Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 23 (1908)

Ms 113, 1908

Sermon/Lessons From the Sixtieth Chapter of Isaiah

St. Helena, California

October 28, 1908

This manuscript is published in entirety in 3MR 284-291.

(Address, Mrs. E. G. White, at the Pacific Union Medical Convention, Sanitarium, California, October 28, 1908, 2:30 P.M.) 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 1

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.” [Isaiah 60:1-5.] 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 2

Let us bear all these words in mind; for our faith and expectation must be enlarged to look for the fulfilment of these glorious promises. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 3

“The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense: and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on Mine altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 4

“Surely the isles shall wait for Me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He hath glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee; for in My wrath I smote thee, but in My favor have I had mercy on thee.” [Verses 6-10.] 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 5

In these words are outlined the possibilities that are before the people of God, if they shall faithfully perform the work that He has given them to do. With such a prospect before us, shall we, who should be workers together with God, hover about our large centers, saying by our actions if not by our words, “Do not disturb me: I do not wish to leave this pleasant place. Let me remain here, and enjoy the privileges I have in the church.” 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 6

God has work to be done outside of the church. There are privileges for the Christian in service in every city or town or village. It is not enough for you to remain in the church because you enjoy the preaching. There are many who need the very truths that you have heard, and which you should be imparting to others. May God put upon the members of His church a burden to labor for souls as they that must give an account. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 7

“Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.” [Verse 11.] 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 8

This means that kings and nobles shall be gathered into the kingdom of the Lord. In the third angel’s message we have a truth that is to be worldwide. It must [be] carried from village to village, and from city to city. Then do not, because you have a comfortable home and good church privileges, keep your light under a bushel. Let it shine forth, that it may give light to all. God bids you hunt up the people that know not the truth of the Word of God, that you may acquaint them with it. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 9

“Thy gates shall be open continually.” [Verse 11.] Invite the people in. Go to their houses, and tell them that you have an important message, a message that must go to all the world, and that you feel a solemn responsibility to give this message to all that will hear it. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 10

“For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together (these represent persons), to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I will make the place of My feet glorious.” [Verses 12, 13.] 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 11

God wants us to go right to the people, realizing that they have souls to save or to lose, and tell them that you desire them to have a life that measures with the life of God—an eternal life in the kingdom of glory. Then you may sit down with them and ask them if they will listen to some precious truths from the Scriptures. But few will refuse you, and then you will have an opportunity to open to them the glorious gospel message. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 12

“The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.” [Verses 14, 15.] 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 13

It is the workers in the churches that are to bring about these conditions that are so much desired. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 14

I remember reading of a young man who felt that he must go and speak of Jesus to the crowds in the street. Some said to him, “They will abuse you.” “Well,” he replied, “they abused my Lord, and I can suffer no more than He did.” So he spoke to the people. They did abuse him. They cast eggs at him. The eggs broke in his face and on his clothes. He took out his handkerchief and wiped them off, and continued to speak. He did not retaliate in any way. They soon found that they could not stop him by abuse, and so they let him alone. That man’s work resulted in the conversion of hundreds, because he would never allow himself to be annoyed. Some of the very ones who were his bitterest opposers at first were converted and united with him. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 15

We may not be treated in that way, but like this man, we are to show an interest for those who know not the truth and have no interest in it. We are to labor earnestly for their salvation. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 16

“Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron, I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exacters righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders: but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee, but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” [Verses 16-19.] 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 17

The prophet is now describing the city of our God, after we have gained the victory and obtained our inheritance. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 18

“Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall the moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.” [Verses 20-22.] 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 19

How is this great work of reformation to be brought about? In the next chapter we are told: 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 20

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.” [Isaiah 61:1, 2.] 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 21

Every one of us is invited to be a laborer together with God. Christ estimated the human family as of such value as to lead Him to leave the royal courts, laying aside His royal robe and kingly crown, and clothing His divinity with humanity, to come to this world. He was born of poor and humble parentage. The people did not know that He was One from the royal courts of heaven. Yet He did not seek a high position. His only purpose was to seek and to save that which was lost, and in this work He wants our help today. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 22

For you and for me, our Saviour hung on Calvary’s cross. What are we willing to do and to sacrifice for His sake? Let every soul make some sacrifice for Christ. He has given His life for us; He has risen from the dead and is now at the right hand of God. He is still at work for the salvation of men and women. Who will unite with Him in labor? 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 23

As Christ traveled from place to place, He met the poor and the afflicted. There were no sanitariums then where the sick could come to be healed. But they appealed to Christ, and they did not plead in vain. He healed them of their infirmities, and they joined the crowds that followed Him. On one occasion we read that there were as many as five thousand men, besides women and children. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 24

There are people all around us who are just as much in darkness as are the heathen in far-away countries. Many of our neighbors are unsaved. Who is willing to suffer inconvenience, perhaps to leave his home in order to be a missionary for the Master? Who will take the place of Christ, and extend the Bible invitation? He taught from the Word wherever He went. The Jews would not let Him into the synagogues, but He gave instruction as He was walking along the way. He educated the people, and after His death and resurrection many of those who had heard Him took their position as Christians. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 25

In the medical institutions that have been established among us, we want to carry out the very purpose of God. We want a tenderness and a Christlike love, that we may do all in our power to bring the sick and suffering to a state of health. As we minister to them, many, through our influence, will learn of Christ. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 26

I know that in many of our institutions we have felt conscious of the presence of Jesus Christ. We have felt it here at this sanitarium. I know that the doctor’s heart is drawn out earnestly for the patients, that they may see the light of truth. We expect to meet in the kingdom of heaven many who have been patients at our sanitariums. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 27

We have many interests to be developed. We have come into possession of institutions in various places. In Southern California we have three sanitariums that have proved to be a great blessing to many. Through the providence of God, we shall continue to come into possession of institutions in various places. We must extend our influence as widely as possible. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 28

Another matter has been given to me. There are wealthy men who have in trust the Lord’s money, and we have a perfect right to ask them to help us in our missionary work. We have a work to be carried on in all parts of the world, and must have means. Will not some of these wealthy men come to our help? The Scripture we have read encourages us to believe that they will. There are some who would consider it a privilege. Yet some of us are so delicate that we are afraid to ask these men for means to help sustain the work of the Lord. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 29

We are not to spend means unnecessarily, but we must do an extensive work to gather in souls; for time is short; the Lord is coming. He that is to come will come and will not tarry. We are not told the appointed time, but we know that the coming is very near. We have been so backward in giving the real message! Unless we arouse, we cannot be saved ourselves; for we have not gained experience of being workers together with God. We are to be His instrumentalities, His agents. With all the strength of our influence, we are to try to bring souls to a knowledge of the truth. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 30

When Christ shall appear, then we all want to stand with the redeemed. The gates of the city will swing back on their glittering hinges, and the nations that have kept the truth will enter in. A crown will be placed on every head. The words will be spoken, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” [Matthew 25:34.] Whom is it prepared for?—For the obedient, those who keep His commandments and do His will. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 31

Now is our time to win souls to Christ. Let us not use our means foolishly. Every one of us is amenable to God for every dollar in our possession. What have you done with the talents that have been entrusted to you? Have you worked as Christ worked? Read the story of His life, and see how He toiled. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 32

God wants to put the harp in your hand and the crown of gold on your head. As holy angels touch their harps, He wants you to follow, singing the song of triumph in the city of God. There you will see souls saved through your influence. That will be happiness. 23LtMs, Ms 113, 1908, par. 33