General Conference Bulletin, vol. 6

The Sermon - LET US PUBLISH SALVATION

E. G. WHITE

May 27, 9:15 A. M.

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?” GCB May 31, 1909, page 225.11

The prophet presents before us a people who are finding fault with the Lord because he does not give them all that they selfishly desire. The Lord in his answer to their complaints shows that they do not deserve all that thy require at his hands; for they have not dealt righteously. “Behold,” he says, “in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labors. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord.” GCB May 31, 1909, page 225.12

God desires his people to place themselves in right relation to him that they may understand what he requires of them. They are to be a commandment-keeping people wherever they are, at home or abroad, and to have the assurance that they are accepted as his children. They are to take their position in the world as a people whose righteousness goes before them, and whose rereward is the glory of the Lord. When we live before the world such consistent lives that it can be said of us that our righteousness goes before us, the glory of the Lord will surely be revealed. GCB May 31, 1909, page 225.13

The special work of God’s people for this time is brought before us in the words: “They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: they shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father.” GCB May 31, 1909, page 225.14

Our great need as a people is that we come into right relation to God. We can not afford to let one day pass in which we have not laid hold by living faith on the God of Israel. We need the clear light of the Sun of Righteousness to shine upon us. This light is given to those who keep holy the Lord’s Sabbath: but we can not keep this day holy unless we serve the Lord in the manner brought to view in the scripture: “Is not this the fast that I have chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free; and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him? and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh.” This is the work that rests upon every soul who accepts the service of Christ. GCB May 31, 1909, page 225.15

“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” GCB May 31, 1909, page 225.16

The Lord is constantly working for us, and our eyes should be opened to understand and to know his ways. We are to come to him in living faith. His arm is not shortened, that it can not save; his ear is not heavy, that he can not hear. It is our iniquities that separate us from God. What we individually need is the living testimony in our souls that we are seeking God with the whole heart, that we are putting from our lives those things which God declares should not be found there. God desires that we shall stand before the world a holy people. Why?—Because there is a world to be saved by the light of present truth. As we give to the people the truth that is to call them out of darkness into God’s marvelous light, our lives, sanctified by the Spirit of truth, are to bear witness to the verity of the message we proclaim. GCB May 31, 1909, page 225.17

My active labors in this message began when I was sixteen years of age. At that time the word came to me, “Write out the instruction I give you for the people.” I answered, “I can not write, Lord.” Because of the accident which had nearly cost me my life, I had been feeble in health and unable to write, for my hand trembled so that I was forced after many efforts to give up the attempt to write. But one night the angel of the Lord came to my bedside and said to me, “You must write out the things that I give you.” I said, “I can not write.” Again the command was given, “Write out the things I give you.” I thought I would try, and taking up a lapboard from the table, I began to write, and found that I could trace the words easily. The Lord had wrought a miracle upon me. Since that time, I have written thousands of pages, and I continue to write at the age of eighty-one. Through all these years the Lord has been my helper and preserver. Angels of God have protected me, guiding me and giving me strength to carry out the instruction of the Lord. Should I doubt the Lord now, and cast aside the evidences of his loving mercy and power? I thank his name that I have been kept from doing this. GCB May 31, 1909, page 225.18

At times I have been sick nigh unto death. In Australia I was a great sufferer from rheumatism for eleven months, but I was not allowed to cease my public labors. The brethren would come to me and say, “We will carry you in a chair from your phaeton to the hall. You will not have to stand, but can speak while sitting in your chair.” It was difficult for me to consent to this, but I did it, and the blessing of the Lord came upon me every time I spoke to the people. GCB May 31, 1909, page 225.19

The work we have to do is a wonderfully great work. There is much for us to do besides gathering together for counsel. There is a world to be saved; there are souls to be labored for in the cities of the East in States where the message of the soon coming of the Lord was first preached. Who will give themselves to this line of missionary work? There are hundreds of our people who ought to be out in the field who are doing little or nothing for the advancement of the message. Those who have had every advantage of knowing the truth, who have received instruction line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, have a great responsibility resting upon them in the souls who have never heard the last gospel message. Do we take into consideration the needs of these large Eastern cities? Do we not know that they must be warned of Christ’s near approach? GCB May 31, 1909, page 225.20

As a people we must come into sacred nearness to God. We need the light of heaven to shine into our hearts and into the chambers of our mind. We need the wisdom that God alone can give if we carry the message to these cities with success. Let our churches everywhere come into line. Let none who have pledged themselves by baptism to live for the service and glory of God take back their pledge. There is a world to be saved. Let this thought urge us on to greater sacrifices and earnest labor for those who are out of the way. GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.1

I was instructed only a few weeks ago that Portland must be given this last message to the world. Many of those who accepted the message under the labor of the early workers, now sleep in Jesus. And there are many more people in Portland now than in 1843, and this is another reason why it should be given faithful labor. In Portland and Boston we bore our testimony to the first and second angels’ messages. Now we must bring to these same cities the glory of the third angel’s message. Let us no longer neglect these cities. We have our periodicals containing the light of present truth; but who among us is trying to scatter the rays of light where the truth was so favorably received in the early days of the message? GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.2

The third angel’s message has brought together here a great company of believers from all parts of the world. We need to experience just such a reformation as was experienced in the time of William Miller’s preaching. Many, fearful that they would not get a seat, would come for miles, bringing their food with them, and would remain all day to the meetings. I want to see such days again. We have committed to us the proclamation of the third angel’s message; the last message of mercy that is ever to be given to our world. I want a part in spreading the knowledge of this truth. I would be glad to go from this meeting to the Eastern States and help, by diligent searching, to find out how we can present the message to the people in such a way that it will be received by them. GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.3

If ever there was a time when we needed workers, it is now. Let us dedicate ourselves and our means to God. Let us not spend money unnecessarily, but let us bind about our wants that we may send help to those places that are waiting for the message. Shall we not as a people arise and take up the work that needs to be done in our great cities? GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.4

At Melrose we have a beautiful sanitarium. And in other places in the East we have institutions for the promulgation of the message of present truth. At South Lancaster and other places we have large churches. I believe these churches will respond to the efforts that are made to open up work in the cities of the East. Let us give ourselves for service for the Lord, and he will instruct us what to do. Let us remember that if we will come into close relation with God he will walk with us. Let us not become so absorbed in self and self-interests that we shall forget those who are climbing the ladder of Christian experience, and who need our help. Let us take into consideration the work that is to be done in binding off this, the closing work of the message for these last days. May God help us to come near to him, and follow him so closely that we shall know his goings forth are prepared as the morning. Let us study to know what his message to us is, and determine to obey it, that the grace of God may rest upon us. GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.5

“Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city.... How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.6

“Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.7

Social Meeting

WASe

At the conclusion of Sister White’s talk, Elder Olsen suggested that as this stirring appeal had come to us again and again, it ought to touch every heart; that we ought to make a definite response in our souls, and heed this call of the Lord. He asked for short testimonies from those who desired to respond to the call just given. GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.8

A number from the Eastern States spoke appreciatively of the prospect of a special work being done in that territory, while some from other States signified their desire to help in the work in the East. All felt that such a work is certainly needed, and expressed confidence that an effectual campaign will be carried on in the field mentioned. GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.9

Elder S. N. Haskell gave the following testimony bearing especially on his experience in connection with the work Sister White had referred to in her talk:— GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.10

“I wish to say a few words in regard to some of the meetings that were referred to in her testimony. I was at that meeting which 22,000 people attended. It was in Groveland, near Haverhill, some three miles from the latter place. Probably there are some present who were at that meeting. Train after train came in, bringing many carloads of people, some of them on top of the cars. I asked one of the conductors if he had left any behind. The conductor replied that they had left more people at the stations than they had on the train. The tickets at the various stations were exhausted, and cash fares were paid on the train. GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.11

“Then, when we had our meeting, I said to Sister White, ‘Is this what you have seen would be in the loud cry?’ ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘only there was this difference, that when the truth was preached to the great crowds which I saw, there would be Bible workers going about among them explaining the subjects under consideration.’ She said there would be little meetings held in different places near by, where the workers could further explain the subjects treated in the main audience. So the next year at the camp-meeting we thought we would try this plan. Elder E. W. Farnsworth and myself went on top of the hill, where we held a small meeting in a building that had been erected there for the purposes of worldly pleasure. Sister White was speaking in a tent 80 x 125 feet, and it was packed as full of people as this tent is packed, and they stood around the outside of the tent as far as they could hear her voice. This was what she said was going to be, and I noticed to-day that she made direct reference to it. GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.12

“I must tell you about the experience at Haverhill. Haverhill is near Boston, and men from a temperance society at Boston came down, and heard Sister White speak in the tent. At the close of the meeting they asked if she would not come up and speak in the city hall. Arrangements were made, and she went up to the hall. I remember that Elder White said, ‘I would not talk as you do sometimes about tobacco, but emphasize temperance.’ On the platform with her there were twenty-five or fifty of the leading men of the city. Instead of not saying anything about tobacco, she gave one of the strongest discourses on the tobacco curse, and there sat some of the men with their beards discolored with tobacco. But they said ‘Amen’ to what she said, and declared that although they had not given it up, they thought perhaps they would. The impression made there was something like the impression made here this morning. GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.13

“Perhaps you have heard of Timothy Cole, who in those days used to preach to large audiences. It was said that the very presence of the man, as he would walk up to the desk, would bring conviction to all; that the sight of the man as he came on the platform would cause people to weep. I want to tell you, friends, God has not left the earth yet. We have the same God to-day, and he is ready to work with a people who will take hold upon his name, and believe him, and throw themselves into the work of God just as if it were the very life of them. GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.14

“I must allude to another occasion, a testimony that Sister White bore in the State of Maine, at what was probably the last camp-meeting she ever attended in the State. It was held at Portland a number of years ago. There was quite a large crowd going out from the city, as the meeting place was a little distance out. She said, before we reached the place, ‘I have seen that a great work will be done in Portland. I have seen the people who will attend the meeting, and there will be leading men in the city who will take their stand for the truth.’ And time and again all through the different camp-meetings she stated, ‘This is not the company I saw; but there will come a time when there will be a meeting held here in Portland, and the very men I saw will be at the meeting.’ I merely mention this to show the connection between the testimony here this morning, and what was stated years and years ago. GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.15

“Some of you remember Elder J. N. Andrews, the first man who went out from America as a foreign laborer, in 1874. When I was quite young, almost a boy, he would often put his hand on my head, and say, ‘My boy, I want you to remember this: When the message closes, God does not intend that it shall go out of the back door. There will be a power and a glory accompanying it such as we have never seen in the past.’ GCB May 31, 1909, page 226.16

“I am very thankful to God to see what we have seen at this meeting. In 1874 we sent out our first missionary into a foreign field. What do we see to-day?—Conferences, union conferences, and local conferences have sent their representatives here—from Russia even. We did not have a Sabbath-keeper then in Russia. But here is the message going, and it has brought back its echo from the ends of the earth. Then don’t you think that I see something here that rejoices my old heart? I am thankful to God for what I see, and for what I hear. The testimony comes back from these foreign lands, saying that the message has taken root over there. GCB May 31, 1909, page 227.1

“We may never have another meeting like this, where we have such a large representation from different parts of the world. I do not know what will happen in the next four years; but I want to tell you that we are on the short row, and God is doing something for the world. Just when persecution will break upon our heads, nobody can tell; but just as certainly as the message has brought out a people and carried them thus far, God will carry them through. The only question now is, Shall we sustain the right relation to the work of God?” GCB May 31, 1909, page 227.2