Special Testimony to Battle Creek Church

Appeal to Teachers in our Schools

I ask you who are living in the very heart of the work to review the experience of years, and see if the “well done” can truthfully be spoken to you. I ask the teachers in the school to consider carefully, prayerfully, Have you individually watched for your own soul as one who is co-operating with God for its purification from all sin, and for its entire sanctification unto God? Can you by precept and example teach the youth, sanctification, not devotion to the arch-deceiver, but sanctification through the truth, unto holiness, obedience to God? PH154 49.1

Have you not been afraid of the Holy Spirit? At times it has come with all-pervading influence into the school at Battle Creek, and into the schools at other localities. Did you recognize it? Did you accord it the honor due to a heavenly messenger? When the Spirit seemed to be striving with the youth, did you say, Let us put away all study; for it is evident that we have among us a heavenly guest. Let us give praise and honor to God. Did you, with contrite hearts, bow in prayer with your students, pleading that you might receive the blessing which God was presenting to you? The Great Teacher himself was among you. How did you honor him? Was he a stranger to some of the educators? Was there need to send for some one of supposed authority to welcome or repel this messenger from heaven? Though unseen, his presence was among you. But was not the thought expressed that in school the time was to be given to study, and that there was a time for everything, as if the hours devoted to common study were too precious to be given up for the working of the heavenly messenger? PH154 49.2

If you have in this way restricted and repulsed the Holy Spirit of God, I entreat you to repent of it as quickly as possible. If any of the educators have not opened the door of their own hearts to the Spirit of God, but closed and padlocked it, I urge them to unlock the door, and pray with earnestness. “Abide with me.” When the Holy Spirit reveals his presence in your schoolrooms, tell your students, The Lord signifies that he has for us today a lesson of heavenly import, of more value than our lessons in ordinary lines, Let us listen; let us bow before God, and seek him with the whole heart. PH154 50.1

Let me tell you what I know of this heavenly guest. The Holy Spirit was brooding over the youth in the school hours; but some hearts were so cold and dark that they had no desire for the Spirit's presence, and the light of God was withdrawn. That heavenly visitant would have opened the understanding, would have given wisdom and knowledge in all lines of study, that would have been employed to the glory of God. The Lord's messenger came to convince of sin, and to soften the heart hardened by long estrangement from God. He came to reveal the great love wherewith God has loved those youth. They are God's heritage, and educators should possess the “higher education” before they are qualified to be instructors and guides of youth. PH154 50.2