Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 25 (1910 - 1915)

Ms 79, 1912

Talk/Remarks by Mrs. E. G. White on Sabbath morning, February 3, 1912.

Sanitarium, St. Helena, California

February 3, 1912

Previously unpublished.

“Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding and great promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 1

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 2

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” [2 Peter 1:1-13.] 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 3

You must put yourself right into the channel where you can follow on to know the Lord. How can He keep you in the present truth? By your searching the Scriptures and carrying them out in your daily lives. It is the practice of the Word of God that will give you an assurance, that will make you doubly sure to have a right to enter in through the gates into the city of God. We want to know what we have to do. It is through prayer, through watchfulness, through service to God that we are to confirm our religious experience. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 4

Some ask why we are putting up so many buildings. It is because the greatest thing we have to do in the world is to bring the people to a knowledge of the truth. We are to establish ourselves in a position of righteousness. Ministers and people are to be gathered together as we are gathered here today. They are to have a place, and they are to have an opportunity to exercise the gifts that God is willing that they should have. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 5

Here we read, “Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” [Verse 13.] Now do not be offended because you have had a word of caution, and that you are repeating the evidences of the Word. That is just what we need, just what we must have. We are fitting for what? For immortality. We are fitting for the glory that shall be revealed at the revelation of Jesus Christ, and we cannot be too careful. You want to be careful at every step you take that you do not give offence to Jesus Christ, who has bought you with the price of His own blood. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 6

“Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 7

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto we do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” [Verses 14-21.] 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 8

Now we see that there is a decided work that we are to be carrying on continually. We cannot get careless. We do not know what the Lord wants us to do until we find out by the Word. The Word declares it, and we want to be in a right relation to God and in a right position before Him, that we may understand the Scriptures and that we may follow on to know the Lord, and if we do this step by step, we shall have such satisfaction. We shall realize the presence of heavenly intelligences by the sensations that we have in ourselves that we are following on to know the Lord. Now, there is a great deal in that saying, Following on to know the Lord. If we know the Lord intelligently, we shall walk and work intelligently. We need to search the Scriptures constantly. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 9

I am so thankful as I take the Word of God, and see what is spoken in that Word. In Isaiah we read, “Ho, every man that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” [Isaiah 55:1.] The blessings are represented by the satisfaction you take in satisfying your temporal needs. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 10

We are to understand what is brought to view in the Word. It is our privilege to study it. And that is what we have been trying to do in getting out the many books that we have gotten out. It is that we might be in that position that we could understand the truth, that we could represent the truth at all times and in all places. I am so thankful that we are not kept in ignorance, and that the blessing of the Lord will rest upon everyone that will serve Him with all the heart. I see the necessity of taking the Scriptures, of reading the Scriptures, of following the Scriptures. The Lord wants every soul of us to be in such a position that we can be learners. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 11

I am so thankful that we have had the privilege of establishing our institutions almost over the inhabited world, as it were. I remember what difficulties we have passed through, and I feel so grateful to God that His promises are for us, and that we may really follow on to know the Lord, that His going forth is prepared as the morning. It is not long that we shall be left here now. We are to be wide awake and let the light of heaven shine right into our hearts. We have no time to spend in indifference and carelessness such as the world has. We cannot afford it. We are to be diligent and to make our calling and election sure. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 12

But men will do anything except what the Lord wants them to do. When He tells them to take up their cross and follow Him, they are not so ready to do that. You have the righteousness of Christ for your pattern. You are following a pattern, and when you follow it, it will bring you safely in soul and in spirit and in every respect so that you will be in harmony with God. Now this is what we are trying to do in putting up our buildings and establishing sanitariums and arranging all these things that we may bring the light, the grace, the revelation that comes through the Scriptures, to every place. We are laying out a great deal, and we are praying a great deal, and we are trying in every way possible to bring souls to a knowledge of the truth. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 13

This sanitarium has done a great deal of good. We have met people in different parts of the world, as we have traveled, who have said, Yes, I was at that sanitarium. Therefore we want to establish something that will give them a hold, that they will realize that if they follow on to know the Lord, they shall know that His going forth is prepared as the morning. There has never been a time when we needed the pure and undefiled religion of Jesus Christ as we need it today. If we will humble our hearts before God and catch the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness, we will find that it will be worth more to us than dollars or the high opinion that you may gain by any course you may pursue. Why? Because eternal realities will open before us. The gates are to open, and the nations that have kept the truth are to enter in. And as we enter in through the gates into the city, do you think that we will remember the hardships we passed through here? Not at all. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 14

What we want is pure and undefiled religion, according to the Word. We are to study it. We are to practice it. We are to understand it, and that is why we have built this institution. My husband and myself came to this place, and we selected this place as one where we would be away from the cities. This is only one or our institutions. We have them established in the hard places and in the pleasant places. It has cost us something. It has nearly cost me my life, but the Lord has brought it back to me. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 15

The Lord knows how to take care of His afflicted ones. I want to praise the Lord and to tell of His grace and marvelous goodness, and I want every one of you to trust in my Saviour. I am glad that the Lord has proved me, and I hope that I shall hold fast to the end. I want to tell you that the Lord is gracious. He has said, “Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” [Matthew 7:7.] 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 16

Here we see the devil working with his host so that we shall not have this knowledge of God, but He will hear our prayers and answer our petitions. I know it. I have seen it so long, and I thank the Lord with heart and soul and voice. Do you not think I can trust the Lord when I remember the strait and perilous places we have passed through and in which we have seen the salvation of God? It is impossible for me to tell you how grateful I am for all His kindnesses. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 17

“Gird up the loins of your mind,” we read. [1 Peter 1:13.] Do you do it or do you let it drift? I wanted to tell you that there is more in the overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony than we have any idea of. We want everyone that believes in Jesus Christ to honor Him. How? By doing the very things He has told us to do. We shall honor Him because we honor the power that is of a heavenly origin. And every soul who will follow on to know the Lord will know that He is our Helper and our God in every emergency. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 18

When I took my first steps after I had been sick and lame for so many months, the woman who was helping and supporting me burst out crying because she was so grateful to God that I could walk again. Those who came to see me often said, “You are always cheerful.” I would tell them that I was so grateful to the Lord Jesus that it seemed that He was right by my side. I want to tell you that there is nothing in the world in which we will be left or forsaken if we have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 19

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.” [Verses 13-17.] 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 20

Fear of what? Of making some wild move such as sailing around in the heavens? Will the gates of the city of God be thrown open to such ones? No indeed. We are working for a home. We are working for a power that we love. We love God and His commandments, and we are following on to know that His going is prepared as the morning. I shall enter in to see the King in His beauty because I mean to follow Him. I mean to watch unto prayer, for heaven is worth something to me. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 21

It will be worth everything to you if you will only obey the Word and follow on to know the Lord. I know my Saviour, and I want every one of you to know Him. In the place of following the fashions or any such thing, just follow the Redeemer, and at last the gates of the city will be opened, and the nations that have kept the truth will enter in, and they shall have right to the tree of life, right to the city of God, to go no more out forever. There we shall see the King in His beauty. There will be no tempting devil there; no more risks to run. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 22

I will not hold any longer, but I wanted to tell you these things, in broken fragments though they are, that they might reach someone’s mind and impress them with the thought that it is best to follow on to know the Lord, to reason, to take the Word of the Lord and be blessed with what we find in that Word, and put away all foolishness. Is it not worthwhile? I believe it is. I recommend to you the religion of Jesus, not one that you will be afraid to venture into because you are afraid you will not be as well off as you were before. We will thank God that if we have anything, we will help the work of God along as we have been helping in the foreign countries. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 23

It is the Lord that has used us in His wisdom, and we have felt that it is wisdom to follow on to know the Lord. Let every one of us follow on to know the Lord, and He will work for us. His intelligence will be given to us. His grace will be imparted to us. I do not regret the sufferings that I have had to pass through, because I saw souls gathered in right where we were. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 24

We want every one of you to seek the Lord. Is there anything that is equal to being in friendship with Jesus Christ? He died the most cruel death for us. While Pilate said, “I find no fault in the man” [Luke 23:4], yet the sentence was pronounced that He should be crucified. Let us serve the Lord with heart and soul and voice. Let us follow on to know Him and the power of His resurrection. 25LtMs, Ms 79, 1912, par. 25