Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)

Lt 98, 1906

Farnsworth, Brother and Sister [E. W.]

St. Helena, California

March 12, 1906

This letter is published in entirety in PC 122-123.

Dear Brother and Sister Farnsworth:

I feel the deepest interest in you both. I hope that Brother Farnsworth will not leave Battle Creek just now. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 1

Let us say nothing to provoke men to anger, but ever present the affirmative of truth, Bible truth. This is to be our position. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 2

I feel no surprise in regard to the course of Elder A. T. Jones. Last night my mind was called out upon many subjects. In the visions of the night I was reading the Scriptures, and the power and Spirit of God was upon me. Many things were presented to me in vision, which I may give at the right time. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 3

I was saying with great power, “Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; and to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of waters shall He guide them. And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far; and lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 4

“Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me. Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 5

“Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold; all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.” [Isaiah 49:8-18.] 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 6

“Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness. ... I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. The Lord God hath given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary; He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth Mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God hath opened Mine ear, and I was not rebellious; neither turned away back.” [Isaiah 50:2-5.] 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 7

Hear and understand this matter; for you know the voice. The time is now short. We must remember that we are not to be conquered by discouragement. No power can conquer satanic agencies but the power of Him who gave His life to redeem man, dying in the sinner’s place, that all who will may repent and be converted. Christ is the propitiation for the sins of all who repent and believe in Him as their personal Saviour. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 8

“I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair.” [Verse 6.] Do you understand that it was the Lord our Saviour who went through these scenes of humiliation? Hear ye, and understand, and let every soul take in the situation. Christ suffered all this that is written of Him. Who prompted this cruel treatment? The one who was once the most exalted of the angels in the heavenly courts. He was imbuing human minds with his own attributes. It was Satan who led men to treat Christ thus. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 9

“I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not My face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth Me; who will contend with Me? let us stand together; who is Mine adversary? let him come to Me. Behold, the Lord God will help Me; who is he that shall condemn Me? lo, they shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 10

“Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks; walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of Mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.” [Verses 6-11.] 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 11

My brother and sister, be of good courage. Let your hearts be glad and rejoice. There is no need for us to complain; for the Lord is the strength of His people. You may be surprised to hear the words that you have heard from Elder A. T. Jones; but I am not at all surprised. This is the development of the man when the spirit that is counter to the Spirit of God comes upon him. In him as he is at the present time, you have a representation of a man who is not under the molding influence of the Spirit of God. The Lord accepts no such demonstrations of bitterness. They do not become the man, when the Lord has been so gracious to him, helping him in the time of his distress. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 12

Read in my books, Patriarchs and Prophets and Great Controversy, the story of the first great apostasy. History is being repeated and will be repeated. Read then, and understand. The time is drawing to a close when power of influence, of intellect, of knowledge in science can cover the least departure from the Lord’s way. He has pledged His word that He will humble every oppressor of His ministers, or the appointed agencies engaged in His work. Persecuting powers will be brought into judgment; for all the resources of heaven and earth are to be called at God’s command to do His work. God sees and knows those who are proud and self-sufficient, and He will bring them into judgment. Before the flood, men cast off the fear of God and trampled under foot His holy law. But judgment overtook them. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 13

“Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and there is none beside me.” [Isaiah 47:10.] 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 14

Say to our brethren and sisters who have known and understood the voice of God in His Word, Let nothing interpose between you and your eternal interests. Think of this representation given of Christ in the Scriptures I have quoted. The Saviour, in His supreme power, could have palsied the hands that smote and insulted Him, challenging Him, the Prince of life, to prophesy. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 15

When men refuse the counsels of God, and walk directly contrary to them, they make very strange speeches, but do not be the least concerned or surprised. The Lord is watching every movement. There are straight messages to be given, and in no case are we to fear the face of men. If Christ endured so much, cannot we endure something for His sake. Who was He? The Prince of heaven. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” [Isaiah 9:6.] 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 16

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” [Matthew 28:18-20.] 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 17

These words outline our appointed work, and we are now to engage in this work as never before. Soul-saving is to be our object; Christ’s words are our commission; and we are to lay hold of the Saviour by faith and put all our capabilities to the task of learning the science of soul-saving. The fields that have been neglected call now for repentance on the part of those who have heard the truth; they call upon them to take up their appointed work. 21LtMs, Lt 98, 1906, par. 18