Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 24 (1909)

Ms 124, 1909

Sermon/Thoughts on Isaiah 55

Buffalo, New York

July 18, 1909

Previously unpublished.

Isaiah 55:1, 2-6. Will we listen to that? Will we take heed to it? Verse 7. What precious things there are in the Word, the Word of the living God. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 1

Verses 8-13; Isaiah 56:1 “Thus saith the Lord.” Now it is the Lord that is speaking to you; it is God that is speaking to you out of His Word. Verses 1-12. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 2

But now there are some things that we need to understand in the Word of God. It is God speaking to us, and we want to avoid all the extreme, and we want in every way to take warning, that we shall not follow in the path of extremes. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 3

We have here the 58th chapter: verses 1-3. Now let us bring all these things so that we shall fail in doing our part. It is our part we have now. Now here is the reason that they do not realize the special blessing of God. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 4

Verses 4-6; verses 7-12 (Breach made in the law of God) verses 13, 14. Now it will be well for us to carry out the principles that are here brought to view. We have duties to do our part, and if we will verify the Word of God as He requires of us, we shall always find that the Lord will verify His promise to us shortly, and He will not fail. Now, we want that every one of us shall understand our duty. There is a work for us to go. Every one to whom God grants the breath of life from day to day, it becomes us to understand how to meet the will and the way of the Lord. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 5

I came through the city of Buffalo a few days ago. And in every city I feel such an intensity for the souls there that have never had an opportunity to hear the truth as we present it from the Word. And when I know that soon there will come unexpectedly disasters as upon the city of Buffalo. Now I want to tell every one of you it is best for us to go to school. You say, How shall we go to school? Well, there are very many ways. You can establish schools among yourselves. You can provide for souls that need a word in season, and when you get ready to do this, just send to Sister White and tell her to send you some of her printed books, Christ’s Object Lessons, and various other books like Ministry of Healing. You want them in any school that you may establish. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 6

Now, I come to tell you today that when you get ready and want assistance of the books that I have published, I dedicated them to the Lord. They are selling them for students to come to the sanitarium for knowledge in treating the sick. It is no haphazard work. And when the sick are treated, there is to be no sorrowful face that comes into the room. There is to be no scolding nor fretting that comes to their ears, but there is to be a life-giving power from heaven that is to use the one that shall give themselves to the work. We do not say that you have to give yourselves without having any wages, but wages should not stand in the way when you see that the sick and suffering cannot help themselves. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 7

I have acted my part in the two books that I have given, and I am preparing again that I may make a donation of books, that I may make them for foreign countries, for east and west and north and south. I know that God expects this who gave me the knowledge in the simplest language. How old was I when the light began to come to me? I had been in despair, and the Spirit of God came upon me unexpectedly, and lifted me right up. My twin sister, we slept together. O, she would say, Ellen, you never will live if you do this. I would be up praying in the night, and pleading with God, for it seemed to me I should not live. I was an invalid. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 8

You see, the difficulty was here: A stone was thrown that broke my nose. Everybody said I would die, but the very ones that pronounced that I should die have heard me, in the city of Portland, stand before the people years ago. Who is that, they said? Why, it is Ellen Harmon. Ellen Harmon, we thought could not live? I am surprised. I did not think she could live, but I can understand every word she says. And it is just as simple to be understood. Well, why did the Lord Jesus choose me? He wanted to go to somebody that could not understand a great many words so that they should have the very simplest words to communicate His will to those that needed it. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 9

And when I have my workers around me strike off on the typewriter that which I write, and when I see a word they have put in there, that is not my word, some word that someone thinks will make it better, I put my pen right through it. Well, they say, What did you do that for? Because it is not my word. I give the very simplest language, that the little children can understand it. There was one came up to me when I was to speak in a certain place with about a dozen children around her and just about of her age, from ten to fifteen years old. “Mrs. White, are you going to speak this afternoon?” “I cannot speak,” said I, twice. “Well,” said she, “I have invited these girls here”—the tears were streaming down her face—“to come here and they could understand every word you said.” “Well,” said I, “tomorrow I will speak to you and to the children and to the grown people.” “Well,” said she, “we will have to wait. I guess I can get them all tomorrow.” 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 10

Now we can see that the Lord talks to us out of His Word. And if we will take the Word of the Lord, there are not very many words the children cannot understand. There are some hard pronunciations, but I want to tell you that we need a great deal more of simplicity of godliness, then the sick that are in our midst will not get tired of our words. We need to speak to the sick and suffering in our institutions in the simplest language, and keep everything like annoyance out of our voice, and just try to help and bless the sick. Also, when we are in our households, or our Sabbath school. You look at the Bible. There are some very hard words of names, but they are in that section of the Bible that you do not need to present to the first students that you shall talk with. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 11

Now what we need is to adapt ourselves to the situation. We want the light of God. We want the grace of God in our own hearts, and we want to communicate it to those that shall be in our presence. We want reformations to take place here in Buffalo. There should be souls seeking the Lord, that they may do just as is represented in Isaiah and that they should not spread sackcloth or ashes under them at all, expecting that is the way to seek the Lord. No, they can just do the essential work necessary to be done to bless the afflicted around us, and it will meet the requirements of God every day. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 12

There you can come with your afflictions to the Lord, and He has helping hands everywhere. Whenever I see the children, I feel as though I wanted to present to them the little books, a great many little books. They could read them, and they could have knowledge of what the Lord will do for them. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 13

Can’t we all be missionaries? Can’t every one that claims to be Christian take right hold understandingly and intelligently, and bring them so gently that they will know the will of God imparted to them? We have been in Loma Linda, seeking to bring the simplicity of truth before those patients that would come into the parlor to hear us speak. Then they came into another meeting to take that education, and they begin. Well, we must now order our schools so that they will understand the higher education. Of course that is what we want to do. But what was that? They must attach themselves to the world to get the world’s brand upon them, or else they could not understand the higher education. If God does not speak, if His Word is not enough higher education, what right have I to take and change in any way the Word of God? 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 14

As He gives me messages to bear, I keep to the simplicity of godliness that every one may understand it. When I write I do the same. If I see one word in the preparation of my articles and coming from the typewriter—if I see a word there—I feel it my duty to put it out, and put my own word there. But it is very seldom that any word is changed. Now I will tell you this, because I want you to understand the simplicity of religion and true godliness. I want every one of you to be in a position that you can understand that the Lord is dealing with us as His children, and when I come to Him I come to Him as His child, and I believe that as my father would give me instruction, Jesus Christ would give me instruction, just what I need. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 15

Now there has to be a great work done in Buffalo. Yes, there is. If every one will put his heart and shoulder to the wheel, we shall see a wonderful work done in simplicity, and that is what we want. We want the simplicity of true godliness, when you come into the sick room. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 16

I remember how my son Willie used to be after his father had a paralytic shock. It seemed as though he could hardly live. He would go to the cars, O so sorry, but he would try to get a smile on his face, to go in to his father, and then he came in and spoke to him cheerfully, and not have a single expression of sorrow upon his face. I remember how many times he has gone through that process. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 17

But I want to tell you, the simplicity of true godliness is to take the Word just as it reads, and when they talk of hitching us on to some parties for the higher education, it is a lower one. No, indeed. We want the simplicity of true godliness. We want that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. We want religion, pure and undefiled religion, while there is such a work and such a necessity. Let us every one of us seek to come close to the Word of simplicity of Jesus Christ. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 18

Only think of Him. The Father gave Him. The Father gave His Son to die for the sins of the world. And to think of the great sacrifice He made. O, what sacrifices are we willing to make to co-operate with God? Christ clothed His divinity with humanity, that humanity might grasp divinity in those who would see and understand His works. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 19

And this higher grade, I learned what it was. They must have the insignia of the world pronounced upon them, or they have not the higher education. Well, now we have a large class to educate. We have a large company to educate in America, but not only here, we have the means that are being carried to all parts of the world, that they may bring souls. Now will they come to a knowledge of God’s commandments, of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. Therefore we feel an intensity, a strong intensity in this matter, that we reach whenever we can. It is not to shut out any of the poor souls. When I see that children are so anxious to get the little books, I keep thinking when I get home I will have little books made and I will take them with me everywhere I go, and I will distribute them to the children. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 20

We want the simplicity of true godliness. We want to lead our children along. We want to educate them how to know God. And just think of Christ going from place to place on foot, and multitudes following Him all along, till they are so weary and hungry, five thousand that are on His track besides women and children, without anything to eat. Well, what are they going to do? But Christ knows. So He leads them along until He sees they are hungry. “What have you got for them to eat?” “Well, we have only a few loaves, and a few fishes, and what are they among so many?” “Well, bring them along,” He says. So they brought them along, divided them, scattered them to the multitudes. Well, after that He said, “Are all fed?” “Yes.” “How many baskets full did you take up after?” “Now,” said Christ, “gather up the fragments, let nothing be lost.” [Mark 6:38; John 6:5-13; Matthew 16:9, 10.] Now there was a miracle acted out right before them. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 21

If we had more of the simplicity of godliness, let me tell you we should see thousands of souls converted where we see a hundred. The Scripture has pointed out how it is to be. The night is coming and we must be prepared for it. Now, we want in our household to make one preparation. And what is that? To teach our household to love God to keep His commandments. And when you do that you have done the very work God would have you to do. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 22

O, we want to see the children enjoying the sweet privilege that is theirs of reading the Word, the Word of life. They can do it when they are young. And no scolding, no fretting. Put it right out of the house. If your children are unruly, take them right away and talk with them, and tell them the sure result, that you cannot allow them to dishonor God, that they must have patience and kindness and goodness, and you just educate them in that way, and you will find that it takes but a few lessons for them to understand it is worship. It is not punishment for your behavior, but it is a word of praise and thanksgiving, and they hear at the altar of God that He is blessing their children. And the children listen to hear what words are spoken to the Creator in regard to them when they tell the Lord, “I thank Thee, O Lord, that thou hast kept my children from being impatient and fretful and wicked and all this.” Tell it to the Lord, and the Lord hears what you say. He sees that you are co-operating with Him. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 23

What we want, if possible, is to get into this city. We want that the work should be done in your own church, and then your church be converted, and glorified that they can take up the work. It will not be to devote your whole time on the farm, and the whole time in seeing what you can produce to get rich. No. What are the greatest riches we can any of us have? Can you tell? The greatest riches that any one of us can have is to have the benefits of a life which measures with the life of God. And if you can get this blessing to your children, if you can get it to your families, then they can be with you when you come up to the gate of the city of God—Here am I and the children that Thou hast given me. This amusement outside of the family, this decorating the person, and all these things, they do not bring us any treasure in the heavenly courts. But when we find souls, bring them to Christ. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 24

I feel so intensely over this subject it seems as though I could hardly speak of it, it is so great. But I feel like speaking of it here to you today. Let every one of us make a pledge to our God that we will take our children and establish schools, keeping in view the higher education. God will bless them if we educate them, then go on to learn more and more and more until the children stand by your side as missionaries to enter into new fields with you. There is a world to save, and what are you doing to bring it about? 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 25

My son said to me when I left home, Now Mother, I will not ask you but just to go to College View. You just stop off at College View, and then you go to Washington. We want you to speak there, and we can’t let you off there. Well, he agreed that he would not ask me, but he did not need to. As I would go to visit our schools, why I would see the necessities in the highways and the hedges. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 26

I rode six miles and back again in one day after I had spoken in Madison down there. “Now,” I asked them, “What are you doing there?” There they were at work, but what are you doing? “Why, this little farm we are apportioning it to our children. It is good for nothing, but we are going to get the poison of tobacco out of it if we can”—it had raised tobacco until it could not raise anything—“and then we portion it to our children. And they go out into the highways, and they go off into the mountains, and the hedges, and they go to teach those that have no clothing, that they can go to the schools.” “Well, I am with you,” said I. “I will help you to all the books that you need. That shall be my donation, and I want that you call in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that you should teach them the simplicity of true godliness.” “That is what we are trying to do.” “Well, thank the Lord,” said I. “I will give you books, but I entreat of you not to neglect the simplest ones in the highways and the hedges.” 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 27

We haven’t a dollar to waste upon our own bodies, tobacco or wine or liquor, or any of these things, we haven’t a dollar to waste. There is something for us to do in this world. There are souls perishing all around us that do not know any other way than to amuse themselves by drinking wine, and playing ball, and doing other things that they have no business to do. We are to be a people intensely interested in the souls that are to be saved. There is not a soul that we can pass by indifferently. It is heaven that we are after. May the Lord God of heaven help us that we may follow in the footsteps of our Redeemer. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 28

(Early experience related.) (Rheumatism experience in Australia related.) 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 29

Now I know that my Redeemer liveth. I know that it is my privilege to take hold of divinity. 24LtMs, Ms 124, 1909, par. 30