Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 22 (1907)

Ms 180, 1907

Sermon/Thoughts on 1 Peter 2

San Diego, California

May 5, 1907

Previously unpublished.

1 Peter 2:1-5. Here we have a lesson, and this lesson teaches us that we are not to be in a position of faultfinding. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 1

Verses 3-9. Now this is our position. The whole chapter is that which we should study. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 2

Verses 9-12. Now here are lessons for us. We as a people that claim to believe the greatest truths that were ever committed to mortals, that we are practice all that we claim to believe, a truth to fit us to qualify us for the kingdom of God. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 3

The end is near; it is not far off. And every one of us that has before us a Pattern, Christ Jesus, we do not need to lack, nor be careless or indifferent. No. God wants us to imitate Jesus Christ. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 4

Who was He? The Majesty of heaven. Who was He? He was the King of glory. Who was He? The Son of the infinite Father, one equal with God. And yet His compassion for the fallen race was of such a degree that He consented to pay the price for man’s redemption. He, the Prince of life. And if Christ could make this infinite sacrifice for those who were of the fallen race, why should we not be in a position to be a partaker of the same interest, the same zeal, the same self-denial, the same self-sacrifice, in order that we shall act our part in bringing many sons and daughters unto God, hundreds to the truth. Why? For this very reason. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 5

Lay aside all malice. You have no right to it. You have no right because Christ has given you an example of His love, that you should follow in His footsteps, and if you will do this, you will “as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby, if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” [Verses 2, 3.] 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 6

Now, what we need every day is a consecration of ourselves to God. We want to realize that we have got a Pattern—that is Christ Jesus. And just as sure as we do this, we shall find that we are in a place of usefulness. Is it possible that we should claim to believe in Jesus Christ, but not be a partaker with Him in His sacrifice and in His work and in His self-denial? The King of glory clothed His divinity with humanity, and came to our world, in order that we should have Him as an example, as a pattern. Then why should we not practice His virtues? 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 7

The light that God has given me of late is a very straight testimony, night after night, to the people that are assembled. I have written this out, but I did not bring it with me, because I want that every soul possible can be reached with it, and I want that I shall have an opportunity here again before I may leave, and I have a very straight testimony to bear. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 8

I was in the night very sick, and I felt as though I could not move my body, and I felt so sad and so discouraged. But I fell asleep and when I awoke I attempted to move my arms. They were just as light as air. I attempted to move my body, and I could turn in any position. The I seemed to be encircled with a cloud, and that cloud was of great brightness. I looked at it, said I, Is this heaven? I must be in heaven. It seemed as though I said, I will have no more testimonies to bear; I will have no more the grief, the sorrow to bear, because I was with my Saviour. Then it seemed that from the cloud that encircled me, the words were spoken, Your work is not yet done. I fell asleep again, and when I fell asleep I was in a meeting and I was talking. I was telling those that were present, If you only knew, if you only understood, what it means to be a partaker of the divine nature, you would labor for souls. You are to be partakers of the divine nature, that you may practice the life of Christ. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 9

He has suffered all that it is possible for humanity to suffer, the Prince of light, of whom it is declared He is one with the Father, and hanging upon Calvary’s cross in His agony. The poor thief rebuked his fellow sinner thief, because he was railing against Christ. He said to him, We suffer justly, but He unjustly. Lord Jesus, remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom. What was the answer? Verily, I say unto thee Today, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise. Not that he was to be with Him that day, for Christ was not there that day. After He died He laid in the tomb, and the first day of the week there was a mighty angel that came down, and that mighty angel rolled back the stone as a pebble from the door of the sepulcher, and took his seat upon it. These men that were guarding the sepulcher fell like dead men to the ground. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 10

Now here we have in this precious Saviour, One that went through the world to suffer and die for our transgressions, and when any one of us takes a course to provoke anyone in business transactions or in any line, we are entirely out of the right path. We are, as professed followers of Jesus Christ, to remove every pebble from the path of everyone, and we are to show the character of the living Christ. No impatient words are to come from our lips, and the vindication of self and the planning and the working and the contriving for self, O it comes in. Now what is our work in this world who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ? 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 11

Did you not receive baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost? These great powers were pledged, these three highest powers in heaven were pledged that every one should keep the promise of their baptism. “Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” [Colossians 3:3.] Dead to what? To our former disposition of mind. Is there no change in our disposition when we claim to be children of God? We are to be like Christ. We are to follow Christ. We are to be partakers of Christ. Yes, we are to live Christ’s followers. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 12

Now when we act like Christians, let me tell you from the light God gave me that night, every soul that has a true hold upon Jesus Christ will manifest all the earnestness to represent Christ to individuals, wherever they are, to proclaim the truth. The truth is the Word, it is the life. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 13

Christ said to His disciples, “Ye are the light—in heaven.” [Matthew 5:14-16.] Well, here is the good works, and I want to tell you that there will be an awakening in every Christian, and unless there is, there will be the blood of souls upon the garments of those who do so little. If Christ traveled from place to place on foot, and if He was hungry, if He was weary, if He was the mighty Healer to relieve from sickness, now what is our position? To be just as earnest, just as particular to fill our place, so that we shall be ministers of God unto righteousness. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 14

And when we are in that position we learn that we must not retaliate because we think things do not go just exactly as we want them to. But we make a turn. Do you glorify God in that turn? Will you take a course in that turn that will lay a heavy burden on others? Will any one of us practice this? Not if you are studying the life of Christ. Every soul of us is to be brought under obligation, amenable to act out the life of Christ; that is what we profess to be. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 15

Now, we want to work as Christ would have us work. We want to put away all malice, all guile and hypocrisy and envyings and evil speakings. And there is a lot of it right here in this church, or else I would not be here. Every effort was for us to practice self-denial and self-sacrifice, and in the place of feeling that we have nothing special to do, we want to have an intense interest. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 16

You know all about it. You know all about the institution that has been established a few miles from here. You know how hard and how long we tried in regard to that institution. Some do. Now the obligation rests upon every soul that is in connection with God to do to the utmost of your capabilities to arouse yourselves that you may place those that shall come where they shall get the truth, where they can have access to the truth. How many times I have stood up in that parlor when I was here before. How many times I was so weak, that it seemed I could scarcely stand upon my feet, and yet the Lord gave me strength, first to the workers in the morning at five o’clock in the morning, the next morning to speak to the patients and others that should come in. We had the Spirit of God. And when every one of us have that self-denial and self-sacrifice that Christ had when He came into our world, that He should be an example to the sinners and those that were around Him, we will act very different than many have acted toward that institution. And I want to tell you that the condemnation of God is upon those that have had so little interest to take right hold and build it up, and help it. But to lay a weight upon it! 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 17

Now, we have got all that we can do to carry through the work, so that it will reach people that are out of Christ. There are those that have come to that sanitarium that have embraced the faith and have died and are sleeping in Jesus. There are several. And there are others who came very sick, and it seemed there was no hope for them to come out of it, but the Lord has indited prayer in their behalf, and the Lord has raised them up, and they have gone away from the institution, and I think are alive today. But it was a hard tax on those who stood to watch it day and night, but few know anything about it. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 18

I have come to talk with you about this matter today. I have not told anybody what I was going to say. But I want to say to you right here, it is best that we are converted. It is best that the converting power of God should walk through this congregation, and that every soul should feel amenable to Christ, to take hold to be workers together with God. Now, the light that I had was this, Thorough instruction should be given, every soul in San Diego that believes the truth is to be a witness to it. I have been taken over the water to where there are little shanties built up for them to stay in certain times of the year. Now the question among us is, Who will take that field and will go out as workers to go to these little cottages that are built there so curiously by the water? There are some who might go in and become acquainted with them and take your Bibles and read to them out of the Word, and be interested and kindly with them; whoever will, they will realize the blessing. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 19

We neglect the opportunities, and when we shall come to the time of the judgment there will be those that will tell us, “You never told me these things; you never warned me; you never told me about this,” and there will be a rising up. Well, there is a field, and there are fields in many places, and our people have got to come up as if raised from a resurrection. They are dead, and twice dead some of them, and pulled up by the roots, but we want now that we should seek God most earnestly. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 20

[1 Peter 2] Verses 1-5. The priesthood. Do you know what that comprehends? You are those who are bringing to God these individuals that you shall become acquainted with and are presenting them before the Father, that He would let His light shine into your heart and into your mind and into your soul, and He would give you wisdom that you could offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 21

Verses 6-11. Now I want to say, Let us all consecrate ourselves to God. Let us realize that there is an advanced work to be done for our individual selves, or we never can have communication with Him who hung on the cross of Calvary in order to redeem us. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 22

I spoke of Christ’s hanging upon the cross. He said to the thief, “I say unto you today,”—while hanging right there helpless and a criminal—“I say unto thee today, thou shalt be with me in paradise.” [Luke 23:43.] That was the death knell of Satan, to think that he ever should obtain the victory. He had set men to mocking Christ. He had set even the Jews to mock Christ and to oppose Him, “You that will destroy—.” [Matthew 27:40.] That insult and reproach, what did it do? Christ bore it right upon the cross; He was carrying it out for you and me. What cross are you bearing? What crosses are you bearing here in San Diego? Every one, we want to be a living witness for Christ. Every one of us, we want to arouse from our stupidity and backsliding. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 23

Now, here is the position that we should be in. Acts 2:1-5, 21. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 24

We are to be in a position where we are under the moving of the Holy Spirit’s power. Here it states that in regard to those that were listening, they heard them speak in their own tongue. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 25

Verses 14-17. Now here are the wonders that are to be shown. But I want to know who is getting ready for them. I want to know who is denying themselves, approaching to what Christ denied Himself. I want to know who is studying with all their might that they may know the Scriptures, lest they shall fail to carry it out. Self rises up, and just as long as that spirit prevails in the members of the church, you will see that there is a backward movement in the place of a forward. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 26

Now Christ declares that He came to be our example, and He says, “Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,” etc. [Matthew 7:7.] Now we want to see men that have had some experience in this work to understand ye are laborers together with God. You may take yourself in your own hands, you may have a very high estimate of yourself, but it is not self that we want. What we want is to see minds that are assimilated to the mind of Christ, that are looking to see how to lift up the fallen. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 27

They would follow Him from place to place, and there would be 5,000 at one time, and He took pity on them. He bid them be seated on the grass. Then what about the food? He asked. There are only 5 loaves and 2 small fishes. So they commenced to pass them around. Well, we want that very lesson—to pass around what you have. We want those that have, to consider those that have not, the truth. We want you to consider that we are working, publishing, and doing everything in our power to get the truth to the farthest part of the globe. I have not taken any royalty on my books that have passed into Europe for I cannot tell how many years. I have said, Use the royalties, use them. When we came to Australia, we had to start right in the woods, and the horses made the first path in the woods to establish our buildings there. And we pitched our tents and we worked, every one of us. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 28

When I see people so ready to get discouraged, and come up and place others in as hard a position as they can be placed in, I consider, Where is Christ in the matter? Where is the Christian spirit of self-denial and of self-sacrifice? Now we want to tell you that we need your sympathy and we need your help. We have the building. We need the cases that shall be brought there, and they will come. We know they have been there; we know that precious souls have been converted and died in the faith. Some have received the benefit of the institution. And when I have been there I have had such comfort in standing in my weakness and speaking to them of the mighty Healer. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 29

Now I tell you today there is a mighty Healer that every soul of you want. You want to be inspired with the spirit of the energy of these last days. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 30

I have been to Oakland and to San Francisco. I said, I cannot speak over fifteen minutes. ... When we have a little faith to move out against objections, the Lord will recognize it. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 31

What you want here is the converting power of God. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 32

When I was at Nashville, and there was no way to get means to start the work, I wrote to different places and I told them this: Put up your little self-denial boxes in every house. Teach your children that when they are going to use their pennies for mere self-gratification of their appetite, drop it into these self-denial boxes. And I advise you to do it here. I think it would do you good. In the place of laying out every dollar and every penny on your own bodies and appetites, consider the death of Christ. Haven’t you any royalty for Him? Haven’t you any returns to give to Him? We want to say, Wake up, and attend to your duty. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 33

If God established that institution there, He did not establish it that some should come in there and become discontented, when everything did not suit them, and turn around and come back. They are needed all the more. They are needed to stand at their post of duty. They have said to me again and again, Do not stay in this place any longer. Do come where there are a large number of people. I would go out in my carriage, and there I would stand by the railroads. I would stand in my carriage in various places, and I would speak the truth to them, and the women would come with their babies in their arms; they would listen with the tears streaming down their cheeks. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 34

If you think that everything is going to come right up to your mind without any sacrifice at all, while you do just exactly as you want to do, God will leave you out of the account when His blessing comes. God wants us to act like men. Put on the armor. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 35

These self-denial boxes have kept the mission that they were trying to maintain for the colored people in Nashville, so that they could build humble houses of worship, so that they could go to different places where they needed help, and here were the little donations coming in. They would tell them all the particulars about it, where it came from, and that inspired them with a confidence and a zeal. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 36

Do you think the work of God is going to go on with no kind of opposition from the enemy of our faith? Do you think that it will pass along and we have nothing to do? God help us to put the armor on. I think it is high time that the armor was put on, every piece of it. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 37

Now I am going to leave these few words with you. But I want to say, there is a self-denial for us to practice all the way along from now until the end of our lives. Christ denied Himself. He says, “The foxes, etc.” [Matthew 8:20.] 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 38

Now, after He had fed these hungry persons, there were twelve baskets full of fragments to be gathered up. Now, God can enlarge your efforts. You just take hold to do what you can, and the God of heaven can enlarge your efforts. He puts Himself as the world’s Redeemer, put His power in it, and they were satisfied. They had a rest there. They had followed Him to hear the Word. Now we want to make people hungry to hear the Word. We want every soul to be wide-awake for fear you will not do your whole duty, for fear you will stop before you make your covenant with God by sacrifice. If we think we are not to exercise ourselves beyond our own inclination and our own desires to sustain the work, God will just as surely leave us right in that position where we will be placed where we will wish that we did a different thing. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 39

We want now to come right to the point, and we want to see the Holy Spirit that came upon them at the day of Pentecost, when they went out and they preached the Word everywhere and thousands were converted in a day. We want that you should see that sinners are to be converted, and that you have got something to do in it. You have got to get the self-denying life of Christ. Take your Bible and go from house to house and read to them. That is the way we have been trying to do in Oakland and San Francisco and in various places, and there are many souls that are brought to the knowledge of the truth. Wake up, brethren, wake up for Christ’s sake, wake up. Shake yourself from stupor and indifference. There is a world to save. There is a message to be given to the world, and you are not to sleep here in this judgment hour. He tells us how it will be. God help us to arouse and be converted. 22LtMs, Ms 180, 1907, par. 40