Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)

Ms 142, 1906

Sermon

Oakland, California

August 18, 1906

Previously unpublished.

Sabbath, August 18, 1906

Sermon at Oakland, California

We have met together, quite a company here this morning, and we want to have a clear knowledge of why we are here. We are here on the seventh day of the week, because the Lord created the heavens and the earth in six days, and rested upon the seventh day. Wherefore He blessed the Sabbath day, the seventh day, and hallowed it. And there has been no change in the mind of God concerning the day of His rest. What is this day of His rest? A memorial of creation by the hand of our God, who created the world and all things that are therein. And He sanctified and blessed the seventh day. And He gave it to all the world that should recognize God to observe that day. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 1

Why is it that the world has gone astray? Because Lucifer, the son of the morning, one next to Jesus Christ, one that was highly exalted, committed the first sin. Jealousy, envy, evil surmising, all were brought in, and were hidden in that brain, that he was allowed to develop what was in him. Of course, God knew there would have to be a division. And here he worked underhanded in every way possible, to supersede God and Christ and to take Their position. There was war in heaven at last. His underhanded work must come to the surface. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 2

It was so underhanded that he would put ideas into the minds of the angels; and then he would bring out some remarks, and he would take them and carry them right to the angels in heaven, and tell them there was dissatisfaction among them. Well, he put it there, but he laid it upon the angels. And God let him work out what was in him until it came to a point that the wickedness that originated with Satan—and no one could tell how—must come to an end in the heavenly courts. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 3

And then it was that there were two parties. One was warring on the one hand, and God and His angels on the other hand, and Satan was overcome and thrust down to this world. Then there was peace in heaven. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 4

Now let me tell you, ever since such a terrible thing as sin could prevail upon the human mind, so that there will be such large additions to the worldly element, we ask you in the name of Jesus Christ that every soul shall take his position on the side of God. There are two parties, and God wants that every soul should stand in his moral accountability before God. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 5

We see that there is to be constantly what we have been having in the past—warfare. It is coming gradually, one thing after another, after Satan’s dealings. But we are not to sit peacefully and do nothing. When God has spoken, as He has, and manifested His judgments, let me tell you, it is time that we began to understand that there are two parties in the world, and that God will recognize His people if they will keep His commandments and love His law as the apple of their eye. You know how tender the apple of the eye is. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 6

Now, He wants us to be just as exact, just as careful, how we meddle with God’s law. When God has a law, it has no “ifs” or “ands” about it. What position shall we take if we want to be recognized as the children of God? We are to be the children of light. All the priests, all the popes, all the ministers that there are in creation, they are only men. But we have a God that in a little time can sweep away whole cities, as you have seen in San Francisco, and we want to acknowledge that we will obey God at all hazards. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 7

Matthew 3:1, 2 quoted. No whispering voice was there when John the Baptist said these things. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 8

Verses 3-5 quoted. There was something in that message that brought out the people to hear him. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 9

Verses 6-12 quoted. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 10

Now there is a message to bear. It is no smooth message. It tells the truth of the situation. And there is just such a message, from the light that God has given me; it is to come into our ranks. Here before us is one of the fulfilments of prophecy, that before the day of the Lord should come, there should be earthquakes in divers place, and that there should be wars and rumors of wars. And that when these things shall take place, wherever you are, if you are at the top of the house, do not go down through the house, that you may get your luggage and carry it out. That time is right ahead of us. It is only a little way that you are to flee to the mountains, just as fast as you can go. You will not have a chance to pack up your goods at all. So do not accumulate a great amount. It will not pay. The judgments of God are in our world. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 11

The very best thing that you can do in the world is to seek the “life insurance policy.” There is a life insurance policy that is given to us in Second Peter, and we want to know in regard to that policy. He begins to tell us of the wonderful work that may be given to the children of God. And he tells us in regard to the grace that is to be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Take the magazines out of your houses; do not keep them to search into. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 12

We want a knowledge of the Lord, and our Saviour Jesus Christ! That is our only hope in this time of earthquakes, of cloudbursts, and all these judgments that are coming in our land. We want to find out if we have got a shelter, if we have got a life insurance policy—a life insurance policy to all the glories of heaven, to be like Jesus Christ; to go to a country where there is no war; where there are no earthquakes; where there is no death; where all is peace and harmony and love and salvation and goodness and life. Now that is what we want; we want the life insurance policy. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 13

When one comes into our midst, the first thing you see is he begins to find fault with this one and with that one and with the other one, he had better find fault with himself. The very reason why such are finding fault with others is because they do not know and understand themselves. When they search their hearts as with a lighted candle, when the Spirit of God comes upon their minds, they will feel that they have no time to pick up flaws in others, but see that every fault is removed from the human heart and the human mind, and that they are preparing for the great day of God which is right before us. You have no time to spend in unwholesome words. You want to seek the love of God in your hearts. He has said, Love one another as I have loved you. That is the last prayer of Christ, and you read it in the seventeenth chapter of John. You read it there, and see if your lips will not be closed. Does it give any place to any picking flaws in others? Humble your own heart before God. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 14

2 Peter 1:3 quoted. “life and godliness.” Now He has given us that which pertains unto life and godliness. Are you Christians? Do you believe the Word? And if you do, why don’t you take hold of it and practice it; that which pertains to life and Godlikeness? Study what Godlikeness is. Find it out. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 15

Verse 3 quoted. That is the garment of Christ’s righteousness. That is what we want. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 16

Verse 4 quoted. Just think of it. The divine nature. “Having overcome the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 17

There are two parties, the devil working right upon the minds, if you will let him, if you will invite him in. He will give you a long road of travel, if you give him a chance. That is just what he wants. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 18

Verses 5-8 quoted. What then? You are all ministers. You may never be ordained, but you have a ministry, every one of you. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 19

The devil has armies, very large, and the Lord wants every one of you who is a soldier of Jesus Christ to act your part manfully, that you may work on the side of Christ, with all the intelligence, with all the grace, with all the ability that Christ is ready to impart. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 20

Verses 7, 8 quoted. “knowledge.” [Verses 5, 6.] You learn of Him in prayer. You learn of Him in searching the Scriptures, by practicing His life of self-denial and self-sacrifice. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 21

Verse 9 quoted. “lacketh these things.” This is the matter with us. This is the matter with our churches. “is blind.” “And hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” We run right back in the very same track through envy, jealousy, and evil surmisings and evil speaking, and put our mind in somebody else, the mind that we should walk accordingly as we take the idea that they ought to walk. Let him attend to his own business, and let everyone seek the Lord, that they can find Him. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 22

What will you get if you serve God with all your heart? You will get a life that is full of meekness and lowliness and contentment. And the blessing of heaven can communicate to every one of you, and then, I can tell you, we will have churches where the angels of God will be walking up and down in their midst. Angels of God are here today, and the evil angels likewise are here, trying to hear something that they can take account of and perhaps carry away to make trouble. Now the mischievous tongue had better cease. If you want the glory of God to be revealed in Berkeley, if you want to get right into the missionary work and humble your own hearts before God and seek the Lord while He may be found, you have got a most wonderful missionary work to do. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 23

Now churches are forgetting all about what San Francisco was swept away for. It was because of their sins. They are forgetting all about it, and hardly any voice is raised to proclaim the truth to them that they should come to the right foundation. May the Lord help us to do our duty. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 24

Verse 10 quoted. “Wherefore the rather, brethren,” rather than to forget that he was purged from his old sins, and that he must keep purged. If you walk in the counsel of God, let me tell you, You will not forget that you were purged from your old sins. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 25

Verse 10 quoted. Now here is the life insurance policy for every one of us to accept, for every one of us to be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. And we shall have our insurance policy for the inheritance—the inheritance in the kingdom of glory, the city of God, that we shall have our portion there; and we shall be welcomed by Jesus Christ; and we shall receive a crown of life that never will be taken away from us. We will have the most glorious singing, we will have harps of gold. O what a happy time! We begin to see that while we were reading all these novel papers and all these magazines and all these stories and bringing them into the house for the children to have, they did not know anything about eternal life. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 26

Fathers and mothers, it is time for you to wake up, as John the Baptist was awakened. It is time for you to begin to understand where you are. You want the life insurance policy. And you can have it if you will. How? By a life of obedience to all of God’s law. And if you will be obedient to His law, you shall have that life insurance that no one can take away from you. No one can deprive you of it. You will have to give it up of your own account if you lose it. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 27

“To an inheritance.” [1 Peter 1:4.] Yes, riches, riches that we cannot specify. But it will be one with Christ. We shall be one with Christ, an heir of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. That is our life insurance policy. Well now, are you going to join the enemy’s army, or are you going to come right into the ranks, right now? Are our young people to be looked after? Here is intemperance, and the liquor is drugged. For years it has been presented to me that liquor makes men mad. They do not know what they are drinking. Take the youth, labor with them, pray with them, entreat with them, and the Holy Ghost will come down and will acknowledge your work and impress their hearts. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 28

What we want is pure and undefiled religion. We have had a mixed-up concern, a good many of us, long enough. We want to strip for the race and harness for the battle. We must run the race that lies before us with patience, for a crown, an everlasting crown, and we are to run that we may obtain it. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 29

The Lord would have us all come into that position that our oneness with Christ should acknowledge us as one with Him. He wants us in that position. Now let us see what becomes of that party. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 30

[2 Peter 1] Verses 11-13 quoted. Now he is looking to the time when in a little while he must suffer for Christ’s sake. He is a prisoner of the Lord. And these testimonies are given for us. He knew what privation and what suffering were, and he wants us to come to a knowledge of the truth. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 31

Now I go back to John. Matthew 3. Here were the Sadducees coming to his baptism. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 32

Verses 7-11 quoted. “unto repentance.” They had not repented yet. They would have to receive Christ before they repented. There would have to be a second baptism. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 33

Verse 12 quoted. I might go on, but we want to know whether you have made up your mind to believe in the commandments of God. These commandments you will read in (Exodus 20), and be sure to let it carry you to (Exodus 31), and there you read from the 12th to the last verse. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 34

Now we will say to our friends, Let every one of us seek the Lord. Seek the Lord this morning. I am not going to preach to you any more. I have given you the Word. Now we want to know who it is that is coming right to the point. We call for those who want to be Christians, we want every one that wants to be a Christian to understand that they have got a life insurance policy to gain or they will never enter the kingdom of God. If that life insurance policy is gained, the heaven of heavens will be opened before us. You can have communion with God, you can come to Him with heart and soul and voice, and you are to believe just what Jesus said, “Seek, and ye shall find; ... shall be opened.” [Matthew 7:7.] 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 35

Now, we want you to consider that in the epistle of John you will find great instruction. “Behold,” he says, “what manner of love ... knew Him not.” [1 John 3:1.] Now here are the beloved of God called upon, and we entreat every one of you to seek the Lord while we are at these meetings. We did not come to these meetings for any exaltation or for any amusement. We came here to set ourselves right with God. And we want those that have intelligent minds to consider that they are accountable to the God of heaven for that mind and how they use it. He wants that every one of you should become a child of God. We are the sons of God; and while we profess to be this, unless we have the possession, we are mocking God and the world, and it will not answer. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 36

We want to humble our individual hearts before God. He loves us with a love that is infinite. And that love He expressed to us in coming in our behalf and giving His life for the life of the world. If there were not but one, He would have given His life. Now, shall we be in such an indifferent position that God cannot number us with those who shall be one with God? He prayed that His disciples might be one with God as He is one with God. He wants you to answer His petition. He wants you to read His prayer. In the 17th chapter of John is that wonderful prayer, the last that He made before His crucifixion, when He embraced the whole of the believers as His, all these believers as His children. And He prays His Father that they may be one, even as He is one with the Father. There they are to be sanctified through the truth, to be one with Christ in God. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 37

Christ came to our world and clothed His divinity with humanity, that humanity could be sanctified through divinity. Now this is the very work that is appointed for us, to bring divinity into our life. And here was Christ on the earth; and the disciples could, in their humanity, laying hold on divinity, and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 38

That is how we are to stand in moral dignity before God, and He wants to let His rich blessing rest upon you. Now, I am not going to take up the time, but I do want to know if right here, while we are together, we cannot have some voice cast in favor of God. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 39

There is intemperance. Every one of you must battle with it, you must war against it, you must give all the light you have. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 40

“Ye are the light of the world.” And let your light, Christ says, “so shine before men ... in heaven.” [Matthew 5:14, 16.] Well, when they do that, they do not want any spirituous liquor. They do not want that which will make men mad, that will spoil the character, that will bring poverty into the family and in the world. Men must be men. They must know that they are living, responsible beings, if they ever have that life which measures with the life of God. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 41

Now we want to know if, while the efforts are being made in this place, we shall see of the salvation of God among our own people. There needs to be a sanctification of the Spirit of God through the truth. We want to know how many are going to lend their influence, and their grace, and their power that God will give them, to be living agencies with Christ. We want to know how many will let their influence grow on the right side, how many will take of the graces that God has given. We are partakers of the divine nature. We are laborers together. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 42

It is the “together” that is worth everything to us, laborers together with God. [1 Corinthians 3:9.] Here has Jesus Christ given His life; and now He calls you to make some sacrifice, to be hunting and fishing and working to get souls to come to the truth and bear the test that they may have to bear in these last days. We ask you if you will take right hold, if you will begin right here in this morning meeting; and if you do not have, many of you, any dinner, it will not hurt you any. Christ fasted forty days and forty nights and was tempted of the devil all the time, with all his power upon Him. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 43

But He did not try to answer the devil back. In His weakness, when Satan came, He said: “It is written: It is written.” Let no one frame up words for yourself. You take the Bible, and you will know how to meet temptations. We want more intelligence. We want to cultivate the spirit that John had: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” [Matthew 3:3.] They had got all mixed up in regard to His paths. They did not know what the paths of the Lord were. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 44

We want every one of you to take a part in this work, and may God help you! He helps. The Lord will give us capability, He will give us the Holy Spirit, that we ask in prayer. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 45

Now we want to know if there are not those here that will today place themselves decidedly with the knowledge that John had, with the industry in regard to the subject of saving souls. What account could you have to give to God for the warnings that you have not given? You know the truth; you know the Bible, and yet you pass right by and make no effort to win souls. Will you come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty? Who will stand up and tell us by standing here that they will stand on the Lord’s side? And then let us have a praying season. Will you stand up upon your feet, those that will answer to this? (Nearly all rise.) In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, O what we need is the deep moving of the Spirit of God. And now I leave the meeting in your hands. God help us to work and to pray. Let us kneel right down and pray: 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 46

(Praying.) Our heavenly Father, Thou knowest our weakness. Thou knowest all about us, and we now come to Thee, and we present these souls to Thee. We cannot impress their minds, but Thou canst. We ask it in the name of Thy dear Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that is in our midst this very day, as He said He would be. He said that if we would give the commission, that He had given to us, to the people, He said, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” [Matthew 28:20.] We claim Thee, our Saviour, to impress the human minds. Touch them with the Holy Spirit; and all this envy, all this evil speaking, all this lifting up the souls unto vanity, let them see this wickedness, that it stands directly in the way of the work of the Holy Spirit of God. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 47

I ask Thee, Lord, work upon the minds, that they made understand that if they will work with Him who has bought them with a price, He will work with them; and He will give them intelligence, and He will give them grace, as He has promised it; and He will be with them in working for other souls. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 48

I ask Thee, Lord, that Thou wouldst impress this congregation to prepare for the great changes that are beginning to take place in our world. I ask Thee to help them to begin to feel the necessity of pleading with the youth, that they shall bring them on the Lord’s side and away from the temptations of the devil, who will work with all His capabilities and powers; and shall we be silent on our side? 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 49

My heavenly Father, imbue us with the Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit of God rest upon us, my Saviour. I know that Thou art here, because we have Thy promise. And now we ask Thee that Thou wouldest reveal Thyself in softening and subduing the hearts of these people. O, let the hearts be broken before Thee, and let self die, and Jesus Christ take the throne of the heart, and Jesus Christ work through the instruments, that they can be one with Christ in God; and then they have all this power that was granted to them, when they were laid down into the water and baptized. And if they have forgotten it, O let them repeat the work, to be baptized and take hold of the heavenly powers again. Give us power to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. And there with these three mighty powers promised, how can our faith be a nonentity, how can our faith be feeble and weak? 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 50

I ask Thee, Thou precious Saviour, as Thou hast presented to me again and again Thine hands wounded, ever to keep the wounds until all the redeemed are in the kingdom of glory. “I have engraven thee upon the palms of My hands.” [Isaiah 49:16.] And there He presents us to the Father. O Jesus, our precious Saviour, the little that we have been willing to suffer for Thee, forgive us. The little that we have been willing to magnify Thy holy name, forgive us, pardon our transgression. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 51

I ask Thee that the light of heaven may shine into hearts here today. We are nothing without Thee. And if we have Thee, we are everything. We can work with minds, we can win characters, we can present Thee in Thy great efficiency and power. And Thou wilt make the heart soften. Soften our hard hearts that have felt so little. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 52

O my Saviour, my Saviour, Thou art our only hope. If we lay hold upon Thee, Thy great grace will be upon us, and we shall be able to proclaim the way of the Lord. We shall be able to make straight the paths for our God that have become so mixed up with worldly science and with satanic delusions. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 53

I ask Thee, heavenly Father, to let the power of holy angels come to Thy people. We claim it. We want it now. Sweep back every mist and every cloud of darkness, and let the sunlight of Thy glory in. And may these souls embrace Thee. May these souls at this very meeting feel the power of God striving upon the human heart, upon the human character. Come, Thou heavenly Dove, I pray Thee to put Thy disposition in the hearts of the people here today. Thy converting power we want to see, and we want to sense. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 54

We love Thee, we love Thee, because Thou hast so loved us that Thou hast given Thy life to a life of shame, to a life of abuse. They spit in Thy face, Thou Lord of glory; they smote Thee with wickedness, and called out, “Prophesy unto us who it is that smote Thee” [Matthew 26:68]; and O they abused Thee and drove the cruel nails through Thy hands and through Thy feet, and they speared Thy side, and O, amidst it all, Thou didst forgive a poor sinner on the cross, and Thou didst say, “Thou shalt be with Me in paradise” [Luke 23:43], because he asked it, because he saw and acknowledged Christ. Help us every one to acknowledge Thee here today. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 55

Come, Thou Lord Jesus Christ, in Thy converting power here in this congregation this very Sabbath, which Thou hast ordained, which Thou hast sanctified, which Thou hast blessed as a memorial of Thy creative works; and I ask Thee, Lord, that Thou wouldst touch the human heart. Let the love of Christ spring forth in the heart, and may they give themselves to Christ, to suffer for His dear name’s sake, and then afterward receive them to glory, and Thy blessed name shall have all the glory. Amen. 21LtMs, Ms 142, 1906, par. 56