Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 25 (1910 - 1915)

Ms 71, 1910

Talk/Talk given by Mrs. E. G. White at Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

February 19, 1910

Previously unpublished.

Daniel 1:1-21. Now, you see, it makes a difference how we proceed with ourselves. You see, these youths had been educated to strict temperance in all things, and the education that had been given them was for their present and future good. Their intelligence depended upon what they ate and drank. If they used wine and the high foods that the king had appointed them, they would step right out from the course that they had laid out for themselves as students that they should pursue, that they might stand high in clear intellect, in clear presentation of the matters that would bring them to have a knowledge of God and the truth. Well, these were the very things that God wanted to have brought before that very king and before the associates of these young men. And we see how successful they were. I have read it to you. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 1

Now it is so that I have not felt that I could use even the things that all of you would use. I have been an invalid, pronounced so, for a great many years. My diet is exceedingly simple. I eat no butter. I do not touch meat. I cannot eat sweets, because they disturb the stomach. Too many sweets spoil the digestive organs. If we do what we can for ourselves, the Lord will work with us. But He will not work a miracle right along for any of us if we choose our own diet and feel, perhaps, that we do not have a rich enough diet. But I think our people here understand these things. So I do not present it as though they were ignorant of health reform. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 2

My husband and I accepted the health reform principles, and we brought ourselves into a condition so that we could do a great amount of labor. Both of us would be pronounced invalids perhaps, and yet we carried on meetings everywhere we were called. And by giving instruction in regard to proper eating and drinking, we saved many lives. They would come to us and say, “Won’t you pray for us?” I would tell them we would. And we would pray for the sick. I would tell them, “Now I want you to understand that your own appetite must not be indulged.” 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 3

If you want wisdom, if you want truth, if you want to come into right relation to God, you must be sure that you do not abuse your digestive organs. If we will take excellent care of our health, the angels of God that are round about us will co-operate with us in our efforts. They want to bring us into a condition where we shall accept the very precious light in order to keep us in a right condition of health so that we can obtain all the knowledge that is essential for us to obtain, that we may work—how? In co-operation with the angels. Then we will be able to carry out the knowledge that God wants us to have, and not spoil ourselves by indulgence. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 4

Now the youth may feel that perhaps they do not have the advantages they should have in eating, although I have never heard a word of complaint; but they may think so. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 5

But I want you to consider that there is a consistency in this chapter that I bring before you. It is the first chapter of Daniel, and it is full of valuable instruction. You can read further and see how Daniel and his fellows, when tested, endured the test. There was presented a dream, and the king could not get hold of the meaning because the dream and the interpretation had departed from him. He was going to kill all the wise men and astrologers if they could not tell him his dream and the interpretation thereof. Well, an angel of God interpreted the dream to Daniel so that he could give it to the people. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 6

I speak of these things to let everyone understand that heaven is co-operating with individuals on earth. Everyone who will follow the light that is in this Word, and who will deny his appetite and eat sensible food, good food, denying himself of wines and liquors and such articles, will give an opportunity so that the grace of God can operate on the human mind. This is why we practice self-denial. Tea and coffee and all these things we have left alone. I have tasted none of these things for many years. For over thirty years I have tasted no flesh meats nor harmful foods of other kinds. I have studied how to keep my digestive organs in a condition of health, and when I do that, then I am prepared to take lessons so that I can bear them in mind and present them to large congregations. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 7

I have been having some experiences the last few weeks. You will say, What is the matter with Sister White now? Well, the matter is that we had our appointed meetings at a season of the year that we should not appoint them. I labored first at Mountain View, where I spoke four times, and then at Lodi. And I want to tell you that the Lord gave me strength to speak an hour to the large congregations so that they could understand all I said. I do not hurry my speech; I am deliberate in my talking. But in Lodi there was a large company in the meeting room, and they built up a big fire. (It was cold outside.) 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 8

The heat came to me, and I knew I was suffering from it, and I told them they must have air. I have to use my lungs and I have to use my abdominal organs so as to let my voice come out, that all may hear. I said to them, I cannot bear this heat. They had come in out of the cold with all their wraps on, but yet they thought they must have a fire because it was cold outside. Well, they did not need the fire, but I had to suffer for it. The house was crowded, and I inhaled the poisonous breaths of all those people. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 9

Well, you ask, What is the matter with Sister White now? The air that I had to breathe was poisoned. But the Lord strengthened me to take the journey home from Lodi to St. Helena, and I was thankful that I came so comfortably as I did. But when I reached home, down I came with difficulties that I had had many years ago from which I thought I would never recover. I was affected with catarrhal difficulties in my throat and in my head, and I have been good for nothing. This is the first time that I have ventured to speak in public since I came home, and I do not know how I shall come out here. But I want to tell you to guard this matter. Do not poison the air with many breaths. If you have ventilation, frequently it [a draft] will come on someone who will think they cannot bear it. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 10

In Lodi I felt as I stood before the people that I must make a draw upon them. They had come to the meeting, and they wanted all the labor I could give them. I asked them if every one of them would undertake the work of co-operating with us in helping the students in every way possible. Now if you will do this intelligently you will have to be careful about the atmosphere that you breathe. You must not heat that atmosphere up so that it spoils the health of the lungs. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 11

We must use the abdominal muscles to throw out the voice. I use these organs, and that is why my voice never fails unless it is abused. And I want to tell you that every soul that was in that house stood on their feet. I asked them if they would, every one of them, undertake the work of co-operating with us in helping the students in every way possible. Now if you will do that intelligently, you will have to be careful about the atmosphere you breathe. You must not heat that atmosphere up so that it will spoil the health of your lungs. It was the Word of God that I was giving them, and every one of them stood on their feet. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 12

Well, I was enabled to get home, and ever since I have been unable to do anything. Part of the time I could hardly speak aloud. I would take the portion of Scripture and try to read it in the family, but I could not do it. I had to be still. Catarrhal difficulty was seeking for the mastery, and I am just beginning to get over at it. Therefore I cannot give that volume to my voice that I would be glad to give you. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 13

But this thing I want to impress upon your mind, that we individually, that you individually, can do much for yourselves to keep yourselves in health. And you can have a strength of voice, you can have a strength of intellect, if you will pursue that course of temperance, never touching liquor or tobacco or any such thing, and living on simple food. If some want one variety of food and some another, you should choose your own variety. But do not choose many kinds of food at one meal. Now what I want is that this school should stand the highest of any school that we have anywhere. If you do not have advantages here, I do not know where you will find them. You do not have to be thrown into the society of objectionable people. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 14

We want now to consider what is our future, and we want to be wide-awake in the matter. We do not want to be loaded down with that which we eat, and no one will feel at liberty to come and tell you that you are overeating. I have not heard a word from anyone here on this subject. But I want to say we can help ourselves more than you anticipate by not loading the stomach down, but by giving it a chance and taking wholesome food into it. Now, you can study this out for yourselves. You can study the experience of Daniel and his companions, and you can see what places they were brought into, exalted to the highest station. And then they had another experience, and what was that? 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 15

Why, the king had a dream of a great image. You have seen the great image represented on charts that our teachers present before the people. Then the king thought he would make just such an image, so he made a great image. He had a dream concerning it, but the dream all left him. Therefore he said that if the wise men could not tell him the interpretation of the dream, every one of them should be killed. [Daniel 2:5.] It was a most unreasonable thing. But here were Daniel and his fellows. They went to God, and they pled with God, and asked Him to take charge of this matter, and He did. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 16

Well, the great image was made, according to the dream. Then the king decreed that every one who would not fall down and worship the image should be cast into a burning, fiery furnace. Here were those Hebrews. They had never bowed their knees to any such image made with men’s hands, and they [the king and his men] wanted to force them to do it. Finally they said that if they did not do it, they should be cast into the fiery furnace. Well, these Hebrews would not bow the knee to the image. They [the king and his men] could come to them for the interpretation of the dream, but if they did not bow down to the image, there they were all ready to cast them into the furnace. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 17

They gave them their choice, and these youths refused to bow the knee to the senseless image. Then they took them and cast them into the fiery furnace, and they heated it so hot that the men that cast them in were consumed. But when the king looked, he said, Did not you cast three men into the furnace? There is Another there, and He is like unto the Son of God. [Daniel 3:24, 25.] That is the meaning of what he said. He looked with astonishment at the four walking in the fiery furnace. He called them to come, and they came, and he had them come out of the furnace, and not a single thread upon them was burned. Now I tell you this because I want you to understand that we have helpers in the heavenly courts. All of us who are striving for everlasting life have angels unperceived but round about us to guard us. Remember this. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 18

The king called those youths forth from the furnace, and then he did them great honor. Poor man! He considered that they were to worship that image or else be burned up in the furnace. He had had a representation of the Son of God from these very youth, so he said that he saw four in the furnace, and the fourth was like unto the Son of God. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 19

The angel of God was with them as they walked through the flames, and not a thread of their garments was burned. I want you to understand that heaven is very near to us wherever we are; and wherever there is a company that is striving for everlasting life, you will have your helpers if you strive by prayer and resist evil. Do on your part all that you can, and the heavenly angels will be round about you. We can be overcomers through the blood of the Lamb and the words of our testimonies. I wanted to present, and leave it for you to study, the tests God permitted to be brought upon His people. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 20

Now, there are intelligent young men and women here, and every one of you has a battle to fight, and the Lord God of Israel will give you victory. Day by day you will obtain precious victories, and you can yoke right up with your teachers in receiving their instruction. And while you are assisting your teachers in their work, you can do, every one of you for yourselves, what no one else can do for you. You can plant your feet on the platform of the overcomer and determine that you will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. That makes you overcomers, and if you follow on to know the Lord, you will take this in—that you are not here to work in a haphazard way, but that you are here so that you may fit yourselves up in character to become educators to others, and helpers to others, so that you can with a clear brain and with a healthful body become overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and the words of your testimonies. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 21

I just throw out these ideas for you to study upon. I know what God will do. I have been an invalid nearly all of my life, and I know that as I followed on step by step to obey the Lord that I would at first think, Well, I cannot live just on bread and these simple foods. I cannot live on this diet. But when I read the Word, I went right into it. And the light given me was that unless I should do what I could on my part, I could not have the health and strength that God was willing to give me unless I would co-operate with God. Well, I have not tasted meat or butter for many years. Now I do not lay this as any test on any of you. Only it was brought to me. I had a work to do for the Master, and must place myself in right relation to do that work. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 22

For years I was pronounced an invalid, and it was said that I could not live, but here I am. The accident which befell me was a great difficulty to me, but the Lord helped me, and I have been able to do much public speaking. He has given me the power of speech so that my voice has been able to reach thousands of people in different parts of the world—in Australia, in Italy, and in the different countries that I have visited and traveled in. God has helped me to do the very work that should be done and to speak so that they would listen. I do not want to hold you long this time, but I want to tell you there is a heaven to win; there is a hell to shun. 25LtMs, Ms 71, 1910, par. 23