Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)

Ms 155, 1904

Sermon/Sermon at Middletown, Connecticut

Middletown, Connecticut

September 4, 1904

Previously unpublished.

Sermon by Mrs. E. G. White at Middletown, Connecticut

“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulcher. So they both ran together; and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulcher. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulcher, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.” [John 20:1-9.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 1

They had been told it enough. He had told them that He should rise from the dead, but they could not take it in. Their sorrows were so big in seeing Him overcome by the crucifixion and by the violence of men. That He had suffered all these things—it placed their minds in such a condition of perplexity that they did not consider what Christ had said to them, that it would be fulfilled. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 2

“Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 3

“Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.” [Verses 10-17.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 4

Here He proclaimed over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, I am the resurrection and the life. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 5

“Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 6

“Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw their Lord.” [Verses 18-20.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 7

When we read this chapter, do we take it in just as if we were in the place of those disciples? 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 8

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you; as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.” [Verse 21.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 9

That is the very part I want every one of us to take in. “As the Father hath sent me, so send I you.” [Verse 21.] We have no more right to depart from that commission than had Christ to carry through bearing the sins of the whole world in our behalf. He made it possible for us to be in this very line that He had given His life as a propitiation for our sins. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 10

“And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 11

“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” [Verses 22-25.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 12

Do you think such unbelief as that is commendable in any one of us? It certainly is not. There Christ had told them He should be taken by wicked hands, and crucified, and the third day, He would rise again. That is what He had told them. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 13

“And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.” [Verse 26.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 14

If He should come in and say this in some of our gatherings, how would it take us? When there is so little life expressed, when there is making a mountain in many cases out of a molehill, and we are so easily aroused, could He say, Peace be unto you? 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 15

“Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” [Verses 27-29.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 16

That impresses us, doesn’t it? So we want when we read these precious things to know that if we believe in Jesus Christ, to know that these precious words and the peace that He has pronounced upon His disciples are for them that believe on the word of the disciples. Now you see how dependent we are upon the word of the disciples. Neither the world nor any of us, we could not have the privilege of putting our fingers into His side and of beholding the marks of the crucifixion in His hands, but we believe the testimony, and God credits us with that belief and His blessing will rest upon us. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 17

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.” [Verses 30, 31.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 18

O my soul, how sorry I am for Christ!—What we have, all the evidence that we have in the Word of God—that we do not have more vitality and more of His peace abiding upon us, so that we shall go forth as Christ went forth, and that we consider our commission as Christ’s appointed messengers to carry the truth to those that have never heard it. This is the very work that we are commissioned to do. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 19

And as I go from place to place and go through these great cities and inquire, Who is at work in them? Well, just as they said in Australia, There is no money, no money and no men. Did I stop there? No indeed. I just sent to persons that I knew had money, and told them I wanted it. I will hire your money, I will give you interest that you could get in the bank, but let me have your money. I stand in debt today twenty thousand dollars that I expended in Australia in helping to build twenty-one meetinghouses and schoolhouses, and helping to fit up and prepare sanitariums, and to say to the servants of God, I cannot go, I would like to go out into the field, my heart is stirred, but I have no money. Said I, Sir, if you have a message, go out, I will back you, I will see that you have means. You go right out into the field in the name of the Lord, said I, and I will see that you do not lack for means. I did not wait to let money come into my hands. If I did, there would have been but very little work. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 20

But we have established the work in Australia. There was nothing at first. I will tell you what a camp meeting we had. The first camp meeting, I said we must have one right near Sydney, at Ashfield. They asked, Who is going to sustain the camp meeting? Where are the tents? Said I, You just prepare the grounds. And they went to work to prepare a beautiful spot, it was a very nice spot in a private farm, (but there was a house we could hire and have some rest, but we could not go into the tents,) and there were the tents. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 21

Now, I went with my team round about there for fourteen and fifteen and twenty miles, and said I, Are you going to the camp meeting? We have got nothing, they said, to take us to camp meeting, but we have got some eggs here, they trouble us a lot, and we do not know how to take care of them. Said I, Will you sell them to me? Yes. Well, I will pay for the eggs, and when you are ready to come to the camp meeting, said I, when we get the tents up, we will pitch a tent for you, and we will come and take you in our carriage, and we will take you to the meeting. Well, this I did from family to family. They had no clothing. Well, said I, I will supply you. I went to the stores and bought their clothing, and got them fitted up; there were only a few families that had clothing. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 22

They had not enough to eat. We will supply you with all the food that you can eat at the camp meeting. It shall not cost you a cent. Then Brother Stephen Belden—he once lived here at Rocky Hill, and he often visited Middletown—he was my helper, and he took the team and brought them their goods to the camp meeting, established them in the tents, and we had a most excellent meeting. They came from the cities, hundreds of them, and they said they never were at such a meeting. That meeting lasted about four weeks. They broke off after two weeks, but they resumed the meeting again because the interest was so large, and we had the power of God in that meeting. But the first business we did was to collect the ministers together. Now we told them—in a tent ... in a separate tent—We want to know if you are in harmony, if every one of you will strike the keynote. Are you in harmony? 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 23

Well, they had began to weep. No, they were not. They said they were tried with a brother, and do not see how they could get over it, and that brother was tried with them. Then one and another and another had a trial. Now, said I, let us take this matter just where it is. You say that one is to blame, and the other says you are to blame. Suppose now we bring this matter right on our knees to God, and not arise from our knees till everything is pardoned, and we know it. Now, said I, will you do that? They began to weep, and they fell on each other’s necks before they got down on their knees. They thought God would hear them better, and there was a great confessing time, and those little difficulties were swept away like dew before the sun. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 24

Then they went into meeting, and each could take his position without feeling jealous of the other one, and every one could draw in even cords. The blessing of the Lord rested upon that meeting, and many received the truth from that very first meeting. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 25

Now here we were. Some would go as canvassers. They had not shoes to wear on their feet. Said I, Do you intend to go into the city as you are now? Well, what can we do, Sister White? We have no money. Said I, You wait. There were stores not far off. I went right there and purchased them sets of clothing. Now, said I, come right together, every one who is a seamstress, and fit up these persons. Byron Belden was there ... he is now sleeping in the grave, but if ever there was a faithful worker, it was Byron Belden. His wife is somewhere in the State of Connecticut. How we missed him. We felt we could not spare him, but we tried to do the best that we could. Now that is the way that we went to work to introduce the truth in Ashfield. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 26

The next movement was a meetinghouse. But we could not dedicate this house until it was paid for. But here we were behind. I had given them my sum. We were behind. We have a hundred dollars or more to raise. Well, said I, put that hundred dollars to my name, and you shall have the hundred dollars, but we will have the dedication just when we had ought to have it. For four weeks that tent meeting was going, and every week there was a baptism, from five to ten or fifteen in a most beautiful lake in private grounds that they gave us the liberty to use, and we assembled around that lake, and we would have our prayers. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 27

Now, here was the way that we worked the interest near Sydney. And they would come from all parts of Sydney. There would come ministers, officials, and they would say, We never heard anything like this before. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 28

The idea that you must never move unless you have the means in your hand has often held us back. That is my principle, but I say, Circumstances alter cases. When there is a work that must be carried on, we must push the battle to the gates. We cannot always afford to wait to see the means in our hands. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 29

I look at these cities, and it seems as though my soul is in a perfect agony of distress. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 30

I sent some time ago to one that I knew had money, and I asked him if he would lend me one or two thousand dollars. I must have it, and if you don’t lend it I shall go right to the bank, and I will have to pay eight percent interest. But there is a work to be done, and it must be done. A work must be started in Nashville and the South, and we cannot wait; I cannot wait for the money to come in from my books. Christ’s Object Lessons has brought in three hundred thousand dollars to relieve our schools of debt, and yet not one penny did I apply to myself. That was the very purpose it was used for. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 31

Well, this brother responded, “I have five hundred dollars for you, and I had it in the bank for you, and I had sold property.” He had given to all his children their portion, but when he was about to give, his children came in and persuaded him to buy a piece of land, and the money is buried in that land. How much better would it have been for him to have laid it beside the throne of God! 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 32

Only think what Christ suffered. He left the royal courts. He left His high commission. He laid off His royal robe; He laid off His kingly crown; He clothed His divinity with humanity. For our sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich. And when we see people grasping the treasure they consider as their own, I know they are meeting with a dreadful loss. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 33

I feel that I can wait, I can pay interest on this twenty thousand. I tell them, Whenever you want that money, send, and you shall have it. I will borrow it of somebody else. You just send and you shall have it. I have had several hundred dollars, and a thousand or two sent for, but I always had it ready. I go right to some one else and tell them, I want your money for a time, and I would pay full interest on it. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 34

Now here is the way that we have had to carry the work in Australia. In every meetinghouse there stands the money that I have invested in them. I did not pay the whole, but I have helped them all. When we came to Newcastle, they said, You can do nothing at Newcastle. First it was Queensland, when we went there, they said, You can do nothing there. But, said I, we shall do something there. And we went and pitched the tents, and the blessing of God came down upon us there. The very first night they could not get into the tent, and they had to have a wall of people all around, and that kept up all the time that we were at Queensland at that place. That was the first meetinghouse that we had built there. But the blessing of God came upon us. Then I had to go to another place in Queensland and work for them there. The Lord gave me strength although I was very feeble, and the Spirit of God rested upon them there. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 35

Now if we can every one do the very best that we can do, we shall see the salvation of God. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 36

At Newcastle they said we could do nothing. There was the tents filled from week to week, and they would go from these tents with such an interest. And there was the water streaming down when the rain came, and we would have to take a company up in one end of the tent. No money. They came to me with the tears running down, O Sister White, what shall we do, what shall we do? Here is this big congregation, and this tent is all to pieces, like a sieve. “Have faith in God.” [Mark 11:22.] Kneel right down here with me, and let us pray. We knelt down, and we had a praying season. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 37

I tried to keep them uplifted as well as I could. I had sent for money, but somebody’s hand was stretched out, and the money did not come. Finally I told our Brother Jones, said I, There is my property. You dispose of it. Fourteen hundred dollars come in to those that we had at this praying season. When this came I sent for them. Now, said I, we need to have another praying season, we want a thanksgiving meeting. Well, we did have a thanksgiving meeting, and the blessed Lord was with us. Then after this money came, I paid it right into their hands. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 38

There is Brisbane, I think it was, where they were building a meetinghouse. Brother Haskell was there, and he said, We have got as far as we can go. A young man comes up and says, Elder Haskell, What do you want? O, said he, we want some money; we want this meetinghouse finished. How much will it take? Well, he told him how much it would take. I had already ordered that he should have three hundred dollars. Said he, I will cancel all that, and more; I will build a nice little yard around it. Well, after that he put in money, he put in sum after sum in that meetinghouse. I want that man to have the truth; I want him to see the salvation of God. This work was carried on in that way. The Spirit of God was in the work, and soul after soul would be converted. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 39

As I was going home from one of the meetings, there was a man hurrying after us. Sara said, They want to see us. Nevertheless, said I, I am in a perspiration; I cannot wait, because I must get under cover. He reached us before we got off the piazza. Said he, You must hear me, I must tell you my story. My wife was sick, O she was going to die. She had been sick a long time, and she was going to die. Said she, Husband, I listen to the ministers, and they do not give me a bit of courage. They pray and it seems as though their prayers do not reach above my head. I am going down into the grave hopeless. Her husband said, Wife, here is a book we have bought of a canvasser—it was Patriarchs and Prophets—take that book and see if there is anything in that. She read it. Said she, I know now that my Redeemer liveth. I have given myself wholly to Him. This is the first that I have heard of this truth. She read the book through three times, and then she said to her husband, Read it through yourself, and circulate it to the neighbors. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 40

Well, this work went on until we had a very nice meetinghouse built there, and I have spoken in that meetinghouse many times since it was built. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 41

And this work has been carried to Maitland, twenty miles from there, and I will tell you, it was represented to me as I was going to Newcastle. Something said to me almost as plain as a voice, Look out of the window. I looked, and there I saw two of the most beautiful clouds, as white as snow. There was nothing more over the whole heavens but these two clouds. These clouds signified to me that the angels of God were going before us. These clouds would come together and then they would separate. I watched them all day. In the morning I took the cars and continued to watch these clouds, just as white as snow, until they were where I could not discern them. Now, I know that angels of God went before us. I am just as sure of it as I am when I read these Scriptures here, and it brings to me such an evidence of what we might do and do not do it. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 42

Well, this brother that I asked to let me have the money has not sent me a dime. He was a wealthy man, but he has laid by God’s money, buried it in the earth. And may God have pity upon him for thus doing. Said I, Take this letter and read it to the whole congregation. I thought that might help him some, when I sent it to him, because once before I had asked means of him and could not get it. Well, he did, but I do not know as I have received one penny from that quarter. How should I, when they had his example before them? 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 43

We have got to make a business of saving souls. Well, this is just a little tithe of our experience. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 44

How we began the school when we did was an incident. There I was, an invalid for eleven months; I was not able to turn myself on my bed. My arms, my limbs; it was the inflammatory rheumatism, and I had to suffer under it eleven months. But I want to tell you it was the happiest eleven months I have had in my life. Christ was by my side. That hand, from that elbow there, nothing was the matter with it. They would fix up a framework for me, and there I would work, with this framework so that I could write. I wrote in those eleven months 2,500 pages of letter paper, and I write very close in my writing. My workers took them right from my pen and struck them off on my typewriter, and then I read them all over again, to see if they were just right. I had no less than six workers, and they had all that they could do to keep up with me, and I was sick. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 45

I praise God for His goodness and His mercy and His tender kindness to the children of men. But Willie came in. Mother, said he, I have got some light. Well, said I, let me tell you my light first. Said I, During the night, as I slept, during the night light came to me that I should take the money on our foreign books in America I had placed for the benefit of the students who could not go to school. Now, said I, here is a school in this land that must be established. O, said he, Mother, that is just exactly what I thought we could do. I will take that money and I will invest it in the commencement of a school. O, said he, Mother, that is just exactly what I thought we could do, and it was what I was going to say was the only way we could start this school. It was a successful school. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 46

Here is Sister Hare, who attended that first school in Australia in Melbourne, and now she is my chief worker, and she has been with me now many years. She take great burdens off from me, and I feel so thankful, so thankful that she attended that school. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 47

Well, I paid the tuition of as many as six through school, and thus we carried the work along until we moved to Sydney. Then it was to Cooranbong, but I will not go on any further on that line. I could tell you great things if I had time, how we had worked, but we were there, and we instituted this school. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 48

What shall we do for money, was the word. What can we do? Elder Daniells said, We can make a little kind of a shanty and we could meet in that, and the boards go up and down. O, said I, Elder Daniells, I could not consent to it. In two days Sister McEnterfer and I went to work. We went all through Cooranbong, for the carpenters were there—they had come from Sydney and Ashfield, the first class carpenters—to have a little outing, and there we employed them, and we asked them what they would do for us under the circumstances that we were in. Well, said they, we have from three to four dollars a day. We will take half of it, and we will only charge for half price, we will take half of that price and put in also. Well, said I, that is all we can ask. By the time that that building was done, they had their meetinghouse to build near Sydney, so thus the work was carried on. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 49

Now what are you going to do? You have the school appointed at such a time; we cannot get the school done at such a time. Said I, Call them together. Now, said I, we are going to have the school opened at the very time it has gone forth that it would be opened. It cannot be done, rang from the house. “It shall be done.” How many of you men and women will stand up here, and take hold of any part of the business that you can do? Thirty stood up. Very well, we went to work, men and women. There were the men digging the large cistern for we had no water. The women would help lay the bricks in the cellar, and then they would help in every way possible. Sister McEnterfer and Elder Haskell’s wife went right in to lay the floors. There were two floors that they laid. Our school commenced at the very day that we said it should commence, and we had the blessing of the Lord resting upon us at that time. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 50

Now I will read a little more here that I want to read: 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 51

“After these things Jesus shewed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed He Himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore; but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.” [John 21:1-6.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 52

Now we want to say, In every effort that you make, be sure that you cast the net on the right side of the ship. And if you do take hold of the work, consecrating yourself to God, soul, body, and spirit, I know you will see the salvation of God. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 53

“Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask Him, Who art Thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh and taketh bread, and giveth them, and the fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to His disciples, after that He was risen from the dead.” [Verses 7-14.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 54

I want that every one of us should know that we have an individual work to do for the Master. Those that have their homes, their business, may feel that they have all that they can attend to, but I want to tell you, dear friends, that there is a work that you can do. You can keep your own souls in the love of God. You can keep yourselves in working order. And if you have a family, you have a work to do in that family. If you cannot go, if you have not ability to go, you must exercise your God-given ability in your family. You must set everything in order in your family that you may be a representative family in the truth. You must see that you have order there. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 55

The mother is the queen of the household, she is the teacher of the children from their babyhood, and she is to be respected in every sense of the word as the queen of the household. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 56

The father is to be the priest of the household, the house-band, which encircles the family. And there is to be a constant work carried on for the little children. Why? Because you have brought them into the world and they are God’s children. You have no right to neglect them. If anything is neglected, let it be your business, but don’t you neglect one soul in your house. You want that every soul be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, brought up to respect religious things. And every one in that household should be taught the love of God, and the little ones, just as soon as they can, to help the mother. And this work is to go on. Teach them of Jesus Christ, that He gave His life, that they might have eternal life. Every wrong habit, in every way try to overcome. But never let a passionate word escape from your lips in your household. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 57

We want the angels of God in our households. We want the Holy Spirit to be there, and a passionate word, a fretful word, may arouse your children in a moment. You are, as mothers, the educators of your children, and for Christ’s sake do not show impatience or fretfulness because it is your home, and you feel at liberty to do it. You have no liberty to do it. It is to be a home for Christ. You have no liberty to dishonor God in your households and before your little ones. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 58

Teach them to help mothers, and mothers, study how to keep them busy. For quite a while, it may be a great deal more hindrance than help. I have had Willie ask me again and again, Mother, do I help you? Certainly, my son. I will tell you how you help me. I am educating you to adapt yourself to things that you see need to be done in the household. To make the household happy and pleasant, that is your work. Now when you do that work, and do it right. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 59

How many parents will have their children to present to God? If they themselves cannot go forth and labor, they may educate their children that they may go into the field, and that they shall do evangelistic work at canvassing, giving Bible readings, and such work as that. And every father and mother can present to God an offering for Him. O how thankful I am that it is your privilege to do this, to never, never allow your lips that God has given you to speak a harsh or unkind word. You stir up the very worst feelings of the human heart, and you cannot afford it. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 60

This meeting is a good meeting for you to begin to search your hearts to see if you have invited Jesus to come into your home; see if you have asked Him, Abide with me; for the day is far spent, and the night is at hand. That is what the disciples asked of Christ after they had traveled with Him and He had given them such beautiful lessons in the Scriptures. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 61

He came in as they invited Him, and then, in breaking of bread and asking the blessing, O, they knew it was Jesus. It was Jesus who broke the bread, and then they saw the marks of the crucifixion in His hands, and they glorified God. They were going to throw themselves right upon His neck, but He was gone. Then they hurried as fast as they could down to where the disciples were, to Jerusalem. They hurried there as fast as they could, and there the doors were shut for fear of the Jews. There they told them that they had found Jesus. They did not know that He had been walking with them all the time. He had not revealed Himself to them on the way, and soon after they were in the house He came in. And then He revealed Himself unto them as the risen Christ! And you must know there was a joyful time there! They hardly believed it. But He asked them for something to eat. They gave Him a piece of bread and a honeycomb, and He ate it, and they saw that it was Jesus. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 62

O what surprises they met with there because they did not accept it. If they had had faith, they might have enjoyed it a great deal better. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 63

Now we see that the Lord God wants every one of us to work. I would like to take considerable longer, but I do not know but that my time is up. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 64

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.” [Acts 2:1-5.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 65

This great demonstration was at Jerusalem, and this revelation took place right there to evidence to them that it was Jesus Christ that they had crucified. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 66

Acts 1: Verses 6-20. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 67

Now here he Peter goes on with his sermon. You can read that and see how the work went forward, his sermon that he preached; here it is stated for our benefit. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 68

Acts 2: Verses 34-41. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 69

Jesus had told His disciples that the fields were white already to harvest. He sent out the seventy, and here was Peter taking up the matter. Three thousand souls were added. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 70

Acts 2: Verses 42-47. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 71

Now if they had such a time there, we want to see the salvation of God in every tent meeting that we have. We want to make it a business. We want that every one should be prepared to glorify God. And on the Sabbath day, brethren, I want to say, when you come together, let there be an opportunity for a short discourse for those that have come together to bear testimony. What they need is to learn how to use the power of speech in behalf of Christ, and what we all need is our hearts warm with the love of God, that we shall tell of His glory, and that we shall express His power from day to day, and that you will have no groaning, no faultfinding, no fretting, no unkind words. Kind words will not blister your tongue. And we want you to consider that your tongue and your voice is a talent that God has given you to speak forth His praises and to glorify His name in the churches. And when you do this, the angels of God are in the congregation. The salvation of God will be revealed. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 72

What we want is that every member of the church should realize that he himself has a soul to save or a soul to lose. And they have their families that may be educated and trained for the future immortal life. Everything is to be done for the future life. We are getting ready for the future life. Christ gave His own life that humanity might stand by humanity, that just as soon as your humanity should grasp His divinity, His power would come upon you, and you could, what? Overcome the temptations that are in the world through lust. That is what you can do. And this is the work that is to be carried on in every meeting. We want to see the salvation of God. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 73

In every meeting those that are seeking the Lord should have an opportunity to find Him. And I say to the children, We want every one of these children to be converted. We want them to give their hearts to God. I was but eleven years old when I gave my heart to God, and I had been in despair then. I had been in despair for nearly a year, but the Lord just brought me out, that I might know how to pity every one who is in despair. And I want to tell you that the Lord will bless these little children. He wants them to give their hearts to Him. He said, “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.” [Luke 18:16.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 74

There were those mothers, tramping through the dusty streets of Jerusalem and trying to get to Christ. Other families would join them, and when they came there the disciples said, “The Master is teaching; He does not want to be bothered with the children.” Christ catches the sound, and said He, “Forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.” [Verse 16.] And He took the little children in His arms and blessed them. Now what is the light I have to give on the matter? These very children were the very ones who proclaimed the Saviour’s love. Their mothers would tell them the story over and over again: “His hands were laid upon your head.” And at the crucifixion they could tell how the hands of Christ had been placed upon the children and He had blessed them. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 75

O what a precious Saviour we have! If we will only cooperate with Him! The trouble is we stand too much alone in our own selfishness. God help you to get out of it. God help you that you may grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth, and that you may take your position on the Lord’s side. There are half of us that need to be reconverted, and I don’t know but that every soul of us needs to be reconverted, that we may go forth to all parts of the earth, proclaiming the mystery of godliness. Now here it says in the last chapter of John: 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 76

“This is the disciple which testifieth of these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.” [John 21:24, 25.] 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 77

What kind of a worker was He? He has given it to us to be our privilege to go forth, and He says He will go with us. Read the last chapter and the last verses of Matthew, the last verses of Luke and of John, and you will see that the Lord Jesus Christ gave a commission to teach all nations. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 78

I had one come up to me and want me to give information about a round or flat world. Said I, I have no such burden on my soul at all. I have nothing to say to you or to anybody else about a round or a flat world. What we want is a round character. We have altogether too much of a flat character, and we want now to think of building a character that shall be round and perfect, as our Father which is in heaven is perfect, and we want that every talent that you have should be in exercise. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth, that you may go forth, and—what says Christ? Teach them all things about a round world? No. That I have commanded you. That is what we are to teach. Teach the lessons that Christ gave in His life practice. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 79

And I want to tell you that somebody will rush up every little while with something new and strange, as though that was to take your minds captive. Tell them that you have the old, old story of the cross of Christ, of the life of Christ, and when it comes to these little items that they shall bring out, we have the solid foundation for our feet. It is the solid platform that we want. If you work with Christ, Christ will work with you, and we are getting ready, fitting up for the future, immortal life. Jesus says, I will be with you to the end of the world. Then we will believe Him, and we will work diligently for Him. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 80

He died, He paid the purchase price for your life. You are the purchase of His own blood, and He gave His life to make it possible that we shall have eternal life in His kingdom. Will you try for it? Will you put away eternal things? Will you try in every way possible to support the work that shall be carried on in Connecticut? And will you, I beg of you for Christ’s sake, put away all selfishness and try to make strait paths for your feet, lest the lame shall be turned out of the way? Christ will help you at every step, and the city of God will be opened before you, and there you shall enter in, and then you shall understand why. Let me tell you it will be made perfectly clear to you there. He will lead you by the tree of life and the water that proceedeth out of the throne of God. Do you suppose He is not saying anything? He is talking to the saved, and He will open to us the Scriptures, such as we had never supposed we could understand. Glory to God in the highest that we have a hope that is big with immortality, and that is full of glory! 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 81

We must overcome our selfishness here. We have to deny self, to overcome self. There are souls to be saved, and one soul is worth more than this whole world. Do not let anybody be so wonderfully careful that they will become narrow and contracted. When the work should be carried on and blossom out and should extend, do not put your foot on it, and say, We have no money in hand. But for Christ’s sake take hold of the work, and you will see the salvation of God. If we do not bring souls into the truth, where shall we get the tithe that shall help us to warn the world? There is Boston. May God help you to work for Boston. Here are cities in Connecticut to be labored for. Middletown—I was here in 1849, and here we know something about this matter. I cannot speak with you of the particulars now, but I will again. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 82

I want to say, for Christ’s sake put on the armor of God. And having done all, stand. Every piece is mentioned that you are to put on. Now, you do it. Every soul of you, you have a work to do for the Master. To every man is given his work. Take right hold of it in earnest, and you will find that there will be life in the church. There is hardly any life in the church. There is a world to be saved. There are souls to be brought to Christ. 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 83