are you a millionaire? You are building churches in Australia and in Europe, and you are building churches here and there, are you a millionaire? 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 34

Well, I came to Melbourne, and we worked unitedly. We talk about how we can glorify God, and He tells us to go according to His commission all through the world, to every nation, to every kindred, and tongue, and people; and that means, if we do that, a constant self-denying practice. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 35

I tell them when they will come to me, A millionaire! Do they think that I do this work to become a millionaire here in this world? Why, I would spend the last farthing I had for a soul. It is worth more than the whole world. And Christ has told us to lay up treasure in the heavens, where moth and rust doth not corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. Now, when I can labor to save a soul, there is no money, no money that can be placed by the side of that soul. That soul will bring other souls to the truth. It is our work, and it is our business, to labor with all the powers of our being for the one next to us. Those that use tobacco, church members—we hope none in our church uses it—but the church members, they do not have so much to give as they would like to give, why? The tobacco they put in their mouth would support children in a school to get their education. Well, in order to support these children, I have hired money. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 36

I am paying interest on the money to send children to school, the first school that was established in Melbourne to teach them the truth. There I hired money, and paid interest on that money, that I might put them in school and that they might obtain an education. Now, I do not begrudge a penny of that, not a penny. And when I see and consider how much is put into the mouth to destroy the moral powers of men. We have not any too much moral power, we have not any too much brain strength, to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. And in working out that salvation, we may work out the salvation for our whole family. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 37

What we want is to know, What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? Well, that question was asked the lawyer, and the lawyer asked that question of Christ, and there were the Pharisees all around, waiting to catch a word out of His lips, that they might turn it to His condemnation. Christ kindly laid the burden right upon the lawyer. He knew that lawyer was convicted, and He said to him, “What saith the law? How readest thou?” And the answer came from the lawyer, “Thou shalt love the Lord ... as thyself.” [Luke 10:25-27.] 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 38

Then let those who use tobacco take the money and spend it that they may overcome, that you may overcome, and that you can help others with that money to overcome, that you can do good in the saving of the souls that are ready to perish. You want every dollar of God’s money. It is not your money; it is God’s money, lent you as stewards to be used to the glory of His name, and every farthing of this money is to be spent in that way that you can give an account of it in the day of God. You can stand before the judgment seat and know that the five talents that were given to you to put out to usury increased to five talents more, and that is what we have been trying to do in Australia. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 39

My team broke the first track that was made in the wilderness, that was made there at Cooranbong, and this is the way that we were working. We would come to a standstill, and what then? We would come right before them. They would say, We can go no farther, Mrs. White, we can go no farther. (My son was here in America.) We can go no farther now, we have no means to use. Well, said I, call them together, I will meet with them tomorrow morning. And then I told them what we would do. Said I, We will go to the carpenters; we had a surplus of carpenters, they had come to see what we were doing, and they were believers. Said I, I will ask you what you will do for us. There were about eight or ten carpenters. What will you do? “I have three or four dollars a day for my work, and I will take half price, and then I will take that half price and I will divide it again and put it into every building that you put up here.” Now, we could not ask them to do more. Then they went to work, and the money began to come in, very slowly, but we used it economically. There were men there we had been working with to bring them into the truth. They would come out into the truth. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 40

I would take my phaeton, and stand right up in my phaeton, down in the cities and villages. Then I would present to the men who were working on the railroad the eternal world interest. Mothers would stand with their children in their arms and listen as for their lives to hear. Said I, Can you tell me of this crowd that is working on this railroad, can you tell me how many of them believe in Jesus Christ, and love Him and serve Him? Not a hand was up, but the tears were running down the cheeks of those that were there. Well, we worked along, and it was not many weeks until those very fishermen came that were converted, and said, “Here is my tithe money.” Then another would come from the country, “Here is my tithe money, I heard you speak out there on the common.” And that tithe money, what was it? I put my money out to the exchangers, and there I was getting the interest from the work, and then here was that accumulated company beginning. We did not have to press it upon them at all. They came right forward to do that work. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 41

Women and men worked on that ground until we had a very fine meetinghouse, nothing elegant, but a good substantial meetinghouse to worship God in. And then we had a schoolhouse there on that plot, and we kept at work. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 42

Well, when there began to be, with some of them something annoying, Elder Haskell would come along, “What is the matter?” he would say. “What is the trouble?” “Well, I cannot stay here. Such and such a one did not treat me right.” “Well,” said he, “use your plane a little more thoroughly, and you won’t hear it,” and he would kneel right down in the shavings, and there he would offer up his petitions to heaven that God would let His blessing rest upon these self-sacrificing workers. Well, you may be sure that the tide turned very quickly. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 43

Then we had a meeting every day to see how much progress this man had gained in overcoming during the day. And they would tell their stories and their experiences that they had. It was of great value to hear it, and when that meetinghouse was dedicated, it was a most wonderful time. And now the work has been progressing all through Cooranbong. There was one brother who wrote me, and said, “We have made in one season 7,000 pounds of the best of honey.” Now a few could not give money, but they brought beehives. “Will you take these?” “Anything, anything,” they said, “we will take, if you want your children in school.” Now they began to multiply and multiply until they have honey at that rate, and God has blessed them in a wonderful manner. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 44

They told me when I came there that that land was such that it would yield nothing. They had planted peach trees, and they had planted this thing and that thing and the other, and it would not do anything. Now, said I, I am going to show what it will do, and I had a sample farm. I made it a sample farm for the whole of Cooranbong and Maitland, and for Newcastle, and for the country all around there. I went to get a handful of vegetables that we could eat, and I went eight miles all around, and I did not get one particle, because they did not raise anything. But the Lord blessed us, and we had fruit. We raised the best oranges and the very best peaches—weighed half a pound apiece. We planted them the last of September and gathered them the first of November. The most beautiful peaches, and weighed half a pound. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 45

Said I, Now my family, I cannot eat these peaches, I feel as if they were of the first fruits unto God, I am going to put them in a satchel and take these peaches to the legislature. They have a house down here, to get out into the country and study and have a little recreation, and now I am going to carry these peaches there and get them full of these peaches; and to the postmaster; to the railroad agents; to the officers. And all these, said I, I am going to supply with these peaches. Well, I found my peaches had extended much farther than I had any idea. They felt just as I did, that if Cooranbong would raise such peaches, they wanted everybody to know it, and they sent it far and near. I would be in the cars, and a gentleman of the legislature would say, “This is the lady who brought me those beautiful peaches.” A man there wished he could have some of them “sent to me.” He was the storekeeper. I gave two or three dozen to the storekeeper, and he sent them all around. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 46

Well, I might go on, but that is not the burden of my message now, But it is how Sister White gets rich, and I advise every one who wants to get rich, I advise them that they shall go and do likewise, and that we shall work for the interests of our neighbors, that we shall publish the gospel of peace everywhere, and that we shall show that we have a decided interest in all the purchase of the Redeemer. That is what we want. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 47

You cannot afford to put into your mouth anything that shall destroy the brain nerve power, and weaken them so that you cannot give to God the very best reasoning faculties, so that you may work together with the Master, and that you may overcome as Christ overcame. These things demand our attention. The money that is spent in liquor, the money that is spent in alcohol, it would educate, it would make families comfortable. Why not give up these things? It is God’s money. You cannot afford to give an account of that money. He told you to put it out to usury, that when He should come, He would find His own with interest. Now that is what He wants you to do. You convert five souls, and they will go to work to convert other souls. The very influence that you exert upon the souls that are around you is winning other souls to Christ, and I ask you, What would you sell your soul for? Here is the worthlessness of much of the things of this world that are used in self-gratification; what if they were expended to send the truth? 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 48

Look at the South. What can America answer for the condition that they are in? I want you to look at souls that are perishing in their sins. What advantage will it be to a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? There are no pockets in your shroud, that you can put money to line your coffin, and if you did, it would not be of any value to you when Christ shall come to take those that love Him to Himself, because you love money more. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 49

God wants us to begin to exert ourselves for the salvation of those that are perishing. I have no particular interest to go and hover over a church. I will teach that church, every one, if I can, to go to work. Every man and every woman is given his work, and if you have a right hold on Christ, that God has a love for you, you will understand that you must make sacrifices for Christ’s sake. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 50

May the Lord let His blessing rest upon us, while we shall work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, why? For it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. It is not you that gives the light. When you are preaching the truth to others, you may take your Bible and open it, and ask them what they think of this and that, and try to give them the light God has given you. It is not you that makes the impression. It is the angels of God that are moving upon the hearts of these people. And these angels of God that you are cooperating with will cooperate with you. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 51

Now, I have made up my mind since I was eleven years old that it would pay to be a Christian, and I have been trying with heart and mind and soul to bring every one with me, and if I had not done this, I should not be here today. I would have been trying to take an easy time and see if I could not obtain more strength of body. But I cannot afford it, and I find the next time that it comes for me to speak I have strength given me. God gives me strength. I love God, and I want you to love Him, because if you love God, you will love others also. The fathers and the mothers will take the responsibility of bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, because He has bought them with the price of human agony and of blood, and they cannot afford to be lost, not a soul of them. Therefore you have the household—that is a church—in your own house. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 52

Angels of God will come right into that house, and they will work with the father and they will work with the mother, to teach the children they are a part of the great firm, and they are to lay the burdens of responsibility upon the mother, and let the children do just as they please in the house. Now they are a part of the firm. Educate, educate, educate them how to work, how to work into line, kindly. If they make blunders, do not find fault with them. That discourages. No; show them just how you do it. Tell them that you do it this way. But do not reproach them. Do not give them a blow or anything like that because you will hurt your own influence. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 53

We cannot afford to hurt our influence. May God help us that we may lay right hold upon every soul, that they shall have eternal life in the kingdom of God. Now, I know that I could go upon that chapter a long time, but you have been sitting here, and you will get weary. But I want to tell you that Jesus Christ is interested in every patient that comes to that sanitarium; that your Saviour in pitying love is yearning over you so that you shall catch some word from the nurse or from one who knows God that He can apply that word to your comfort and your hope. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 54

There are many who are in despair, that would not be in despair and discouraged if they had a better picture to look at, and now we want that we shall every one educate our mind and our soul after the divine image, and that we shall be preparing for the future life. What readiness are we making for the future life, a life that measures with the life of God? What preparation are you making for it? O, you cannot afford to lose the life which is to come. I beg of you for Christ’s sake to become rich in good works, and to put away everything that you are using to undermine the constitution and to take away the power of reason. I ask you for Christ’s sake to put it away, and see that money shall be given for the truth. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 55

I have sent to the South. I told them to make little boxes, and to put them into their houses, and remember the Southern field, and teach your children to remember. I have done all that I can possibly do at present until I can make sale of more of my books, and just as soon as the medical missionary book that I am now getting out, as soon as it is ready, I have a place for it, to relieve institutions of debt, the sanitariums, that we may have more sanitariums still. We are working with all our might that we may get the sick where they can be healed, where they may learn habits of reform and self-denial and self-sacrifice and be fitting up their souls to prepare to take their position by the side of Jesus Christ, where He places upon their heads the crown of immortal life, and He places in their hands a harp of gold. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 56

Then they will cast their glittering crowns at His feet, and with their harps they will strike the note, Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was dead but lives again, a triumphant Conqueror. Here, Lord, am I, and the children that Thou hast given me. I have educated them; I have trained them to do church work; I have trained them that they should speak affectionately and kindly and tenderly to one another. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 57

Now let us be converted. Let the power of God take hold of our souls, and see if we cannot open the door of the heart. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock,” said Christ. “If any man will open the door ... he with me.” [Revelation 3:20.] 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 58

And then again He says, “To him that overcometh will I grant ... upon his throne.” [Verse 21.] 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 59

Then let us lift. Let us lift all that we can. I told them as I sent out these little boxes (they printed it just as I had it) that we wanted them to put in the money they would spend for candy and for dress that was unnecessary, every penny that they could save. Let them feel that they were making a present to the South, that they might send missionaries there, and that these missionaries should work in behalf of souls and have some money to work with. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 60

I visited Graysville. There they are doing a splendid work. I visited Huntsville, where the colored people have a school. But O, they need money; they need it so much to educate these Southern colored people to work for the colored people, for the time is coming when it will be an impossibility for a white man to work for the colored people. That time is right upon us, and I want to tell every one of you that want to do something for the Master that there is means that is needed to build schoolhouses. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 61

While I was there I spoke in one meetinghouse that was dedicated just a little while before. The people were all colored. I spoke to them, and they understand what you tell them. They were more of the upper classes. And the blessing of the Lord came into the meeting. And I spoke in Huntsville how that everything should be kept up neat and nice and clean, so that the whole outside fraternity may see how we regard it. The Southern field is bought with a price, and everything about the premises should be kept up clean and neat and orderly, and buildings should be erected for a sanitarium. We went all around to find places for schools and we are still working at the point. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 62

Now if there are any here who want to have that box as a messenger in your own home, you can have it. You can write to the Southern Missionary Society, and they will send it to you to educate your children. It is the very best lesson, the Lord has presented to me, that they can have. This was presented to me as a means when we tried to do good. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 63

Now, I am not going to hold you any longer, but I will tell you, this means that you spend needlessly, God wants every penny of it, and He wants you to use it to advance His work where there are no workers, and where there are souls to be saved. And now I will not detain you any longer. May God bless you. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 64

I want heaven, and I want you to have it. I want you to have it just as much as I want to have it myself. Do not rest your souls till you have given your life, your brain power, and every nerve and muscle of your body to Jesus Christ by habits of temperance. And give your example against the saloons that are making drunkards, that is throwing the cars off the track, and all these things, because they have lost the control of their memory. Death after death, death after death, fatalities everywhere, because they have sold their brains. They cannot afford it. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 65

God help us to make our work for eternal life, and to expunge the selfishness from our soul and heart and mind, and then all heaven looks upon us, all heaven will bless us, and at last it will be said, “Come ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom that is prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The answer comes, When saw we thee thus, Lord? “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” [Matthew 25:34, 37-40.] 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 66

Now there is the truth. I want to see the crown of glory upon the brows of those that are here today. I am in earnest. I feel the power of the love of God in my soul to present the things to you in the light that God has given to me. I beg of you for Christ’s sake to be reconciled to God, and to love one another as Christ has given you evidence that He loves you. 19LtMs, Ms 156, 1904, par. 67