The Paulson Collection of Ellen G. White Letters

Talk to Students and Helpers, Mrs. E.G. White in Chapel, April 16, 1912

Matthew 6. “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” Now there is a point we want to mark of these points: that if we expect that which Heaven is ready to bestow upon us, we must comply with the condition. “Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” Now we want to understand every word, for it belongs just as much to this company as in the days when Christ was upon the earth to speak the words that he spoke. PC 176.1

“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Now how particular is the marking out of this matter: PC 176.2

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Now there is a point that is of great advantage to us not to forget. You see we want all these things that are presented before us, we want them decidedly in our minds. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever, Amen.” Now here is one lesson, and we want to understand this lesson; we want to study it out and we want to see how much force and power that there is given us that we may understand how to conduct ourselves. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Now here is the prayer for our daily bread, and we want to understand that we are to recognize the gifts of God to us. And then again, “After this manner pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.” Are we ready for it? Do we want it to come? Have we done all that God has specified that we should do in order that we may take this in completely and entirely? “Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” This is especially for us to practice, to learn. “For give us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen.” PC 176.3

Here is a positive agreement with God to us, and we want to understand this perfectly and intelligently, to carry it out. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses”—now let your ears be wide open—“if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. PC 177.1

“Moreover when ye fast” - now here is special directions for us: “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward.” It is all they will get. They won't get anything more. What they want is the very spirit of the prayer that they offer, to take it in and let that prayer be carried out in their daily life. “But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face: That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” What does Sister White read all this for? you say. Because we have lessons to learn that we have not yet learned. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” These are lessons that every one of us want to understand and become intelligently upon. PC 177.2

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” What a promise! How broad! It could not be broader! “But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! PC 177.3

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought” - that is, anxious thought, unbelieving thought - “for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” Can you answer that question? We want and God wants us to recognize that every gift that we receive, to be a help and strength to us, it cometh from God. And we should be grateful and we are to carry the gratitude in our individual hearts. And if we carry that gratitude into our individual hearts, let me tell you there will be a different atmosphere surrounding our souls from what we now have. Try to live closely - take the truth of God just as it is given in his word. PC 177.4

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought” - that is, anxious thought - “for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” Now that is what we want to understand. We want to understand the Word intelligently, and we do not want to make any makeup or make believe story about it, but we want to know that we are planning for an eternal inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. I want that understood. “Therefore I say unto you, Take no” - what? - anxious thought “for your body what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink: nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought (anxious thought) for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” PC 177.5

Now, I want to bring before you some things that have been presented to me, where many are making a mistake; and that is, their mind is more upon eating and drinking and dressing themselves than in feeling humble and prayerfully to serve God. And from the light the Lord has given me there is a decided change to take place in every family that has not this scripture unfolded in its meaning to them. We want to know what shall I do to be saved? individually. And when you begin to know the word in this way, you will find that God looks upon you and he will impart to you the understanding of his word that you shall not be covetous, after this thing and that thing and the other thing that is in the world. That is what this lesson is given for. And we want to be in that position that we can take our lessons, and that we can learn our lesson faithfully and put on Christ; put on the very elements of Christ's character in all our actions, in all our doings. That is what I felt intensely anxious that you should understand; that there is a work that you are to do in unity with Christ, and if you do that work in unity with Christ, the Holy Spirit will give you representations to the world that you are a man that is following on to know the Lord and to be taught of God. “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body raiment?” Will you weary your body, and will you worry and will you fret and will you spoil your religious experience, because you do not trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to work for you when you are doing your best on your part? “Nor yet for your body, what shall ye put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin” - excellent opportunity you have to study that - “and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” What a wonderful speech that is! “Wherefore, etc.” Now we want to understand this. As it was presented to me, there is so much thinking and worrying and trouble of mind about things that you cannot help if you should think a week upon them. You cannot change it, but the Lord would help you to put your trust in Him, to look to Him, and his Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will have - not a disposition to quarrel because you do not have everything you want - but you will have a disposition to thank God from the heart for what you have. That is what we need. And unless you have that Spirit, and unless you carry it out, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. PC 178.1

I wanted to talk this morning, and I want you to see and understand that our Lord is a just and righteous God. We do not want the constant worry and fretting and complaining, we do not want to encourage it at all. We want to just stand in a position that we can see the goodness of God. Then we will have a pleasant disposition, and your company will be that which is pleasant, and the angels of God will see that you are copying the example that they have presented before you. We want, every one of us, to have an amiable disposition, and unless you have a sanctified, amiable disposition, you will lose heaven entirely. So that the care, anxiety, instead of worrying all the time for fear you shall not have something good and nice to eat or some dresses to put on, - now it is the most foolish thing, because you want to stand in a correct position before God. There is a mighty work to be done for everyone of us. And we are to understand it, and we cannot afford to lose the lessons that are brought in. We must know what God wants to work out through us. There is a great deal of mischief done in the imagination of our own hearts and minds that we want our individual way. But God wants us to come into right relation to him. And if we will consent to learn, why then we shall see of the salvation of God. PC 179.1

“Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” - now there is where our lack is. We do not study and contemplate that disposition that calls us to help everyone that we possibly can, but we want that everything should come in an easy way to us. Now everyone will have the Holy Spirit of God upon them if they will seek for it in the right way, if they will come to him as little children, and if they will ask him for his Grace and his power and his salvation that they can be lifted up? - No, that isn't it. But that they may have all these advantages to present to be a blessing to those that are around them. What we want is to study the Bible and to find out the way that may take hold of the promises of God and claim them as ours. And we will be happy in that. The devil cannot get a chance either to come in and to tempt you and to destroy your peace. We must bring ourselves in right relation to God. PC 179.2

We want the blessing of God to rest upon every scholar and every teacher and these teachers should be converted daily to God. Angels of God will help them, and the ugly disposition that comes in like a flash - it isn't there. There is no place for it. We do not give it room. We aren't studying how we can get above our brother, or those that are around us, or our Sister. We must not do that. But we want to prepare to meet Christ every day. He came to this earth to give his life for us, that we might gain the precious victory of eternal life in the kingdom of glory. And he wants to encircle every one of you in his precious care, that you shall not reveal to the world a disposition that will not tend to elevate the religion of Jesus Christ, but lower it. You cannot afford it. And the great work that has been presented to me for our people is now - We have the great advantages here, and none has worked for them harder than I have tried to work in order that I might every step honor Christ, in our work here in this world. We are not to have a hasty temper; that is the devil's work, and we are not to have a wicked speech and unhappy thoughts of this one and that one and the other. No, indeed. We are not to try and excel this one and excel that one, but let our own fruit, in words, proper words, right words, words that will bless someone - let these words be spoken. But the converting power of God needs to be in all our schools, and we want to act for Christ. We want to serve him. We want to glorify him. We want to honor him, who made it possible by coming into our world and giving himself, giving himself a sacrifice to make it possible for us to be saved. That is what we want to appreciate, and we want to work it out in our life. We do not want to be a careless people here. We want everyone of us to be in the path that leads heavenward. And you read in the precious Book that “if you will follow on to know the Lord ye shall know his going forth is prepared as the morning.” You know what that is. We need not give you any explanation at all. We want the saving grace of God. We do not want to try - and there is in every place, as it is presented to me, always all this striving to be first, for fear you shall not have the first honor and that you shall not have the glory of this and that and the other thing. PC 180.1

There is a great work to do. The Lord has a very special work to do for every soul of us, if we ever see the kingdom of heaven. Here are the young people. You are to have just that education that can win souls to Christ. It is not yourselves, merely, that are to be saved, but you are winning by giving an example to those that are around you, what the power of truth can be upon the individual mind. We want Christ within, the hope of glory. And when we make up our minds to be right, you just read this and keep it in your life, and you will be the most contented person, and not striving for the best place. No such thing. You want just the place that God would desire for you, where the Lord can look upon you with pleasure, and if you “follow on to know the Lord, you shall know that his going forth is prepared as the morning.” Now, I do not need to describe the morning to you. You know all about that. You are right here where you can see it, and we have not had very pleasant days for a few days, but we haven't heard anyone going around and complaining about the sun not shining. No indeed. You just go and try to help some soul that cannot get out of doors and see if you can encourage them, and it will be a blessing to them, but a much larger one to you. PC 180.2

What we want is to get what that as a people we shall reveal the sanctification of the Holy Spirit in our words and in our looks, and thus overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Now here is the point that will bring us into right relations to God. And when we begin to think that somebody else is getting ahead of us, just ask the Lord to put his Holy Spirit upon our mind and upon our heart and upon our character. What we want is pure and undefiled religion, and when we get that, let me tell you, three will be such a spirit seen here - Why, I remember how hard we work for fear that we would not get this place. There was a good many standing in our way, that did not want us to have it. They said that they could not carry the debt. They did not want us to have it. But we made our prayers to God, and came right where the men were and said, Not the first thing we will do is to present this case to God, and if he wants us to have this place, and we act in a righteous manner to get it, I have no question but we shall have it. The fears were started from a tall man that was in possession of the house, and dropping, dropping. PC 181.1

Well, now these words are precious in the sight of God, and he wants every one of us to educate ourselves in the faculty of the Spirit that is to circulate in the heavenly court when we shall enter there. And we must circulate that spirit here, or we will never enter there. What we want is righteousness and truth and the glory that God will bestow upon the ones that are diligently seeking in the right way to serve God that they may obtain Christ's righteousness. And in that way we shall find that our homes will be pleasant. Why, fathers and mothers have no right to be scolding and fretting with their children in their homes. It is a sin. We are fitting up - what for? The heavenly mansions. And we can teach it to our children that we can have no words, no crossness, we can have no quarreling in our house because that will send the angels of God away. We want the angels of God to fit us up that we may inherit the kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world. PC 181.2

Seek to practice the life that Christ has presented to us, that is a righteous life. That is what I wanted to say to my brethren here. There is to be no quarreling at all. There is room enough in our world, and there is a chance for everyone of us to perfect a Christian character in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth; and let us take hold of the work intelligently and then when there is any change to take place in the working of the cause here, if there is that sweetness and sanctification of the Holy Spirit of God there will be no such thing as this striving for the mastery. And when I said how here we have worked from place to place in order to obtain the health institutions I have felt it my duty to set before them the only claims they have of eternal life is to speak and act righteously. All this striving for the mastery is of the devil. PC 181.3

We want a place in the kingdom of God, and we cannot afford to speak an unrighteous word. Christ gave his life for us. What have we given him? PC 182.1

When I saw this place I knelt right down before the man and prayed that God would give it to us if it was right that we should have it. And when we got up from praying, he just took us around the premises and in every place and explained things to us, and showed us the greatest courtesy. Said, he, I would rather you would have it than any others. We can't keep it. And said he, we feel perfectly free that you should have this place. We gave him a price that we thought he would accept, and he did accept it, so that it was brought into our possession. PC 182.2

Well now we had three seasons of prayer, perhaps more than that, right in his presence, asking the Lord to have an influence upon our people, a sanctifying influence, because that Satan was going about like a roaring lion seeking whom he could devour; and we could not afford to be devoured. We were trying with all our might to obtain this place in such a manner that it would be perfectly harmonious with the one that wanted to sell it to us. And it was, from the beginning to the end. PC 182.3

Well, I want to tell you that I would not have this place enlarged one step unless there is a different atmosphere that shall circulate all through the premises here, and not one striving to get a place, and another striving to get a place, but that we should take everything into reasonable consideration. And every soul will have to be striving to do that every day. We want the light of heaven to decide our questions. PC 182.4

And when we went around with him from place to place, and he making his remarks about he was glad to have us have it, he thought we ought to have it, why, it pleased me very much. Well, here we have it, and the additions we have, and we are very grateful to God. But I want to tell you that it has been presented to me unless there is a decided change in some of the dispositions that are here, that they can never enter the kingdom of heaven. It is self, self, self. And you can't afford it. We can't any of us afford to serve ourselves. We want to work intelligently, and do that which will bring glory to God. That is what we want. And that spirit must come in here and abide here. It has not been here in all times and in all places; and when there is a striving the enemy comes in and suggests things to the mind. You don't want that. You don't want his companionship nor his advice. Not at all. You want to work like intelligent Christians, and we tried to work that way in obtaining this place. I do not know that there has been one word of disagreement spoken since we have come to purchase the place. But whenever we met the men we would tell them how thankful we were that we had this place, that we needed so very much and didn't know how that we should get along without it. “Well,” said he, “I am just as glad as you are that you have got it. I am just as glad that you are the ones that have got the place.” Well, now, I would a great deal rather than he would say that then for him to be complaining because we have it. PC 182.5

And I want to say that there is a lot to be done for your children in your homes. No crossness; they are God's children. It is the Lord's heritage, and you have no right to speak to them in a way which will create an unhappy disposition and spoil their tempers. You want to speak to your children kindly. I have felt it my duty, notwithstanding all my trials and these things, to bring up some children. They say, Why, you are bringing up so many children! I want them right in my home. I see the mothers do not know how to discipline them, and they are very glad to have me take them. And so I take them, and I have now three or four children that I have taken and trained in the very way I told you, never to speak a cross word. I would tell them, We will give you a ride every day, and we will try in all our words that there is nothing that shall deserve a tod. That is what we are going to try for. Well now, we accomplish what we try for. PC 183.1

Now there is an additional property that has come to us. Of course we have not purchased it, but we are glad of the addition. Why? Because we shall need it - every foot of it. I know how the matter has been presented to me. And I want to say that the Lord wants us to represent the Christian character. That is what he wants us to do. And it has not been represented here, not by all. But what did Christ do? When they tell me, “Why do you with all your work bring this child and that child and the other child?” Why, I said, “They would lose their souls if I did not.” They have got to be educated kindly and brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And I want to say that the Lord wants every soul of us to be in a position not to strive for the greatest place or the greatest honor. He wants us to work out the disposition that he may work in if you will let him. And we want the truth, and we want you to stand in that position that we will feel that we have not taken all these responsibilities for naught. We want to realize it. Why, I have tried with all my might to work at this and that and the other that would be a blessing, and we must be where we can cooperate with Heaven. And may the Lord give us grace and his Holy Spirit. PC 183.2

I have more to say on this subject. I was going away today, but I told them I must tell them something here; that the converting power of God must come through the congregations of those that settle here in this place if we give honor and glory to God. And this disposition to strive to get the highest place, and to strive for this and that and the other - let us put a stop to it. It does not please Jesus. And instead of laying the rod upon them, I take them in my chamber. Now, children, you have a character to form, I tell them, and unless you overcome the evil of your character, why, the Lord cannot receive you. But the Lord loves you, and he wants to have you. Now, you are younger than I. We will take you out every day, and we will go out into the woods and groves and we will talk together and we will pray together. And this we do. PC 183.3

And God wants us to be converted. O, how my heart aches for our children. We want them saved, but we must save them in God's appointed way. And I want you to understand that we have a Heaven to win, a heaven to win. And when I think of it, that so many children are not prepared nor getting prepared to enter heaven, I want to give every place something of this that we have got. We want heaven, and we want every one of these children should enter the courts of heaven and enjoy that life. What is it? Eternal life in the kingdom of glory. One child saved; one child taken from the clutches of the enemy, and we want you to walk in this direction to save the children. We have got a people that are watching us. And we are to conduct ourselves in such a way that they will be convinced we have got something that they have not got. And we are seeking for heaven, and we want every soul here to gain heaven. PC 184.1

We can be here only now and then. We have got more souls that are watching and waiting and begging for us to come, and we shall go as soon as we get through here, I expect. But I want to tell you we have a heaven to win, and a hell to shun! And it becomes us to be laborers together with Christ to redeem our souls in such a way that Christ shall say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou in to the joy of thy Lord. We are helping the Lord, and we want in all our schools to educate and train the youth, and we want the help of every soul that is in the place. The Son of God gave his life to redeem us, and what can we do for this? What can we do for all that are around us. We have got to act out the principles of heaven. We have got to try with all our might. And the Lord will help us, surely he will help us. PC 184.2

I do not want to weary you; I think I have talked about enough now. But I want you to understand that I appreciate everything that is to the advantage of this place, because I hope there will be an army that will be raised up here to glorify Jesus Christ, who gave his life for us. What can we do, only to show that we appreciate that gift? We are to show it in word, and show it in action; and may God bless every one of us, is my prayer. Amen. PC 184.3