Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 24 (1909)

Ms 125, 1909

Sermon/Sabbath sermon by Mrs. E. G. White.

Three Rivers, Michigan

July 24, 1909

Previously unpublished.

Genesis 2:1-3. Now that is some of the evidence that is given to us, which is carried on through the Word of God. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 1

Exodus 17:1-4. You can understand that it is no light responsibility that was resting upon the leaders of this occasion to carry out the purpose of God to establish them in a land where they would have plenty—God’s own land, where they would not have lack of food, and where they could educate themselves to follow on to know the Lord, that they might know His going forth is prepared as the morning. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 2

Verses 4-6. “in Horeb.” Now you see the assurance that they had that there was a leader, and that Leader was in the cloud right before them, to understand all their necessities, and to provide for them, but they were tempted whenever there was any inconvenience. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 3

Verse 5. That river where their enemies are tempted to pass and the water was permitted to overflow the Egyptians and they perished. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 4

Verses 6, 7. Now can we understand what that temptation meant? Why, here they murmured at the Lord. They have seen that when Pharaoh had followed after them to pursue them, that He made a dry path through the water for them to pass over. When Pharaoh with his hosts attempted to pass over, and as they were in the midst of the sea and those that had come on the dry land were standing upon the height where the waters ceased to flow, then they could exalt God. But when their enemies followed hard after them, it looked as though they might overtake them, but soon the water was commanded to go forth into its natural course, and the whole army of Pharaoh was destroyed. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 5

Now we would think that such a manifestation as that would forever settle their faith that God was leading them. And He would have all of us walk and work in such a way that God could be our guide, that God could direct, that God could carry us through difficulties, that we should rejoice in the name of the Lord. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 6

Verses 8-11. The children of Israel were given a positive evidence who was guiding them, that it was no haphazard chance they were taking, but they must look up to their God, who was in the pillar of cloud that was guiding them, and hear what they were to do themselves. They were to exercise that faith that their armies must reach up their hands unto heaven and trust in the living God if they expected to be led and if they expected to be guided. If they expected to be translated that they must look unto God. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 7

Just so it is with us. He wants every one of these lessons to come home to us, that we may understand that we are not kept by our own power, but that we have a mighty Leader. And here was a Leader commissioned to carry them all through that desert. Who was the leader? None else than Jesus Christ. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 8

Verses 12-14. It is for our benefit, every one of us. It was not merely for that time, but it was to let you know, every one of you that our help must come from God, and that we must trust in the living God, and serve Him according to His directions if we expect to overcome our enemies and to obtain the victory. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 9

Verse 14. It is written for something, it is written for you, for me, and for all that have any desire to do the will of God. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 10

Verse 14. “Joshua.” After Moses had fulfilled his work, Joshua takes his position. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 11

Verses 14-16. Because they were determined to have their own way. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 12

I want to dwell on the subject that I am on now, because some may ask, Why are you keeping the seventh day, when nearly all the world are keeping Sunday? Now we are going to tell you. There was a positive command of God that we should keep the Sabbath day holy. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 13

Exodus 17:1. Now here was one instance, and there were continual instances, of the working of God to let them see that God was working in their behalf. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 14

Exodus 15. We need to know how the Lord led the children of Israel. And one point I had passed over, and that was their going to the sea, and the parting of the sea, and the deliverance they had, and then what did they do? Exodus 15:1-6. “Right hand.” Here is where the glory is given. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 15

Verses 6-9. And so it goes on their song. Now they came to a point. Exodus 16:1-3. “Flesh.” There is the great trouble. “When we did eat bread to the full” ... verse 6. Now He condescends to give them the bread of heaven, that they should eat to stop all their murmuring. If it was angels’ food, it was the best food that possibly could be given to them. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 16

Verse 5. Why? Here was the Sabbath; they must keep the Sabbath. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 17

Verses 6-8. They had angels’ food to eat, but it did not satisfy them. Verses 9-11, 21, 29-36. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 18

Exodus 17:1. We might think that they would learn after a while to be patient, and to believe and to trust in the Lord with all their heart and mind. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 19

Verses 2, 3. That is just the history that they were to carry out. I have read the last part of this to you. Now I want to go on to Exodus 19:1-8. Some of us pledge ourselves, but when we come into a hard place, how many of us stand the proving? How many begin to murmur, how many begin to complain, how many commence to fret against the Lord? Wouldn’t it be better when we come into these perplexities to get down in simplicity upon our knees and ask the Lord God of Israel to give us the water that He had given us to show His great kindness still to us? The Lord would have been pleased with that. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 20

Verses 8, 9. You see that the Lord calculates that they would believe in the Lord forever. Verse 9 last part, verses 10-14. The Lord is pleased with cleanliness always. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 21

Verses 15-19. There is God talking with the people through Moses. Verses 20-25; Exodus 20:1. He wants all of us to understand what He was telling them. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 22

Verses 2, 3. They were in the habit of having gods, a good many things that they ought to have had. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 23

Verses 4-6. There is the pledge God has made for every living soul upon the face of the earth. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 24

Verses 7, 8. Remember, now here is what He wants you to remember, the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Verses 9, 10. Here is the reason. Verse 11. Now He gives them the commandments—you know what they are. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 25

Verse 12. That throws a responsibility upon the father and the mother. Just as surely as you educate your children to obey the commandments of God, to honor their father and their mother, and just as surely as you do that, you will not have very much scolding to do. You can tell them what the Bible says, just what God says, to them, and then lay the responsibility upon them, and yourselves. The parents and the children to see that that responsibility is really a pledge to these children all their lifetime. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 26

Verses 13, 14-20. You are to obey the words of the Lord, and teach them to your children that they may teach them to their children. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 27

Verses 21-23. O, if every one could remember that there need not be sinners, coveting, murdering, doing everything possible to obtain money. Money is not everything. It is something. We want it, and what do we want it for? Just what we have been doing with it. We want it to send our missionaries to foreign countries. We want it to provide the education that is essential in this part of our world, that we may give them a fitness to go into the foreign countries, and there learn the languages. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 28

I was introduced at our General Conference to a large party that wished to see Mrs. White, as they had read her writings, and they were noble men; they were missionaries in their own country, some could not speak our language at all, and some could. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 29

Verses 20-22. And the Lord will talk with us from heaven in a great many ways if we will cultivate the grace of humility, if we will practice it in all our dealing in our churches and out of our churches. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 30

We are just now in a strait place. Here is Portland, where I was brought up. I was born in Gorham, twelve miles from Portland, and I have spoken to the people there, and I wish you could know how the power of God rested down on Sunday and a congregation fully as large as this congregation. The power of God rested upon me as I spoke to the people, and then I begged of them if they would do service for God, according to His Word, would they rise upon their feet. Well, it seemed the whole congregation was upon their feet, and my heart was all broken up. I bowed right down with them, and I pled with God. I lay right hold of the arm of the Infinite One, and I begged of Him to prepare a place where the people that would keep His Sabbath could live, and that they could do good to all the places that were in Portland, and that was only in one section. This was the place that we heard the message of 1843, in 1841, 1842, 1843. There is where the Lord has put His spirit upon me, and gave me a message to bear to the people. I said I could not do it. And I went into despair, and was in despair for months, but no minister could help me, no one could help me. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 31

I consented to go with my mother to a little prayer meeting, to please her. I knelt on my knees, and my mouth was opened. No sooner did I begin to speak than the power of God gave voice that reached a mile, and there I dedicated myself to God. There was my uncle a backslider. O, said he, I cannot live in this house; I must get out of it. I know what that is. I have had it. I have passed through that experience of loving and serving God, but I am a backslider, and do get her out of the house. Well, said they, We cannot get her out of the house, she is helpless there. He could not get her out of the house. He the Lord meant that he should have heard that voice; the Lord meant that he should hear it. I do not know what use he made of it, but I want to tell you that from that day the cloud burst. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 32

I was only a child, a little over twelve years old, when this victory came to me, and O, I have held it with a grip that never would let it go. I went from house to house, and I did not go to greet the people. I went right to my companions, and I talked with them all night long, and I would pray with them until they gave their hearts to God, and thus I went from street to street and house to house, and worked in my childhood, and I have worked ever since. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 33

Now, here is what the Lord has spoken. Verses 18-23. How many are mocking their God, and selling their souls for gold and for silver, when there is an eternity of bliss that is presented to them if they will keep His commandments? He shows them there is some importance to keeping His commandments. It is verity and truth that He wants them to keep. Why? That they may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world through lust. How? He gave His only begotten Son to come to our world. Why? That humanity might have the example of sinless humanity. That it might grasp the divinity in Christ Jesus, and every sinner that could come to God through Christ, and believe His arm would encircle them to care for them, to protect them. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 34

They will have trials and difficulties, but they have got a helper I have had trials and have had difficulties all the way along, but it only drove me close to my Saviour. I never thought of divorcing myself from God in order that I might relieve myself of difficulties. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 35

Verse 22. I think of this when I go into houses in different places, and I see all the things that are created there for sightseeing, and to amuse, and to enrich this home and that home and the other home, when there are souls perishing in our cities; and I lie awake nights. I cannot sleep many nights. I lie awake crying unto God. What will bring them out that they will, every one, heed the word of the Lord? It means everything to you and to me, that they follow on to know the Lord, that they may know His going forth is prepared as the morning. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 36

Verses 24, 25. Here we have lessons that are given unto us, and I want to still go on and give the evidence. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 37

Exodus 31:12-15. Whosoever doeth any work on the Sabbath day, where they do it in the face of all the light. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 38

Verses 16-18. Now we have the history of Israel. You just read it out of the Book. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 39

Those that committed idolatry when Moses was listening to the words of God there, not eating or drinking, but there he was for forty days and forty nights, and when he came down to them they were worshiping a calf. They had made a calf of gold and were worshiping that golden calf. Now here is the evidence that I have presented. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 40

Exodus 35:1. Here was Moses who had been forty days and forty nights. But when he came down from the mount there Israel was worshiping the calf. Well, he gave them the privilege. He does not say, every one that will come out on my side, but every one that will come out on the Lord’s side, let them manifest this, and take their position right with the Lord on the Lord’s side. Well, those that did yield lives were preserved, and those that did not, they lost their lives. Thus the Lord tests His people. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 41

Now I want to say to every one of us that are here that God’s commandments mean something, and He wants every one of us to search the Scriptures. He has given us the Bible and He wants us to have the humility, that meekness, so that we will bow to the Lord’s will. If we will not bow to His will here, we would not bow to His will if we were in heaven. No. He wants us to manifest whether He can trust us in the heavenly courts. He wants every soul saved. He wants every one of us that should be obedient to show our obedience. He wants missionaries, and we will talk of that at some other time, but He wants missionaries to go in every city, and He wants those that have the light of truth to proclaim that truth wherever they are. He wants it. He wants you. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 42

He wants you, men and women, to come to the Lord, to seek Him with all the heart and mind. I had the proof. The Lord help us every one to be converted. Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call ye upon Him while He is near. Search your Bible and know what God saith, and then when you hear what God saith, you take that right up and do it. Do not ask anybody around you. You are amenable to God, and every soul in us is, and I ask you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that you would for Christ’s sake make your peace with God and be obedient. When He says the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, He has never retracted it. It is that very day. You will find it all through the Scriptures, from the commencement to the close in various places, when He tells them about the Sabbath. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 43

Now, that Sabbath will sanctify us if we keep it holy. And we want to show the distinction from the world. We want to show that we are obedient children. We want to keep the law of God, and we want to come in unity with heaven, and we want every one to come in unity with God. Do not trifle with the time and the invitations that you may have here to make thorough work for eternity. Come to the meetings and hear what we have to say of the truth, the precious truth of God, then humble your heart before God, and let that heart be softened, to melt under the movings of the Spirit of God. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 44

Christ gave His life in order that He might bring every son and daughter of Adam, that He might bring them to the truth. And therefore it is of some consequence to you when God gives His only begotten Son to our world that this world might be brought back to God by their obedience. He came in humanity that humanity might touch humanity, and that divinity might grasp divinity by that living faith that God will acknowledge you as His children, and a crown of immortal glory is prepared to be placed upon the head of every soul that will be obedient. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 45

Do you wonder then that, although I am nearly 82 years old, I want to tell you that there is a heaven to win, and that is the reason I have consented to come on this journey to speak to the crowds in Washington, and to speak to the people wherever I have been in camp meetings or in any gatherings, and invite them to come. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 46

Come to Christ, and do not let any one wait until it is too late. Take the Word of God and search it diligently. May the Lord help you to do this! Who will testify today that they will follow on to know the Lord, that they will search the Scriptures, that they will know what truth is, and not harbor error, and then come to a point where it is too late? Too late! They see no light in it, but we want you to be enlightened. Will you come to the Lord? God grant that you may. How many will stand up today and say they will seek the Lord? Whoever will, stand up. (Nearly all rise.) Thank the Lord. I take your pledge. Thank the Lord. I believe that you mean just what you say. Let us pray. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 47

(Praying:) Heavenly Father, we come to thee on this occasion, just as we are, in our feebleness we have tried to speak words to the people. But we cannot impress the heart, that is Thy work. I have done what I could in an imperfect way to present the Scripture a little here and there, but we ask Thee Lord to give them a heart to search diligently to know what is truth. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 48

We thank Thee, heavenly Father for all Thy mercies, for all Thy blessings, that Thou hast not left us in foolishness and ignorance, but that Thou hast prepared Thy Word, which is truth, to show us what is true, to show us what is light, and let Thy Holy Spirit move upon human hearts. This is Thy part of the work. I have spoken in imperfection to Thy people, and now I ask Thee, heavenly Father, that Thou wouldest impress the human minds, and that Thou wouldest let Thy light shine into the chambers of the mind and into the soul temple, and that they may see that God has given His only begotten Son, and He died a death of shame and agony, and He was the only begotten of the Father. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 49

And I ask Thee, heavenly Father, to help them to grasp the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour, who proclaimed over the rent sepulcher, I am the resurrection and the life. O, my heavenly Father, dispel the clouds that have gathered over the communities and the churches, and let Thine own Word come in to be magnified, come in to be exalted, come in to be obeyed, because these are the terms of their salvation, to keep the commandments of God and live, and His law as the apple of the eye. I ask Thee, Lord, to bless this people, and I ask Thee that Thy light may shine into every human mind. Lord, bless them today. Let Thy grace be given. Let Thy love come into the heart. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 50

We thank Thee, we thank Thee for this expression that we have had here today, and we believe that they mean it. And now, Lord, encircle us in the arms of Thy divine mercy, and clear the way that these souls may find their Saviour and may rejoice in Thy love, Thy pardoning love, Thy grace, Thy great power to save. We put them into Thy hands, and we ask Thee, Lord, that Thy will may be accomplished, that souls may be saved. Thou lovest them. Thou hast given them every evidence in giving Thine only begotten Son to a shameful death to make a way that these souls shall be sanctified unto God. Now, Lord, we are Thine, to do Thy will during this meeting. I ask Thee, Lord, that angels may be in this encampment, and may move upon the hearts of those that are here. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 51

Thou, Jesus, that shed Thy blood for humanity, Thou knowest what suffering means. I ask Thee that Thou wouldest in Thy divine mercy break these hearts into softness, and may love be expressed in their works, that God may harmonize with them, and give them that needed grace whereby they can overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. We want their souls. Thou dost want their souls. We commit them all to Thee, and ask Thee, Lord, to work through this meeting, and Thy name shall have all the glory. 24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 52