General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4

SERMON

W. W. Prescott

April 15, 7 P. M. (concluded.)

And that was the message that was to be made so plain, engraved upon tables, that the object-lesson might stand out before the people. The one thing to be talked was this life, life; not place, not ceremony, not creed, but life, and that life through a personal faith in the Life-giver, and in him who is the life. And that was the message that was to call them up out of Babylon, and bring them into their own land again, that they might build the city: and they did it. GCB April 18, 1901, page 320.22

After these centuries of falling away, and of darkness, and of the losing of that message,—this period of the dark ages through which this world has passed,—there began to shine out, in the sixteenth century, a light that would lead the people out of darkness. And what was the keynote of that movement?—“The just shall live by faith.” This was the inspiration and the power of that movement. Had that been held to, had everything else except the one thing of life, the union of the soul with God by that life power,—if that one simple thing had been held to, the Reformation which began then could have gone on with unstemmed tide, until the earth would have been lightened with its glory, and the kingdom of God would have come. But it went backward after a little. And why?—For the very same reason as of old. Instead of facing forward, and walking in the light all the time, they became fearful, turned backward, inquired for the fathers, began to accept tradition, and lost the power of their message. GCB April 18, 1901, page 320.23

But God does not forget his people. And now, in this century, in fulfillment of the prophecies, this movement has been revived. What is the principle that is in it?—It is that we should discard creed, tradition, human invention, man-made teachers, the commandments of men, and should turn simply to the word of the living God. [Voices: Amen!] That is the foundation of this work. When we slip from that foundation, we have nothing to stand upon—I do not care whose tradition it is, I do not care what man it is,—the moment we slip from that platform, that we are to stand squarely upon, both feet planted firmly upon the simple word of God,—when we slip from that, we have nothing. GCB April 18, 1901, page 320.24

So this reform movement, this third angel’s message—came in, that was to accomplish this work and build up Jerusalem—to do the same thing over again—to gather together the outcasts of Israel to build up the ruins that are fallen down. The message to do this is just this one simple message,—living by faith. “The just shall live by faith.” To live, as opposed to any form. Power from on high ruling in these mortal bodies, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in this mortal flesh. In all earnestness, I want to tell you that when we leave that simple truth out our teaching and experience, we have gone back to where they were in Isaiah’s and Habakkuk’s time and in Christ’s time; and the same message belongs to us which came to them. GCB April 18, 1901, page 321.1

I appeal to the circumstances. I want to ask every soul here who has known something of the history of this work, to think a little. Every one who knows the beginning of this movement knows that there was wondrous power in it, not because they had all the truth which God proposed to reveal to his people before he became visible in the clouds of heaven, but because they walked in all the light he gave them, rejecting nothing he sent them. Therefore he gave the witness to their message; and souls were converted, not by the power of eloquence, but by the power of the Spirit of God. GCB April 18, 1901, page 321.2

Some are here who remember the time when a mere hymn sung in the Spirit would bring the whole audience to tears, because God’s melting Spirit was there witnessing. Do not the hearts of some long for the ring of those days? That time and experience will not come back by turning backward, and going back to see how much light they had. That experience will come by facing toward him who is the Light, and opening the windows of the soul toward heaven, closing them toward earth, and stopping this listening to man and putting the commandments of man in the place of the commandments of God. The message that we have given, we want to take to ourselves. We have given away the message until we have lost it. GCB April 18, 1901, page 321.3

I appeal to you. After that movement, and the Lord did not come, new light broke in—light upon the full truth of what it meant to keep the commandments of God. The Sabbath truth and the sanctuary truth came forward at the same time, because they were inseparable. The reform marched forward with power. But there are many in this audience who can remember when the pendulum began to swing back, and can also remember when, thirteen years ago at Minneapolis, God sent a message to this people to deliver them out of that experience. GCB April 18, 1901, page 321.4

What has been the history of this people and this work since that time? Where do we stand now with reference to this message? How far has that truth been received—not simply assented to, but actually received?—Not far, I tell you. How far has the ministry of this denomination been baptized into that Spirit?—Not far, I tell you. For the past thirteen years this light has been rejected and turned against by many, and they are rejecting it and turning from it to-day; and I say to every such one, “Beware lest that come upon you which was spoken of the prophets, Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish.” GCB April 18, 1901, page 321.5

What is the remedy?—The very same as of old, and no other,—repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist came to prepare the way of the Lord under those circumstances that I have set forth, what was his message? “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” When Christ himself appeared, and began his work, what did he say?—“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” When he sent out his disciples, the apostles, in his stead, to carry on his work after he ascended, what did they preach?—“Repent ye therefore, and be converted.” What are the messages to the churches?—Repent, repent, repent. What is the message to the Laodicean church?—“Be zealous therefore and repent.” GCB April 18, 1901, page 321.6

I have not seen and do not see now in this Conference, that real response to the message that God has sent to us, that will be of any effective result in his work. I am willing to face the fact, but it is a fact. I say that there ought to come upon us, ministers of the word of Jesus Christ, such a spirit of repentance as many of us have not known for many years. There ought to be a work wrought at this Conference that we have seen no signs of yet. I have prayed and prayed, that God would work it; and he is the only one who can work it. I say to my brethren in the ministry, as well as to others, If we go away from this Conference, this crisis in God’s work, this time when we, God’s people, stand for the third and the last time facing that very experience that we have studied in the scripture—if we go away from this Conference without a decided and most marked change coming over us different from what we have had,—may God pity his people and work! GCB April 18, 1901, page 321.7

Perhaps you think I am speaking too plainly, but I say to you, my brethren, my soul is burdened under this, and I must deliver my message. I believe that God by the messages from his word, by the messages from his servant, has spoken here words that ought to make ears tingle. If the word that has been spoken here ought not to make our ears tingle and bring us down in repentance and humility before God, what ever can do it? Yet it has not come, and here we are, two thirds of the way through this Conference. Is it going on in this way until the close of this Conference? Are we going back without power, without new light? Are we going back to go through these same experiences over again? I do not believe that God will permit it. I believe it has come to the dividing line, and that there will be a separation. I do not expect to see this same thing repeated over and over again, to an indefinite extent. GCB April 18, 1901, page 321.8

“There are those who have been long consuming and not producing, whom God will either convert by their repentance, or remove them out of this work.” I fully expect it. There must come one of two things,—a heart conversion, a new experience in this message, or a separation from attempting merely in from and outward appearance to give a message that is not known in the soul. GCB April 18, 1901, page 321.9

Why, my brethren, shall we get out and attempt to give a message to a people, to save them from sin, to save them from Babylon, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, when we ourselves do not know the message? God forbid it. The message is just as simple. “The just shall live by faith.” “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” That is the message now. That is the message which came to this people thirteen years ago, and it has been held off and been held off as if it were not the message; and it is the message. And those who have been shutting their eyes to it, lo these many years, I fear that they will never see it clearly. I fear that there are those who have actually lost the power of discernment so they will not be able to know the message now, to discern the truth; but can this work, and this people be led out of its present confused, dark, and discouraged condition by any such leading and teaching as that? I tell you no. God must work. He must put the power on some one who is willing to receive it, who will stand forth and give the message with clearness and power and lead the way out of the confusion and darkness. GCB April 18, 1901, page 321.10

It will not be by outward form of organization. Our minds have been busily occupied during the last week formulating plans for organization, and my own spiritual sense has said to me that we have been losing ground in the work of organization. Do not think that it will be by change of plan, by change of administration, by a new way of doing things. The change that is needed is a complete change of heart. When a complete change of heart comes to God’s ministry, the power that is in that will sweep away all these extraneous things. Christ did not have to call his people together, and tell them that their method of organization was wrong, and that he had new plans by which to work. But he went forth with the power of the truth, and the power of truth swept away those things. It is not in this outward form and plan of operation. That is all right, it ought to be changed; but if our minds are resting upon that, the work will not be accomplished that way. GCB April 18, 1901, page 322.1

What is God’s call to you and me? Do not think that I am finding fault with anybody. I appeal to you that I am telling you the words of truth and soberness. I appeal to every one here who has known what this message means, who does have some understanding of our present situation: Confused; weak when we ought to be strong; feeble in our efforts; lacking in funds when there is plenty of money in the world; wavering. GCB April 18, 1901, page 322.2

I appeal to you that the only thing that will right us will be the healing message from God, and I appeal to you whom God has called with the call to the ministry of his word, that he has given you the privilege of leading the people into the light and glorious liberty of truth. Now, what shall we do? GCB April 18, 1901, page 322.3

I can only say, Let every man face this thing for himself, and may God give his Spirit and help us. GCB April 18, 1901, page 322.4

I am not speaking these words simply to fill the hour. My soul is distressed over this thing, and has been, but I want to say that God’s truth will triumph, and will go with power in the earth. I want to see his message go forth with simplicity and clearness; I want to see his people rise and shine; I want to see his ministry take its place in the front as leaders of the people; and God can restore and help. But this spirit of complacency, this spirit of assenting to what God says, and then going straight forward in the old way, will never accomplish the work for this time. It will not do it. GCB April 18, 1901, page 322.5

If God does not help us, who will? and if he does not give us his Spirit of true repentance and of turning to him, who will? My brethren in the ministry, shall we not lead the way for the people? I ask every one here, every minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, called to a high or a low calling, Shall we not lead the people in the way they should go? GCB April 18, 1901, page 322.6

Is it not time for us to take God’s message to our own selves, and to know that he is speaking to us, and means us, and is waiting for a response from us? May God give us grace to respond to his message, that he may permit us to accomplish what he desires to accomplish with this people, and save us from this trouble into which we have fallen, and lead us out by a strong arm, conquering and to conquer, that the day of his coming may be hastened, and that we may see him as he is, and rest with him in his eternal kingdom. GCB April 18, 1901, page 322.7