Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 25 (1910 - 1915)

Ms 72, 1910

Talk/Discourse by Mrs. E. G. White at Pacific Union College.

Angwin, California

March 8, 1910

Previously unpublished.

I want to read a few verses of Scripture. (Revelation 3:1): “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 1

Now, I was standing in the night vision, and there was an application made of this Scripture, and it was that there was not that work done that must be done by those who claim to be Sabbathkeepers. Many of them do not act as those ought to act who believe the truth. That was the explanation. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 2

“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received, and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” [Verses 2, 3.] 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 3

This, I am instructed to say, is the position of very many that have stood proclaiming the last work that is to be done, but they have their ideas confused. They need the Spirit of God to come upon them to give the power of the Spirit, and then the impression will be made upon the people. Now if we go back and remember how we did in the early days of the message, how that my husband and I got out the truth, oh, how we sought to make everybody have that truth, because it was such an impressive thing upon us that they must have it, and we tried with all our powers to get it before everyone. When my husband was not well and I was under infirmity, we struggled in every way to get to this place and that place and the other place, that we might give the warning in the community around us. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 4

“Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” [Verses 4, 5.] Now, this work must be taken up with every one that shall accept the truth, and that is the reason why we have felt we must have a school, and this school will swell in proportions. You have a number here, but you will have many more. There will be many more here, and there is a work to be done here in this very place. There are to be, as you see the necessities, provisions made so that you can come right up to the work, and not say, Now the time is so short that it will not pay to make such great preparations. Why, the great preparations must be made to make a place for the people, that they can hear, that they can understand, that they can see that there is something in this matter that stirs their souls. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 5

And every one in our institutions should feel that they are carrying on a work of the highest importance, and every soul in connection with them should be just as clean and pure in the sight of God, that they may understand what their movements make. Here is a party spoken of right here in the third chapter of Revelation: “Thou hast a few names ... for they are worthy.” Now there are some that will keep the high standard before them. There are others that will allow their minds to be confused so that it seems as though it never could be possible that the things which we have apprehended are coming upon the world. But what has come since the burning of San Francisco? Why, as it is presented to me, the wickedness of the wicked is almost beyond comprehension. What is the matter? They are hardened. They seem to be where the truth could not reach them, and we have no time to delay. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 6

We must bring the message before the people just as it is. The precious truth is to come to many who do not now know it. But how are we going to get it to them? Missionaries are to be in every city. Missionaries are to be all through our cities. We are not to delay to find out whether they can go or not. God says to go. He has given the very first charge that they are to go, and to warn those who are unwarned. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 7

Well now, there are quite a number of young people here. What are they here for? What is this place prepared for? It is that these young people may become acquainted with the Scriptures and that they may understand that the end of all things is at hand, and that whatever they shall do now, they must bring their souls into right relation to God. The end is near, and everything that is a pretense we want to drop and get in its place the reality, and it is our privilege to do this. That is why I speak to you today. “Remember how thou hast received.” [Verse 3.] They have had the truth in its purity. They have had a knowledge of the truth, but it has become a tame thing. “Remember how thou hast received.” 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 8

We have an individual work to do and we have little time to do that work. We have a preparation to make, and that is why we felt so thankful when the Lord opened the way that we should have this very place. I can see many advantages that perhaps others cannot see. Well, it seems hard to climb this hill. It seems hard to go so far when we want to get there quickly. But we will make the best of it. And the very reason that the places are secured to us by God is so that we may be out of the cities. There will be places where we cannot inhabit the cities. Our lives will be in danger if we do. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 9

And this is why I have kept before you for years that the cities must be worked without delay. But how many have been worked? I have seen city after city where one or two men have been allowed to go to work, and then they felt that they had worked the cities. Why, you must act as men striving to bring the truth before others as God has brought it before you. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 10

Angels of God are watching. They will be all around you to help you and open the way before you. But if there is a hand stretched out to go to the cities to work, it is said, We have no means yet. Well, you must be ready, and go without means. But God does not intend that you shall go without means. He intends that you shall open these cities and go very guardedly. If you do not, you will lose your lives before you know it. It is no small work that is now resting upon us. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 11

That which we might have done twenty or thirty years ago will have to be done and carried forward in a very different manner than it could have been then. But do your best now. Do not delay. I lie awake hours and hours in the night season. I am wakened and I cannot sleep another wink. I lie there and cry, Lord, what can I do? I have given the message in print; I have given it before congregations of our people, and what more can I do? Well, I cannot see how, unless you take it up and work upon it. “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” [Verse 5.] 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 12

Now that is what the promise is, and I believe in the promise of the Lord. You just go to work, and you see if you do not have ways open before you and if the hearts of the people are not moved. You tell them the simple story of the cross, and lay it right out before them that the salvation of their souls is hanging in the balance; and if you do this, the God of heaven will make the impression. He will do it. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 13

“I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” [Verse 5.] I know what that means. When I was in despair, utter despair, I understood, when it was opened before me, what that meant. I thought I never, never could get in harmony with the laws of heaven. I knew that I had to do it if I would be saved. I was brought in the visions of the night, by one of the angels, before Jesus, and I fell like one dead. There was the representation. I had then been in utter despair for some time, but as Christ looked upon me, He laid His hand upon mine; He clasped my hand and said, Be not afraid, I will be with you. I will give you light; I will give you courage; I will give you strength. I was only a child then, and I have had the fulfillment of this promise; I have had it ever since. When we came to a strait place, I knew what to expect—that He would help me. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 14

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” [Verses 7, 8.] He recognizes the “little strength.” 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 15

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” [Verses 10, 11.] 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 16

Now, we must study what the word of His patience is. This is our work. Here are all of these students, and the angels of God are co-operating with you, and we know that if you will press to the mark that you will have evidences of the love of God and the power of God and the salvation of God. You may at times think, What is the matter with me? Is my burden all gone? Have I lost it? Has the Lord left me? No, indeed. There comes up a brighter and stronger courage. There comes up a light from Jesus, and if you will encourage that you will have more. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 17

“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” [Verses 12-17.] 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 18

It crops out every little while because they have not that perfection of character that Christ wants them to have, so that wherever they may go, they will have the name of Jesus on their lips and will try to reach those that are around them. They will be working for the salvation of others. Here is the great inducement. He will give us a higher realization of truth, and that is what we want; then we cannot hold our peace. I speak it before these young students because I want them to have a sense of what the Lord can do for them. He expects them to have the truth as it is in Jesus, and He expects them to reach a high standard. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 19

Verse 16. It is because you feel no earnestness, no intensity. You do not realize that it is a case of life and death, and you know not how matters are breaking up in the cities. Why, there is the most awful condition in the cities! We hear the reports from one city and then from another. What are we to do? We have neglected the cities so long that it will be harder for us to work them now; nevertheless, if those that are placed in positions of responsibility will even now wake up and repent and seek the Lord with all their hearts, the Lord will renew unto them His Spirit if they are whole-hearted in the matter, and He will give them the message just as He gave to us in the first messages that came. And I know how we worked all around us. Darkness was everywhere, but we had to urge our way. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 20

Here are the workers, and here we are to lay right hold and to do the very best we can. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.” [Verse 15.] We do not want to be in that position any longer. We want every one to stir up another, to help another, every one to feel that we are right on the verge of the eternal world. We are right in the time when the Spirit of God is striving with these youth. Get a solid experience. The Lord will teach you. The Lord will guide you. I know He will, for He took me when a child, and when I was suffering so much from the severe accident I suffered. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 21

The Lord God of heaven would communicate with me, and I would say, “What does this mean, Mother? I do not know what it means.” She said, “I know. The Lord wants you to take your position.” “How can I do it?” I would ask. “Well,” she said, “you must do it.” I was enabled to do it, and not a cloud darkened my mind for so long. I was right in the light of His countenance, and when I would go to the meetings of unbelievers, they would crowd in and crowd in until they drove me right onto the hearth. And there in the homes of the people I would take the families, whenever I could, and teach them, and before I would get through there would not be one still sitting on their chairs they were so stirred by the power of God. Well, of course I did not dare to leave the work there. I saw nothing but the light, and I carried it on. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 22

Now, what you want is the simplicity of true godliness. Here is the work to be done on this land. Here is the work to be done in building. You need buildings. Why? Because the cities will be in such a condition that our people cannot live in them, and when I heard how much land there was in the possession of our people, I said, “Good.” Now when conditions are such that it will be impossible for us to remain in the cities, we must raise everything we can to support ourselves, and then go out into the byways and into the highways to give the message. This is the very work we must do. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 23

When I was told of this place, I said, “God is in this. He has opened the way.” I first enquired how much land there was. They told me. “Are there many settlements nearby?” “No,” they said. We feel so thankful that we have a place out in the country, away from the cities, and that it is hard work to get to it. I felt that it was pretty hard work for me today. But we are here, and I want to say a few words more. Let us every one seek the Lord with simplicity of true godliness. Let us, every one here, strive for this. And if we have the true spirit that is pointed out here, let me tell you we will understand and reveal the Spirit of Christ. You will know just how to go. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 24

After our meetings had been broken up and they had threatened to put us in jail, my husband and I would travel. We did not know just what to do, but we went right ahead just the same. The Lord gave us liberty; He gave us grace; He gave us His Spirit, and I want to tell you that we need a great deal more religion than we have today. Do you mark how fast the devil is working? Do you mark how fast he is securing people so that you never can reach them? Now all these people are not so wicked that they cannot be reached. They have not had the truth presented before them as you have it. Now we want to be in that position where we can understand what the will of the Lord is, and then we want to take hold to carry it out, because we are very near to the close of this earth’s history. We want that everyone shall come just as close as possible into the condition where they shall be favored of God. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 25

Revelation 20:1, 2. He is working now with all his powers, that old serpent, to get control of the human mind, and you do not realize it. It has come in such a way that you do not realize it. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 26

I will not stop to read more, but you can read right through this chapter. But I want you to look at this thing, and I want it to be understood. I want these students to understand it. Think seriously. We want you to be cheerful and happy. There is not reason why you should not be happy. Everything around you is pleasant, but do not think that you have nothing to do but come in here and enjoy what there is here. There must be schools prepared in many places, and this is one of them. There must be simple buildings erected. You see the buildings that are here; there is nothing elegant about them. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 27

It is too late in the day, altogether too late, for great mansions, but what we do want is to make a thorough preparation, to be washed white and clean in the blood of the Lamb in the very simplicity of true godliness. Then you will see that you are in a position where you can have an influence upon others. But the world is growing worse and worse. It is becoming more and more impossible to get within reach of the people, because the wicked Satan himself is working to secure the world and the wicked, and to place his stamp upon all that it is possible for him to place it upon. You know whether he is doing this or not if you read the papers. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 28

But we want to say, Let us now seek the Lord, every one of us, men, women, and children. We have no time to lose. Let us seek the Lord while He may be found, and call upon Him while He is near. You will find that the God of our salvation is very patient. He understands all about our temperament; He understands how to deal with us individually. But I feel intensely, and I cannot sleep at night because I think so many are stupid and indifferent and they do not seem to take hold of what they can. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 29

In Second Peter we read, “Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge, ... into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” [2 Peter 1:5-11.] Well now, what is that? It is the life insurance policy. We may have our lives insured in the heavenly courts. We do not want to make any mistake here and go on half-hearted, half-converted. Let us every one lay right hold upon the Holy Spirit of God, and we will know what it is. We enjoyed it at the very first when the message went forth, and we have enjoyed it many times since. But there is a sleepiness over our churches just as sure as you live, and we cannot afford to have it there. Let us awake. I have an opportunity now to address you, and I want to tell you that the time has come for you to put away everything like ungodliness, everything like playing the game of life with anyone, or trying to get advantage in any dealing. Come out as Christ would have you come out, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 30

We cannot afford to make a mistake now. When godliness shall shine into your heart and mind, it will repay you. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are a child of God, that you are an heir of heaven. Jesus knows every trial. Carry it right to Jesus, and He will hear your prayer. He will answer your prayer and give you the grace of God. Instead of complainings will be heard praise to God from your lips. Do not let go. Keep your heart in that position so that you will lay right hold upon life eternal and you will not let go. I do not know that I have time to say any more, but I wanted to give you this hint of it, and some time I shall get it out more fully. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 31

Last night I thought I would not come here unless I saw that I had something to say. I have said this much, and I do not want you to forget it. I want you to lay right hold of it. Remind them of it for Christ’s sake. Pray with those who are in a position of doubt and perplexity. Get right down on your knees and pray with them, and ask the Lord to help them. We are to see the saving grace of God in our own hearts; we are to feel it there. We are to feel the overcoming grace, and you can feel the power of true godliness. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 32

God grant that all this school may have the advantage of knowing what it means to walk and talk with God. That means to keep your minds stayed on Him and not to speak idle and trifling words, but to take right hold of the grace of God. The cities are growing worse and worse. Thank the Lord, we are here. We want to see the salvation of God, and we want to hear the voice of thanksgiving that shall come to God in prayer, that shall come to Him in speech, and the Lord will bless us as a people. 25LtMs, Ms 72, 1910, par. 33