Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)

Ms 119, 1906

Talk/Talk at Pacific Press Chapel

Mountain View, California

May 5, 1906

Portions of this manuscript are published in 6MR 283-284.

I have a chapter before me, the seventeenth chapter of John, the last prayer of Christ with His disciples before His crucifixion; and this prayer is a sermon for every one of us. Christ has presented matters here which lie at the foundation of all true Christian experience. “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes unto heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee. As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal.” [Verses 1-3.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 1

Now I want every one of you to practice this very reading that I will present before you next: 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 2

“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” [Verse 3.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 3

Now, take that in, I beg of you, take it in; fathers and mothers of families, take it in; educate your children as Abraham that commanded his household after him to keep the way of the Lord. Here is given the very foundation of eternal life: to know the Father and Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 4

“I have glorified Thee on the earth. I have finished the work Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee.” [Verses 4, 5.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 5

Now what a request is this? 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 6

“Before the world was. I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world. Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me, and they have kept Thy word.” [Verses 5, 6.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 7

Of course, every one that God has given to Christ keeps His Word. They keep the Word of the Father. “Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are of Thee.” [Verse 7.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 8

Coming from God. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 9

“For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine.” [Verses 8, 9.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 10

He was about to leave them. He wanted to take their burden and lay it right upon the Father; to take charge and keep those while He was passing through the great experience and trial of His life, as our Redeemer; to suffer the most excruciating agony in all His season of that betrayal and His agony in the Garden, when the cup was presented to Him to drink, when it trembled in His hand. Should He give Himself as a criminal for the sins of the whole creation? Should He drink of that cup so bitter, as the separation that He would have even from His Father in the agony of His crucifixion, because of the weight of the sins [of the] world with its aggravating character? And should He carry that through if it be possible that man could be saved, and He not have to pass through that one period: the separation of the Father from the Son in consequence of sin? He bore the sins of the whole world; and oh, how anxious should every believer—those that claim to believe in Christ—how anxious should they be to hate sin with a perfect hatred, and not look to men and women in their weakness, but look right to One that appreciates the purity and the salvation of every soul that lives. Yes, when you cast your helpless souls, and we, every one of us, realize our only hope is in Christ Jesus, and that unless He shall impart unto us strength, we shall be a failure. Then let us understand what eternal life means, but our own individual experience. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 11

“And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine, and I am glorified in them.” [Verse 10.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 12

Will you think of this, professors of religion? Will you think of this, who claim to be children of God, Christ’s little ones? “I am glorified in them.” [Verse 10.] Do we so conduct ourselves that we pursue such a course of purity and dignity and wholeheartedness in the cause and work of God, that Christ can be glorified in us? This is the test of our character. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 13

“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I in Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name. Those that Thou gavest Me, I have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to Thee, and these things I speak in the world, that—” 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 14

What? what is next? 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 15

“I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves.” [Verses 11-13.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 16

Now a true Christian will follow on to know the Lord and have that simple faith that takes God at His word. He is glorified in our experience, here in this world of wholeheartedness, of Christlikeness, and the eternal life that is constantly kept in view, and we looking ahead for that hope that is presented before us in the gospel; and whatever the trials that we have, we are to carry ourselves through these trials, knowing that the burden has been laid upon One that can save to the uttermost all who come unto Him. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 17

“And now come I to Thee, and these things I speak in the world, that they might have their joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” [Verses 13, 14.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 18

Then why should we try to assimilate to the spirit and influence of the world? and think that that is the course for us to take? Why, it is not the course for us at all. The worldly standard is a very low standard, but Christ’s standard is elevating, ennobling, sanctifying, refining, comforting, lifting up, if we will only obey it. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 19

“I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” [Verse 15.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 20

They have got a work to do in the world, every one of us has; to every man is appointed his work; and if you come up to the judgment, and if you have done nothing but just look out for yourself, why, just accordingly will be your reward. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Now sanctify them through Thy truth, Thy word is truth.” [Verses 16, 17.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 21

Study the Word. Keep out of your house the miserable magazines; keep out of your house the novels. Take every penny that you would pay for these things to get the truth before the people; and we want it should go broadcast through the world. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 22

“Thy word is truth. As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world, and for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” [Verses 17-19.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 23

He places Himself in that position of humanity in our world. What for? Why, He left the royal courts, He took humanity upon Himself and laid off the royal crown, laid aside the kindly robes, and clothing His divinity with humanity. He come down to be one with us, even from babyhood; He grew up to manhood and had an experience, as we have had. He took poverty. He might have taken scores of angels with Him, to testify He was the Son of God; but no. Then He could not be tempted in all points like as we are; but He comes right to man in his humanity, and that humanity and divinity combined is your only hope today. You can claim that divine power from Jesus Christ, because you can be partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption, escaped it, not been doing it; in God you have escaped it. That would place you in a position where your soul would be tarnished, you dishonored; but you have escaped the corruption through the looking unto Jesus, and imitating His character and His life, so that you are a partaker of the divine nature. There is where our strength comes, and we must, every one of us, have it, or we are lost; there is no other hope for us. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 24

“As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” [Verse 18.] How? Did He send us without any spiritual help to which to look—upon Christ as a human being? Why? He sent us because Christ had that power; and He came, clothing His power with humanity, that humanity might grasp divinity, and that you might rejoice in being partakers of the divine nature. “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified.” How? “Through the truth.” [Verses 19, 17.] Do you try, every one, to teach your children, your household, what the truth is, that it is a sanctifying power? They must know what the Word is, they must understand its power; they must take hold with all the strength of their being; and then what? Why, the divine nature comes in; you are a partaker of the divine nature, and you have overcome the corruption that is in the world through lust. That is our only hope. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 25

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word, that they all may be one.” [Verses 20, 21.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 26

Now I want you to open your ears, and your understanding, because God wants you to understand the points that you have, many, but just scarcely touched with the tip ends of your fingers: 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 27

“That they all may be one.” “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word.” [Verses 21, 20.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 28

Well, what does that mean? You are to be a laborer together with God. You are to take right hold of the souls that are perishing around you, and forget your ease, forget your unbelief; but you just take steps heavenward—step after step do you advance in the path of righteousness and truth and holiness. Why? Because we must represent the work that Christ has done for His people in humanity. We must represent it in humanity. Your heaven and my heaven must commence here below. It is right in this world that we are to have a little heaven. We are not to wait until we get to heaven and expect to launch out with all our human habits and practices where Christ is. Why, you could not have any place there. No. Well, now, here He prays for those that “shall believe on Me through their word;” through our word; through our works; through our labor; through our carrying the Christian character day by day, by our lifting up the cross of Calvary higher and still higher, to be partaker of the divine nature. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 29

Now He says, “That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee.” Now take in the full sense of it. “That they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” [Verse 21.] Then the world’s standard is to be given by those that claim to be Christians. It is the standard that is to be developed; and God is to be glorified by the standard that you will present to the world, if you are all united in presenting the correct standard and shall elevate and ennoble ourselves and those that are all around us—through our belief in Christ, through our words in season, through our working on the right hand and the left—that we may leave a correct impression on the world of what Christ is to be and we may be to Christ. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 30

“That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” [Verse 21.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 31

Now there is the evidence we are going to give to the world. To go right in and mix with the world, and show no difference, but act as a worldling, talk as a worldling, have the spirit of a worldling, and yet your name [be] on the churchbook; you dishonor God greatly. Now we want that every soul in this congregation shall make a covenant with our God by sacrifice, right in this room, to make a covenant that they will study the Word. Let your magazine go. Why, here the magical books were burned. As we read away back in the days of persecution, [in which] Paul and the apostles were laboring, they brought out their magical books, and they burned them. I think if you would clear your house, many of you, of all these magazines, with the ridiculous pictures in them—those representations are as it were from Satan, and we do not want them. We do not want these representations; we want the truth in our books in our houses. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 32

“That they may be one in Us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” [Verse 21.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 33

Now it becomes us to carry the divine signature with us, that we are children of the living God: “And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them.” Now you just think of how privileged we are. “That they may be one, even as We are one.” [Verse 22.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 34

He and the Father are one; and there they have the experience, the intelligence, the uplifting, the refinement; for here we never can enter heaven unless we have more refinement that is heavenly than we have now. We want our spirit cleansed; we want our hearts clean; we want our works to testify that we are children of the living God, and that we are a representation of those that are going to heaven. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 35

“I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one.” [Verse 23.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 36

Now you just think of that. Your perfection is to be a partaker of the divine nature, and to overcome the temptation of the enemy, that is in the world here through lust. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 37

“I in them, and Thou in Me.” [Verse 23.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 38

Now what? 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 39

“That they may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me.” [Verse 23.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 40

And now here seems to be the largest presentation that taxes our faith to the utmost; and what is it? “I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me.” [Verse 23.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 41

Just think of it; just consider it. He wants our conduct to be such that the Father can have that interest and love for us that He has for His Son. He wants no uncanny speech in us; He wants us to take home the divine nature, having overcome the corruption that is in the world through lust. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 42

“Now I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with me, where I am; that they may behold Thy glory.” [Verse 24.] They beheld His agony on the cross, they beheld the mocking crowd, and those that rejected Him, saying, Come down from the cross, come down, and we will believe on you. But the earthquake that came, and the darkness that enveloped the cross, hid the sufferings, the last agony, of Christ, from their sight; but there the graves were opened, and some of the saints came from the graves and went around in the city and showed themselves to many as a testimony. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 43

“I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which Thou hast given Me, for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world,” away back before the world was created. [Verse 24.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 44

“O righteous Father, the world doth not know Thee, but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me, and I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me, may be in them, and I in them.” [Verses 25, 26.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 45

Now this prayer of Christ, I wish you would read it in your families. I wish you would build up one another in—not outside, but in—the most holy faith. I want you to remember that God pronounced a blessing upon Abraham, because he commanded his children and his household after him. He does not let the children go on and do just as they please, and have a fancy to do because they are not to be pleased unless you will gratify them. God help us to take our stand in our families, and may the Lord help us to teach the ABC’s of true Christianity. We want the kindness and tenderness of Christ in dealing with human beings all around us. Just think of our Saviour dying upon the cross, and there was a thief by His side, and one thief had berated Christ, and had charged Him with everything that he could; but he rebuked him, this one did that was repentant. He says, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” [Luke 23:42.] There He was in His dying agony, and what was the answer? 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 46

“Verily I say unto thee today, (as you see Me condemned as a criminal, abused by men), Thou shalt be with Me in paradise.” [Verse 43.] Do you know what that meant to the devil that was there? It was the knell, his death knell, that right in His dying agony He could speak pardon to that poor thief upon the cross. Oh, that was one of the greatest manifestations, while priests and rulers were wagging their heads, and saying, Come down, come down from the cross, until the earthquake came, and they scattered, and they were afraid that they themselves would suffer. But here was the mercy of Christ. Let us, every one, exercise in all our works and acts the mercy, the love, of Christ. Let us take into consideration there is a world to be saved, and we want our spirit braced for duty; we want our hearts in conformity to the will of Jesus Christ; we want that love that He prayed might exist between whom?—between these His followers, that existed between Him and His Father. Now here is your lesson. Here is your lesson. Learn it, practice it in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Study, study, I beg of you, self-denial; for there is a world to save. The work is opening in the foreign countries in a wonderful manner, but we do not take advantage as we should of those that are right around us, and give the Word of life in readings and in different ways to bring the truth before them. The publications are to be distributed, like the leaves of autumn; and the messages have come to you for year after year, and year after year, and what are we doing for the Master who gave His life for us? You have got His last prayer. Will we read that prayer? Will we practice that prayer? Will we be getting ready to walk in a heavenly atmosphere, and to take our steps after Christ? “He that will come after Me,” He says, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” [Mark 8:34.] There are some doing it, I know it. I feel a most intense interest. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 47

I expect to speak only about fifteen minutes; I have been in a position of influenza upon me again, and yet I did not know as I could speak at all; but I thank Thee, O Lord, that Thou hast given me strength to speak upon this people—my dependence is upon God; and, brethren and sisters, I have depended on Him since I was a child, and He has not failed me. I want to tell you that Christ has the richest treasures to open to us in His Word. He has got a power for us to lay hold of, if we will lay hold of it; but we must walk in His way, not in our feeble and imperfect way. We must take all the Scriptures as our guide, and study this, and the mighty blessing of God will just as surely come upon us, and this in Revelation will be fulfilled: 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 48

“And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and the Lamb.” John is speaking. “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded a fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Thank God for that. “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. And His servants shall serve Him, and they shall see His face, and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them the light, and they shall reign forever and ever.” [Revelation 22:1-5.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 49

It is a life everlasting. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 50

“And He said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true, that the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these things, and heard them, and when I had seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then said he unto me, See thou do it not; I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book; worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand. He that is unjust”—it will be spoken in heaven—“let him be unjust still; he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. And he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his works shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and murderers, and adulterers, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent My angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. ... [The] bright and morning star and the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, Come, and whosoever is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely; for I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues, that are written in the book; and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. ... Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” [Verses 6-20.] 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 51

Now I leave this matter with you. And I ask you—for Christ’s sake, the books that God has commanded me, when that hand trembled so through disease that I could not hold a pen, and I was commanded to write the things that He has given me—why? why? Here are the old soldiers, dropping into the grave. Write them; they are immortalized just as God gave them to me, and they have stood the test of half a century; therefore I do not go back on one sentiment, not one statement that is presented in those books, because the Holy Spirit has given me the light, to present the light to you. Now take these books, and read them. I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Receive all the benefits from the books that I have published for so many years. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 52

The enemy is coming in to steal away—it is the devil and his angels. Do we think the devil is going to let us go on here without interruption? Why, he is all around on our track all the way, spreading himself to do all the mischief possible. Well, now, he is not dead. The science of Satan is exercised today as verily as he exercised it in the time when he led Adam and Eve to transgress. Let us watch him; let us keep our eyes so close on Christ that we shall know what Christ is doing in our behalf, we shall see His worth, we shall acknowledge His worth, we shall glorify His name, we shall see that we will enjoy His presence in the assembly of the saints. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 53

Now I leave my testimony with you and beg of you that you will live this prayer of Christ. How many will study it? How many will live this prayer of Christ? Will they rise? right, right up? Will they give themselves to it, and make an honest effort to live the prayer of Christ, that they may enter in with Him through the gates into the city? Amen, and amen. I thank you for this expression. 21LtMs, Ms 119, 1906, par. 54