Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 24 (1909)

Ms 122, 1909

Sermon/Thoughts from Isaiah

Portland, Maine

July 7, 1909

Previously unpublished.

Isaiah 56:1-10. We see there are two parties that are brought to view here, and we want to be in the party that is assured by the Word of God, by the testimony of that Word that the love of God shall be upon them. We want, every one of us, to study the Scriptures carefully, and then to stand in a position where we may glorify God. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 1

Verse 1. Now that is a wonderful text. Here God is ready to impart unto us if we follow on to know the Lord, as it is our privilege. The Lord gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. We are given an opportunity to form a character after the direction of the Word of God. The Lord describes it in Isaiah 58. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 2

Isaiah 58:1, 2. “Thou seest not.” verse 3. Do you see the complaint they roll right back on to God? You see that disposition can come upon the human mind. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 3

Verse 3. Knowledge. Now comes the answer. “Behold, in the day—verse 5. Now the Lord makes a different presentation. Verses 6-14. There is something for every one of us to do. God has given into our hands a work, and if our hearts are in harmony with the Word, the blessings shall come upon us, just as described here. All the waste places shall be built up, and what we want, every one of us, is to understand how our case stands before God. The Lord wants to work for His people, and He wants every one of us to come in harmony with Him. He wants His righteousness to be revealed. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 4

We need not try to show our humility by putting sackcloth under us. That is nothing to recommend us to God. What we want is to keep God’s commandments, and love His law as the apple of our eye. That is the work that is for every father and mother to do, and their children. There is a great work to be done in this line in all of our cities. The Lord would have us His missionaries. When we see the suffering and afflicted we are to take right hold and relieve them. And when we do this we shall be in harmony with God. We are to reveal God in our life, in our actions, in all of our works. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 5

Now, every one that is here before me today, Jesus Christ came to our world. The Father so loved the world—. Now, how does the case stand with us today? There are some who may be nearly as old as I am. Perhaps there may be some older, but how does it stand between God and our souls? Have we given ourselves unreservedly to God? Have we been determined that we will do His will? 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 6

The work is to go forward here in Portland. It has been forwarded in the first angel’s message that was given in Portland, Maine, in which I had, even in my girlhood, a part to act. The work has never ceased, although at times I have been greatly afflicted. They would take me up the stairs, and I would stand before the people with racking pains in my body, and yet with such an evidence that the Lord would work for His people. It seemed that I must present the goodness of God, and the mercy of God, even in my great affliction. And I want to say that it is the goodness of God alone that has spared me alive till the present time. I shall be 82 years old next November, and I have been in active labor since I was fifteen years old. I have seen the great salvation of God. I have seen His willingness to work for His people. I have seen those who would take their position on the Lord’s side as happy a people as I ever looked upon, and this is what we want to see in our midst here. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 7

We have a work to do in all our cities, and we want to act individually our part. In 1843 there was visiting around from house to house, and there was such an earnestness that often men stood at the desk who knew that their time was measured, that consumption was upon them, and yet they would not leave, because they wanted to give the last note of warning to the people before the should be taken away and their voice silenced. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 8

There are those that are in health. There are those that can do missionary work, earnest missionary work. How much are we doing to awaken the sensibilities of men and women in our world? The Lord wants us to co-operate with Him. From this that I have read, He wants you to wake up. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 9

“Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened.” Isaiah 59:1, 2. Now here is a work of repentance, and those that feel that they are not right with God, don’t let a day go unless you make a thorough consecration of your hearts to God. You cannot afford it. It is too late in the day to trifle with these eternal realities. We want to see the King in His beauty. We want to behold His righteousness. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 10

Isaiah 60:1, 2. Now this is our blessed assurance. It does not come from human assertions, it comes from the living God to His people. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 11

Verse 3. “to thy light.” That is just what we want, Jew and Gentile. We want all to come to the light, and kings to the brightness of Thy rising. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 12

Verse 4. We want to come into right relation with God to co-operate with Jesus Christ. He called His disciples, and where did He call them from? Right from their fishing nets. He called them, and they left their nets and their father where they were fishing, and they came right to Christ, and followed Him. He would sit by the mountainside, and great crowds gathered around Him. But the precious Saviour that was sent to our world, that He might bring to us the precious message of eternal life, wants that every one of us shall realize that God is making a call to us in this very meeting we are having here in this tent. And we want to understand what we shall do, that we may meet the mind of the Spirit of God. Any one that has lost the evidence of their communion with God, we want them to come. We have an intense desire that they shall follow on to know the Lord, that they may know His going forth is prepared as the morning, and He wants every one of us to be worked. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 13

Well, who is going to work you, the devil or the Lord? There is one or the other. You are under one or the other, and which are you under? Are you under the discipline of God? If you are, I know that we shall understand it at this meeting. But if you will come just as you are, the blessing of God will come upon you in rich measures. Will you try it? Will you consecrate yourselves to God? Now, He wants that every one of us should be bright and shining lights to the world, that they should show the distinction between the lovers of God and the lovers of Satan, those that follow the dictations of the enemy. We don’t want to be on their side. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 14

Christ went into the wilderness to be tempted forty days and forty nights, and after His temptation the enemy began to throw his coil, and try to get it into His heart, but He did not repeat the words of Satan at all. No, He said, “Thus saith the Lord.” Now whenever you begin to reason with an unbeliever, and they will begin to bring their objections, don’t try to take up their objections, and try to explain them, because you are losing your chance. Christ did not do that. Satan said, “Command that these stones be made bread, why do you go hungry? Command that it be made bread to satisfy your hunger.” [See Matthew 4:3.] 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 15

What were the words of Christ? “It is written.” Now you hear what is written, “Man shall not live, etc.” [Verse 4.] The word Satan was giving was not proceeding out of the mouth of God to tell Him to satisfy His hunger. No, that was the last temptation that He was to have in that way. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 16

But then he took Him and placed Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and he said to Him, “It is written that he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee, that he should not fall.” But he did not add, “In all thy ways,”—in the ways that God has marked out for Him. Christ declares, “It is written, Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God.” [Verses 6, 7; Psalm 91:11.] 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 17

Then Satan carries Him to a mountain and opens before Him the kingdoms of the whole world. “All these will I give thee, for it is given unto me, if thou will fall down and worship me.” Now Christ speaks out, “Get thee hence, Satan, It is written, etc.” [Matthew 4:9, 10; Luke 4:6.] 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 18

Now we can see there are two parties in our world. Satan is exercising to the utmost of his ability his powers that he may lead men and women into dangers, and to work against the commandments of God, but you cannot afford it. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 19

We want ministers; we want laborers; we want sanctified men and women; we want those that can understand to resist Satan’s devices. The time is short now, and we want to try to be co-laborers with Jesus Christ. The great sacrifice in heaven was made. And there was Christ, the Son of the living God, traveling on foot from place to place, and He was teaching the Scriptures to the people, and the people joining Him, until there was five thousand besides women and children. They heard His voice. They understood His words or they could not have been attracted as they were to toil along with children in their arms to hear the words that were spoken. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 20

Here is the great city of Portland, and they were aroused wonderfully under the first and second angels’ messages, and now the third angel’s message is brought to you from the Word of God. He wants you to lay hold of it, and He wants you to have your mind elevated and ennobled and sanctified through the belief of the truth. Well, then what? You have His words, “Ye are laborers together with God.” [1 Corinthians 3:9.] That is what your work is. When you begin to be laborers together with God, you will watch what you say in your family. You will guard your words, that they shall not in any way be construed by your children in a wrong way so that they will have their patience stirred up against you, because you are God’s messenger, you are the father of your children. And the mothers, they are to have the most precious words to give to their children. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 21

There are people in this city to be warned. You cannot afford to lose your strength from God or be separated from Him, because you have a message to bear. You are to carry the truth throughout this city, every one that can go from house to house to give warning. Take pamphlets, take books with you, and see if you cannot get the subject of truth before them. We have but a little time to work. The Lord is soon to come, and we want to be prepared for His coming. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 22

I ask you, what are you going to do about the truth, and the truths you are listening to? The Lord help you to search the Scriptures yourselves. It is for your eternal interest. Your eternal life is involved in it. Will you take the Word of God as your counsellor? Will you grasp it? God help you that you may be workers together with Jesus Christ. He has a kingdom for us. He wants to establish it, and He wants us “to arise and shine for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” [Isaiah 60:1.] Verses 2, 3, 4. “Lift up thine eyes round about.” Now just do this. Bring the light of truth in your heart. We have to walk humbly with God. We have characters to form for the eternal life. We must be in a position where we can glorify the Lord. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 23

When he saw the city of Jerusalem He wept over it. Luke 19:37. “Mighty works that they had seen.” Have we seen any? Have we brought ourselves in right relation with God? Have we had humility of heart? Have we seen the necessity of being a light ourselves to the world? 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 24

Luke 19:33-46. Now similar scenes will be transacted in the last great day. It is upon us, and we want every soul that shall come to these meetings to understand that the Lord Jesus, He it is that gave His life for us that we might be partakers of His divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 25

From the light that is given me night after night, it is evident that the people are asleep. They do not know what will come upon them suddenly. There are judgments abroad in the land, and we want that every soul should come to Jesus, and when you come to Him, He will accept you just as you are. He is our Saviour. He went through all that suffering in the wilderness of temptation to resist the enemy, and after He had fasted forty days and forty night, what then? Why, the angels ministered unto Him. What was all this terrible test? It is that you shall understand that our Saviour has passed over the suffering part. He did not shun it for you and for me. He passed over that suffering part that we might be partakers of His divine nature. Now He has given His life, it is given for you, and He is the One that has said that you were to go to warn the world, you are to warn others, and who is doing it? 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 26

Is this great city to be left in ignorance? We want you to wake up. We want every one that claims to have the righteousness of Christ to reveal the works of Christ in heart and mind and character. Then you will meet the requirement of God. The angels of God will represent to your mind that fulness, that grace, that you can go with a sanctified tongue to speak to unbelievers who are not in the truth—your neighbors, and ever your friends that are in ignorance. Have you any Christ? I beseech of you to reveal it, and to speak of His glory and tell of His power. You have a work to do. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 27

I would not be here at my age, if I did not believe this. I thought when I left home that it was not possible that I could go from conference to conference, and warn the people in tents, and in meetinghouses, and wherever I could, but go to the large camp meeting and stand there before them day after day. Well, I am certainly better than I was when I left home. Why? Because of the mighty Healer. I believe in Him. I trust in Him. I go whether I feel able to go or not, and when I came to this place from South Lancaster, I felt that I could not sit up in the seat, and I lay down, and the car was crowded. But after I got here, that weakness passed away, because I had work to do. And just so He will work for every one of us. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 28

I love Jesus, and I want to walk before Him in a perfect way. And I want every one to honor Him. Why? Because He gave His life for us. Only think of it, the suffering, the agony with His hands upon the cross, and the wicked reviling Him, His murderers reviling Him. But one thief wishes to be remembered when He came in His kingdom. He tells him, “Verily I say unto you today,”—not that He should go to His kingdom that day, but while His hands were stretched on the cross He had a perfect power to say to him that he should have a place in His kingdom. [Luke 23:43.] We want to say that we have a living Saviour and He wants to put the crown upon our head, and that we shall come off victorious. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 29

He wants hundreds of souls in Portland; men and women must have the message. There must be a call to the people from Portland, Maine. They must be brought to a knowledge of the truth. There has a neglect been made in not keeping up the work of the power of God as we have had it before us in our lives. But we want now to make all the efforts that are possible for us to make. How will it be? 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 30

He will take us just as we are, sinful and blotted. What did He come to the earth for? He came in humanity, that humanity might grasp divinity. He came, that He might come close to humanity, and that His teaching should reach the hearts of humanity. And then as Christ is revealed as the Saviour of the world, here is a message that is to come to those that are in darkness. Will you follow Him? Will you follow the Redeemer? We want you to. Jesus wants you. Your humanity is to grasp divinity by a living faith. That is why Christ came, that humanity might touch humanity, and that divinity might be turned to pardon the transgression of sinners. Now we ask you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, humble yours hearts before God. We want to walk humbly before Him. We want to confess our weakness. We want to put on Christ. We want to glorify the Son of God, and we ask every one of you to give your hearts to Him. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 31

What I am presenting before you? A life, an eternal life that measures with the life God. Will you have it? Will you fight the devil here, or will you let him fight you, and let him get you under his feet? Will you every one rise in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and will you say, He died for me? I will give my life for Him if He requires it. The angels of God are commissioned to help every soul that will turn their eyes to the cross of Calvary. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 32

We want to see the work progress in Portland. We want to see the cause built up here. We want that the Word of God shall be in the place that it used to be in 1842, 1843, and 1844. We want the salvation of God to come into this city. We ask you if you will arise in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and take hold of the Lord Jesus, whose hands were pierced with the cruel nails, His brow bleeding with the strokes that were put upon Him when the barbed crown was placed upon His head. None of you can endure more agony of body that He endured. But we ask you to take Him as He is. Give Him your heart. Teach your children here. Teach them that they can be saved. The little children He took in His arms and blessed them, and Christ will take them in His arms and bless them. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 33

What we want is the simplicity of true godliness, and when we get that we have an overcoming power to resist the devil. Humanity can grasp divinity and overcome the temptations that are in the world through lust. And now I leave these words with you, and I ask you to just give your heart to God. What more would He do for you? He died for every one of you that you might have eternal life in His kingdom if you accept Him and are washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. 24LtMs, Ms 122, 1909, par. 34